18 Short Sketch of Palmistry. he king of the fame fuit fhe is queen f; but if a fingle woman tries it, fhe ay make her fweetheart what king. he likes; the knaves of the fame fuit re the men's thoughts: fo that you may know what they are thinking, by elling nine cards from where they are laced, making them one; and if any ne chufes to try if she shall have her wifh, let her fhuffle the cards well (as he muft likewife when he tells her ortune) wishing all the time for fome one thing; the muft then cut them once, and minding what card the cuts, huffle them again, and then deal them out into three parcels; which done, look over every parcel, and if the card you cut comes next yourself, or next the ace of hearts, you will have your wifh; but if the nine of fpades is next, you will not, for that is a difappointment; however, you may try it three times. This method of telling fortunes is innocent, and much better than for a young person to tell their fecrets to an old hag of a gypfey fortune-teller, who can inform her no better, if fhe pays a fhilling for the intelligence.-Breslaw. To make fport, and cause mirth with quicksilver THIS volatile mineral will afford many curious experiments, none of which are more pleafing than the following-Boil an egg, and while it is hot make a small hole at one end, then put in a little quickfilver, feal up the hole with fealing-wax, and then leave it on a table, or any where elfe, when it will not cease to fly about while there is any warmth in it, or till it is broken in pieces. Another trick with quickûlvez, from the fame. AN old woman on a Sunday was making dumplings, when two of her grandfons came to fee her, and being merrily inclined, while her back was turned, conveyed fome quickfilver into the dough, and then took their leave. The old woman left the cooking to the care of her grand-daughter, and went herself to church, charging her to be careful, and fkim the pot, in which was to be boiled the dumplings and a leg of mutton; the girl was very careful to watch when the pot boiled, when taking off the cover, out jumped a dumpling, which fhe inftantly put in again, when out flew another, and another after that, which so terrified the girl, that fhe ran with all fpeed to the church: the old woman feeing her come in, held up her hand, fhook her head, winked at her, as much as to fay, Begone! at last the girl cried out, before all the congregation, "All your nodding and winking does not fignify, for the leg of mutton has beat the dumplings out of the pot." This caufed much laughing; and her two grandfons, being then on their knees, faw plainly the pleafing effect of their experiment: but to play tricks with quickfilver should be done with great care, as it is very dangerous. PALMISTRY. Difplayed in a fhort sketch of the art of telling fortunes by the lines in the hands. From Dr. SAUNDERS. IF the lines which are in the middle of the hand, which are called the tablelines, are broad and fair, without being broken, it is a fure fign the party will lead a happy and comfortable life. ftrait If the line from the wrist goes up to the little finger, it is a better fign than if broken, for then it denotes the party will live to a great advance of old age; but on the contrary fhould the line want continuity, they are in danger of fudden death, for that is called the line of death; if the line of life, which is that which runs from the wrift, by the ball of the thumb, and ends under the fore finger, is clear and ends without breaks, it denotes poffeffion, profperity, and happy old age: round lines, like femi-circles on the infide of the tips of the Ingenious Phyfical Amusements. the fingers, promises houfes, land, and inheritance. As many lines or croffes as a woman has in her wrift, fo many children she may expect to have. If the middle or table lines in the hand, are very narrow, and contracted, it is a fign of poverty, and croffes in the world. if a crooked line goes through the table line, it is a fign of death by accident or violence; but if it runs ftraight, and even through, it is a good fign. DESIRE fome perfon in the company to lend you a gold ring, recommending him at the fame time to make a mark on it, that he may know it again. Have a gold ring of your own, which you are to faften by a small cat-gut ftring to a watch barrel, which muft be fown to the left fleeve of your coat. Take in your right hand' the ring that will be given to you; then taking with dexterity near the entrance of your fleeve the other ring faftened to the watch barrel, draw it to the fingers ends of your left hand, taking care nobody perceives it; during this operation hide between the fingers of your right hand the ring that has been lent to you, and hang it dexterously on a little hook fewed on purpose on you waistcoat near your hip, and hid by your coat you will after that fhew your ring which you hold in your left hand; then ask the company on which finger of the other hand they wish it to