magic and real detectives-第22部分

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to　die　patiently　and　like　a　Christian。　　Then　immediately　they　were

all　surprized　to　see　him　hold　up　his　head　wch　he　lett　hang　on　one

side　before　like　a　drooping　calfe　and　speake　as　loud　and　clear　as

the　ministre；　to　whom　he　said　with　a　cheerful　air　hee　was　glad　to

see　him；　that　hee　need　not　question　butt　that　hee　would　dye　like　a

Christian　and　patiently　too。　　Then　hee　went　and　spoke　some　places

of　Scripture　to　encourage　him　which　he　heard　with　great　attention。

They　afterward　came　to　mention　some　things　to　move　him　to

contrition；　and　there　hee　tooke　an　occasion　to　aggravate　the

horrour　of　a　Crime　of　attempting　against　the　King's　person。　　Hee

said　hee　did　not　know　what　hee　meant。　　For　his　part　hee　never　had

any　evill　intention　against　the　Person　of　the　King。



The　Lieutenant　Criminel　stood　all　the　while　behind　Monsieur　Daillie

and　hearkened　to　all　and　prompted　Monsr　Daillie　to　aske　him　if　hee

had　said　there　were　10　Ravillacs　besides　wch　would　doe　the　King's

businesse。　　Hee　protested　solemnly　hee　never　said　any　such　words　or

if　hee　did　hee　never　remembered；　butt　if　hee　had　it　was　with　no

intention　of　Malice。　　Then　Monsieur　Daillie　turned　to　the　people

and　made　a　discourse　in　vindication　of　those　of　the　Religion　that

it　was　no　Principle　of　theirs　attempts　on　the　persons　of　King＇s＇

butt　only　loyalty　and　obedience。　　This　ended　hee　went　away；　hee

staid　about　an　hour　in　all；　and　immediately　as　soon　as　he　was　gone；

they　went　to　their　worke　and　gave　him　eleven　blows　with　a　barre　and

laid　him　on　the　wheele。　　He　was　two　houres　dying。　　All　about　Monsr

Daillie　I　heard　from　his　own　mouth　for　I　went　to　wait　on　him

because　it　was　reported　hee　had　said　something　concerning　the　King

of　England　butt　hee　could　tell　mee　nothing　of　that。　　There　was　a

flying　report　that　he　should　say　going　from　the　ChasteletThe　Duke

of　York　hath　done　mee　a　great　injury。　　The　Swisses　they　say

resented　his　＇Marsilly's＇　taking　and　misst　but　1/2　an　hour　to　take

them　which　betrayed　him　＇the　monk＇　after　whom　they　sent。　　When　he

was　on　the　wheele　he　was　heard　to　say　Le　Roy　est　grand　tyrant；　Le

Roy　me　traitte　d'un　facon　fort　barbare。　　All　that　you　read

concerning　oaths　and　dying　en　enrage　is　false　all　the　oaths　hee

used　being　only　asseverations　to　Monsr　Daillie　that　he　was　falsely

accused　as　to　the　King's　person



Sr　I　am　&c



FRANS。　VERNON。







VI。　　The　Ambassador　Montague　to　Arlington。＇1＇





＇1＇　State　Papers；　France；　vol。　　126。





Paris：　June　22；　1669。



My　Lord；



The　Lieutenant　criminel　hath　proceeded　pretty　farre　with　Le　Roux

Marsilly。　　The　crime　they　forme　their　processe　on　beeing　a　rape

which　he　had　formerly　committed　at　Nismes　soe　that　he　perceiving

but　little　hopes　of　his　life；　sent　word　to　the　King　if　hee　would

pardon　him　he　could　reveale　things　to　him　which　would　concerne　him

more　and　be　of　greater　consequence　to　him；　than　his　destruction。







VII。　　The　same　to　the　same。



Paris：　June　26；　'69。



My　Lord；



I　heard　that　Marsilly　was　to　be　broke　on　the　wheel　and　I　gave　order

then　to　one　of　my　servants　to　write　Mr。　Williamson　word　of　it；　soe

I　suppose　you　have　heard　of　it　already：　they　hastened　his　execution

for　feare　he　should　have　dyed　of　the　hurt　he　had　done　himself　the

