The Egg Box is looked upon to be as good a trick and as cunning a slight, as any that is done, but because it cannot be expressed in words, I have put these figures underneath to explain it.
A, signifies the egg box, made in the fashion of two bee-hives put one upon another; B, the upper shell; C, the inner shell, covered over artificially with the skin of an egg; P the lower part of the shell-box; putting B, which is the outward shell, upon C, and both upon P, as it stands, makes the box perfect. To do this trick, call for an egg, then bid all standers-by look on it, and see that it is a real egg, setting the box on the table, upon the foot C, take off the upper part, B, C, with your fore-finger and thumb, then placing the egg in the box, say, You see it fairly in, and uncovering it again, likewise say, You shall see me fairly take it out, putting it into your pocket in their sight; open your box again and say, There is nothing, close your hand about the middle of your box, and taking B, by the bottom, say, There is the egg again, which appears to the spectators to be; so clapping that in again, and take the lid of C, in your finger and thumb, say, There it is gone again.
This feat is not for a bungler to shew.
To make a room seem to be all on fire, mighty dreadful to behold.
Take sal armoniack half an ounce, camphire one ounce, aqua vitæ two ounces, put them into an earthen pot, in the fashion of a chamber-pot, but something narrow upon the top, then set fire to it, and the room will seem to them that are in to be all on fire; nay, themselves will slap their hair and clothes thinking they are all on fire, when there is no body hurt, unless it be with fright. Have a care of shewing it to women with child in the room, for yourself would be frighted if you did not know the trick.