pass. During this interval, and as foon as the anfwer has been given, put the beforementioned finger on the little hook, in order to flip on it the ring; at the fame moment let go the other ring, by opening your fingers; the fpring which is in the watch barrel, not being confined any longer, will contract, and make the ring flip under the fleeve, without any body perceiving it, not even those who hold your arms: as their only attention being to prevent your hands from communicating, they will let you make the neceffary motions. These motions must be very quick, and always accompanied by ftamping with your foot. After this operation, fhew the affembly that the ring is come on the other hand: make them remark well that it is the fame that had been lent to you, or that the mark is right. Much quicknefs and dexterity muft be made ufe of to fucceed in this entertaining trick, that the deception may not be fufpected. To guefs by fmelling, which has been the number ftruck out by a perfon in the company, in the product of a multiplication given him to do. PROPOSE to a perfon of the company to multiply, by whatever number he pleafes, one of the three fums which you will give him on a piece of paper; defire him to ftrike out whatever figure he pleafes of the product of his multiplication, let him change and invert the order of the remaining figures after the defalcation he has chofen, While the perfon is making his calculation, and the fubfequent operations,go in another room; when you are told you may return, defire the person who has done the multiplication, to give you the remaining product on a piece of paper or card; put it to your nole as though you C 2 would In the fuppofition that the fum fet Suppofe the three fums propofed to down is the following: be the following; 315423 132354 When you pretend to fmell the paper, add together in your mind the figures presented to you, in order to reduce them to nines; and fay in your mind 7 and 2 make nine; after that 8 and 4 make 12; in 12 there is 9, and three remains toward nine more; to complete which 6 is wanting, which is and muft be the figure ftruck out. This calculation must be made quickly, and while you pafs the under your nofe un 789.788. Add in your mind thus: 7 and 8 are 15, and 9, 24; and 7, 31; and 8, 39; and 8 more 47; in 47 there is 5 times 9, as 9 times 5 make 45; there remains 2, therefore in order to complete 9, 7 are to be added; confequently the fum to be multiplied will be 7,897,887, Then give this fum, which has been encreafed by a 7, to the perfon who has prefented it to you: and tell him to chufe whatever multiplier he pleases; then retire while he does the multiplication, recommending him to strike out the figure he pleases, as ufual, and to fet down on a piece of paper the remaining fum, the figure being defalcated, and the remaining figures ranged as he pleases: and in order to guess the number that was ftruck out, you are to proceed as it has been explained for the first manner of operating, and with the fame tricks. LEGERDEMAIN PERFORMANCES, Done by the famous Pinetti., To make a pen-knife out of three jump out of a goblet, agreeable to the option of the company, TAKE a filver goblet, as, on account of its opacity, it will hide the means you will employ to make the pen-knife jump out at the defire of the affembly. paper This operation confifts in a small der the pretext of fmelling it. fpring, about an inch broad, by two There is another manner of proceed- inches and a quarter long.. You Short Procefs of Affaying Gold and Silver. You are to take care to fubject or bend this fpring before you begin the trick, with a little bit of fugar, which being compreffed between the two ends of the fpring, will prevent it from unbending. Then afk the company, fhewing your three pen-knives of different colours, which of them they chute to fee jump out of the goblet. Put afterwards your three pen-knives in the goblet, taking care to lay the end of the handle of the chofen pen-knife in a little round hole that is in the upper end of the fpring, confined by the bit of fugar; and before you withdraw your hand from the goblet, which must contain in the bottom fome drops of water, take a little of it with the tip of your finger, and put it dexterously on the fugar, which by melting will leave the spring at liberty to extend and make the pen-knife jump out. While the fugar is melting, you may ftand far from the goblet, and command the pen-knife to jump out; and this will be done to the great aftonishment of the fpectators. Yet nothing is fo fimple as the means to make this experiment fucceed, without the leaft affiftance from any confederate, To pull off any perfon's fhirt, without undreffing him, or having occafion for a confederate. THIS trick requires only dexterity; and nevertheless, when I performed it 21 at the Theatre-Royal in the Hay-Market, every body imagined that the perfon whom I had tricked out of his shirt was in a confederacy with me. The