day　before；　they　sent　for　a　minister　to　him　when　he　was　upon　the

scaffold　to　see　if　he　would　confesse　anything；　but　he　still

persisted　that　he　was　guilty　of　nothing　nor　did　not　know　why　he　was

put　to　death。　。　。　。







PART　IITrue　Stories　of　Modern　Magic





M。　Robert…Houdin





A　Conjurer's　Confessions



I



SELF…TRAINING





＇Sleight…of…hand　theories　alone　cannot　explain　the　mysteries　of

〃magic〃　as　practiced　by　that　eminent　Frenchman　who　revolutionized

the　entire　art；　and　who　was　finally　called　upon　to　help　his

government　out　of　a　difficuityRobert…Houdin。　　The　success　of　his

most　famous　performances　hung　not　only　on　an　incredible　dexterity；

but　also　on　high　ingenuity　and　moral　courage；　as　the　following

pages　from　his　〃Memoirs〃　will　prove　to　the　reader。　　The　story

begins　when　the　young　man　of　twenty　was　laboring　patiently　as

apprentice　to　a　watchmaker。＇





In　order　to　aid　my　progress　and　afford　me　relaxation；　my　master

recommended　me　to　study　some　treatises　on　mechanics　in　general；　and

on　clockmaking　in　particular。　　As　this　suited　my　taste　exactly；　I

gladly　assented；　and　I　was　devoting　myself　passionately　to　this

attractive　study；　when　a　circumstance；　apparently　most　simple；

suddenly　decided　my　future　life　by　revealing　to　me　a　vocation　whose

mysterious　resources　must　open　a　vast　field　for　my　inventive　and

fanciful　ideas。



One　evening　I　went　into　a　bookseller's　shop　to　buy　Berthoud's

〃Treatise　on　Clockmaking；〃　which　I　knew　he　had。　　The　tradesman

being　engaged　at　the　moment　on　matters　more　important；　took　down

two　volumes　from　the　shelves　and　handed　them　to　me　without

ceremony。　　On　returning　home　I　sat　down　to　peruse　my　treatise

conscientiously；　but　judge　of　my　surprise　when　I　read　on　the　back

of　one　of　the　volumes　〃SCIENTIFIC　AMUSEMENTS。〃　　Astonished　at

finding　such　a　title　on　a　professional　work；　I　opened　it

impatiently；　and；　on　running　through　the　table　of　contents；　my

surprise　was　doubled　on　reading　these　strange　phrases：



The　way　of　performing　tricks　with　the　cardsHow　to　guess　a

person's　thoughtsTo　cut　off　a　pigeon's　head；　to　restore　it　to

life；　etc。；　etc。



The　bookseller　had　made　a　mistake。　　In　his　haste；　he　had　given　me

two　volumes　of　the　Encyclopaedia　instead　of　Berthoud。　　Fascinated；

however；　by　the　announcement　of　such　marvels；　I　devoured　the

mysterious　pages；　and　the　further　my　reading　advanced；　the　more　I

saw　laid　bare　before　me　the　secrets　of　an　art　for　which　I　was

unconsciously　predestined。



I　fear　I　shall　be　accused　of　exaggeration；　or　at　least　not　be

understood　by　many　of　my　readers；　when　I　say　that　this　discovery

caused　me　the　greatest　joy　I　had　ever　experienced。　　At　this　moment

a　secret　presentiment　warned　me　that　success；　perhaps　glory；　would

one　day　accrue　to　me　in　the　apparent　realization　of　the　marvelous

and　impossible；　and　fortunately　these　presentiments　did　not　err。



The　resemblance　between　two　books；　and　the　hurry　of　a　bookseller；

were　the　commonplace　causes　of　the　most　important　event　in　my　life。



It　may　be　urged　that　different　circumstances　might　have　suggested

this　profession　to　me　at　a　later　date。　　It　is　probable；　but　then　I

should　have　had　no　time　for　it。　　Would　any　workman；　artisan；　or

tradesman　give　up　a　certainty；　however　slight　it　may　be；　to　yield

