HILL, Thomas. Legerdemain: or, Natural and Artificial Conclusions, and Hocus Pocus Improved. London: A Baldwin, [c.1650 or later]. Small 8° (138 x 85mm). Woodcut dual-image frontispiece, 2 woodcut illustration, 15-pages of publisher's advertisements at end (frontispiece laid down on thick paper, A2 probably lacking but blank leaf inserted in its place, short tear at foot of B2, 2 short tears to foot of G4, lower forecorner of F3 torn away not affecting letters, a few light spots and stains, lacking all after A6 of advertisements, advertisements lightly browned). Contemporary speckled sheep (rebacked preserving old spine, rubbed, particularly at corners). Provenance : ?Jo. Shotten (inscription on frontispiece dated 1752). Not in Wing or ESTC on-line. APPARENTLY UNRECORDED EDITION OF A REMARKABLE COMPENDIUM OF MAGIC, ILLUSIONS, TRICKERY AND HOUSEHOLD HINTS. The title page notes a few highlights: "1. How to break a thick Rope with your hands only. 2. To walk upon the Water. 3. To make a Candle that will not go out. 4. To make Artificial Birds fly about. 5. To make sport with cats, Ducks, Geese, or other Fowl. 6. To make a Cat piss out the Fire; or draw a Person thro' a Pond. 7. To make an Egg fly in the Air. 8. To know whether a Man or Woman shall Marry or not, and which shall die first. 9. To make divers sorts of Inks, with above 140 Rarities, Sports, and Pastimes more, to Recreate Wits withal at vacant times." Perhaps most bizarre is no. CXXXIII: "How to make a Cat to piss out the fire. Take a Cat and with a glove on your hand, hold all her four feet together: then hold her head fast between your leggs: when you have so done, go to the fire, and hold up her tail, and you shall see her spout forth presently." Although this title and edition is not listed in Wing, 4 similar titles by Thomas Hill ("Natural and artificiall conclusions") are listed with varying imprints, dating from 1650 to 1684 (see H2018, 2018a, 2019 and 2020). The British Library Catalogue lists a few works by Thomas Hill with variant titles and imprints, the earliest being published in 1586 under the title "A Briefe and Pleasant Treatise, entituled: Naturall and Artificiall Conclusions firste by sundry Schollers of the University of Padua ... at the ... request of one Bartholomew, a Tuscane; and now English'd [or possibly written] by T. Hyll."
HILL, Thomas. Legerdemain: or, Natural and Artificial Conclusions, and Hocus Pocus Improved. London: A Baldwin, [c.1650 or later]. Small 8° (138 x 85mm). Woodcut dual-image frontispiece, 2 woodcut illustration, 15-pages of publisher's advertisements at end (frontispiece laid down on thick paper, A2 probably lacking but blank leaf inserted in its place, short tear at foot of B2, 2 short tears to foot of G4, lower forecorner of F3 torn away not affecting letters, a few light spots and stains, lacking all after A6 of advertisements, advertisements lightly browned). Contemporary speckled sheep (rebacked preserving old spine, rubbed, particularly at corners). Provenance : ?Jo. Shotten (inscription on frontispiece dated 1752). Not in Wing or ESTC on-line. APPARENTLY UNRECORDED EDITION OF A REMARKABLE COMPENDIUM OF MAGIC, ILLUSIONS, TRICKERY AND HOUSEHOLD HINTS. The title page notes a few highlights: "1. How to break a thick Rope with your hands only. 2. To walk upon the Water. 3. To make a Candle that will not go out. 4. To make Artificial Birds fly about. 5. To make sport with cats, Ducks, Geese, or other Fowl. 6. To make a Cat piss out the Fire; or draw a Person thro' a Pond. 7. To make an Egg fly in the Air. 8. To know whether a Man or Woman shall Marry or not, and which shall die first. 9. To make divers sorts of Inks, with above 140 Rarities, Sports, and Pastimes more, to Recreate Wits withal at vacant times." Perhaps most bizarre is no. CXXXIII: "How to make a Cat to piss out the fire. Take a Cat and with a glove on your hand, hold all her four feet together: then hold her head fast between your leggs: when you have so done, go to the fire, and hold up her tail, and you shall see her spout forth presently." Although this title and edition is not listed in Wing, 4 similar titles by Thomas Hill ("Natural and artificiall conclusions") are listed with varying imprints, dating from 1650 to 1684 (see H2018, 2018a, 2019 and 2020). The British Library Catalogue lists a few works by Thomas Hill with variant titles and imprints, the earliest being published in 1586 under the title "A Briefe and Pleasant Treatise, entituled: Naturall and Artificiall Conclusions firste by sundry Schollers of the University of Padua ... at the ... request of one Bartholomew, a Tuscane; and now English'd [or possibly written] by T. Hyll."
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
