How to take three button moulds off two strings.
Take two little whipcords of two feet long a-piece, double them equally so as there may appear four ends; then take three button moulds, the hole of one of them must be bigger than the rest, and put one button mould upon the eye or bout of the one cord and another on the other cord, then take the button mould with the greatest hole, and let both the bouts be hidden therein; which may be the better done if you put the eye or bout of the one into the eye or bout of the other; then pull the middle button upon the same, being doubled over his fellow, so will the heads seem to be put over the two cords, you may loose them as you list, and make it seem manifest to the beholders, which may not see how they are done, but that the buttons are put upon the two cords without any fraud; then must you seem to add a more effectual binding of those buttons to the strings, and make one half of a knot with one of the ends of each side, which is for no other purpose, but that when the buttons be taken away, the cords may be seen in the case, which the beholders supposes them to be in before; for then you have made your half knots, which in any wise you may not double to make a perfect knot, you must deliver into the hands of some stander-by these two cords, namely, two cords evenly set to one hand, and two in the other, and then with a wager begin to pull off the buttons, which if you handle nimbley, and in the end cause him to pull his two ends, the two cords will shew to be placed plainly, and the buttons to have come thro’ the cords; but those things are so hard, and long to be described, that I will leave them, whereas I could shew greater variety.