to　a　passion　which　would　be　surely　regarded　as　a　mania？　　Hence　my

irresistible　penchant　for　the　mysterious　could　only　be　followed　at

this　precise　period　of　my　life。



How　often　since　have　I　blessed　this　providential　error；　without

which　I　should　have　probably　vegetated　as　a　country　watchmaker！　　My

life　would　have　been　spent　in　gentle　monotony；　I　should　have　been

spared　many　sufferings；　emotions；　and　shocks：　but；　on　the　other

hand；　what　lively　sensations；　what　profound　delight　would　have　been

sacrificed！



I　was　eagerly　devouring　every　line　of　the　magic　book　which

described　the　astounding　tricks；　my　head　was　aglow；　and　I　at　times

gave　way　to　thoughts　which　plunged　me　in　ecstasy。



The　author　gave　a　very　plain　explanation　of　his　tricks；　still；　he

committed　the　error　of　supposing　his　readers　possessed　of　the

necessary　skill　to　perform　them。　　Now；　I　was　entirely　deficient　in

this　skill；　and　though　most　desirous　of　acquiring　it；　I　found

nothing　in　the　book　to　indicate　the　means。　　I　was　in　the　position

of　a　man　who　attempts　to　copy　a　picture　without　possessing　the

slightest　notion　of　drawing　and　painting。



In　the　absence　of　a　professor　to　instruct　me；　I　was　compelled　to

create　the　principles　of　the　science　I　wished　to　study。　　In　the

first　place；　I　recognized　the　fundamental　principle　of　sleight…of…

hand；　that　the　organs　performing　the　principal　part　are　the　sight

and　touch。　　I　saw　that；　in　order　to　attain　any　degree　of

perfection；　the　professor　must　develop　these　organs　to　their

fullest　extentfor；　in　his　exhibitions；　he　must　be　able　to　see

everything　that　takes　place　around　him　at　half　a　glance；　and

execute　his　deceptions　with　unfailing　dexterity。



I　had　been　often　struck　by　the　ease　with　which　pianists　can　read

and　perform　at　sight　the　most　difficult　pieces。　　I　saw　that；　by

practice；　it　would　be　possible　to　create　a　certainty　of　perception

and　facility　of　touch；　rendering　it　easy　for　the　artist　to　attend

to　several　things　simultaneously；　while　his　hands　were　busy

employed　with　some　complicated　task。　　This　faculty　I　wished　to

acquire　and　apply　to　sleight…of…hand；　still；　as　music　could　not

afford　me　the　necessary　elements；　I　had　recourse　to　the　juggler's

art；　in　which　I　hoped　to　meet　with　an　analogous　result。



It　is　well　known　that　the　trick　with　the　balls　wonderfully　improves

the　touch；　but　does　it　not　improve　the　vision　at　the　same　time？　　In

fact；　when　a　juggler　throws　into　the　air　four　balls　crossing　each

other　in　various　directions；　he　requires　an　extraordinary　power　of

sight　to　follow　the　direction　his　hands　have　given　to　each　of　the

balls。　　At　this　period　a　corn…cutter　resided　at　Blois；　who

possessed　the　double　talent　of　juggling　and　extracting　corns　with　a

skill　worthy　of　the　lightness　of　his　hands。　　Still；　with　both　these

qualities；　he　was　not　rich；　and　being　aware　of　that　fact；　I　hoped

to　obtain　lessons　from　him　at　a　price　suited　to　my　modest　finances。

In　fact；　for　ten　francs　he　agreed　to　initiate　me　in　the　juggling

art。



I　practiced　with　so　much　zeal；　and　progressed　so　rapidly；　that　in

less　than　a　month　I　had　nothing　more　to　learn；　at　least；　I　knew　as

much　as　my　master；　with　the　exception　of　corn…cutting；　the　monopoly

in　which　I　left　him。　　I　was　able　to　juggle　with　four　balls　at　once。

But　this　did　not　satisfy　my　ambition；　so　I　placed　a　book　befo