means of performing this trick are as follow; only obferving that the cloaths of the perfon whole shirt is to be pulled off be wide and easy. Begin by making him pull off his ftock, and unbuttoning his fhirt at the neck and fleeves; afterwards tye a little ftring in the button-hole of the left fleeve: then paffing your hand behind his back, pull the fhirt out of his breeches, and flip it over his head; then pulling it out before in the same manner, you will leave it on his ftomach; after that, go to the right hand, and pull the fleeve down, so as to have it all out of the arm; the shirt being then all of a heap, as well in the right sleeve as before the ftomach, you are to make use of the little ftring faftened to the button-hole of the left fleeve, to get back the fleeve, that must have dipt up, and to pull the whole fhirt out that way. To hide your way of operating from the person whom you unshirt, and from the affembly, you may cover his head with a lady's cloak, holding a corner of it in your teeth. In order to be more at your ease, you may mount on a chair, and do the whole operation under the cloak. Such are the means I used when I performed publickly this trick. Example for Affaying Gold. When first I endeavoured to try Gold in a small space of time. I confidered that as aqua-fortis destroys all metais, excepting Gold, if I mixed the proper quantity of Silver, by melting it together in one mafs, and then diffolved it in aqua-fortis, it would anfwer the fame purpose. I did fo feveral times: but the affay piece, when finished, was neither Gold nor Silver, but a motley of both from appearances, therefore, I concluded that the Gold and Silver were not thoroughly incorporated: I then tried the following: I took fine Silver, and flatted it: I then took the Gold, and flatted that: after nealing them, I rolled them up together and then laid them on a piece of coal, and with a blow-pipe and lamp melted them into one fluid ftate. After letting it chill on the coal, I turned it again, making it spin round with the heat of the lamp; then flatted it again, and by diffolving it in aqua-fortis, have obtained a good affay in every respect as true and as fine a colour as by the ufual process. Where the flatting of the Silver and Gold is not performed, I melt them three times on the coal, turning them each time, that they may thoroughly incorporate. After fucceeding fo well with Gold, I turned my thoughts on Silver, though I defpaired of meeting with the like fuccefs as the trying of Silver is more intricate by fhort methods, because we are not yet acquainted with any fluid that will diffolve Copper, and not the Silver. After making feveral unfuccefsful experiments, I tried the following: I took a very small crucible, and placed a copple in the mouth, and then put coals around the crucible, I then placed my filver affay in the copple, after it was red hot, and with hand-bellows gave theaflay fo much air as is neceffary to precipitate the lead into the copple, and leave the Silver pure. There is fome fkill required in these proceffes, which are learned only by experience, and which a few trials will convince; but on the whole I aver, that the difficulties this way are nogreater than what attend the long process, which is most proper for a great number, the other method for a few. The chief obftacle here to guard against is making the affay too hot with coals on the top, fo that the fmall particles will fly off; and by these means the Silver will be reported worse than it is. As thele operations may be of great fervice to the public, I am ready to give up every private emolument, and will therefore minutely explain the procefs. PROCESS OF ASSAYING GOLD. In order to affay Gold, you must be provided with a pair of fine fcales, (in a fquare glafs lanthorn) which fhould weigh to the hundredth part of a grain, and a fet of weights in miniature, divided as follows: 24 carats make one ounce, or 20 grains, troy. 20 grains troy make a carat. Now one carat must be divided into four grains; fo that each carat grain will be five grains troy; half a carat grain will be two grains and a halftroy: and a quarter of a carat grain will be one grain and a quarter troy; 22 carats of fine Gold, and two carats of fine Sil ver or Copper, make standard Gold. Your ounce troy, or 24 carats, for these fhort methods, fhould not weigh more than 6 grains troy; but whatever it weighs, all the other weights must be exactly proportioned and marked. EXAMPLE OF ASSAYING GOLD. Suppofe you have a piece of coin, or an ingot of Gold to try. Cut a little piece off, and reduce it by a file or theerstill it balances in your cale againft the ounce weight: for Gold is bought and fold by the ounce: then add three times the quantity of fine Silver flatted thin, to the Gold: which Silver muft have been affayed before, to fee that no Gold is amongst it: and as the ounce weighs fix grains, fo the Silver will be 18 grains. The reason why Silver is added |