A very strange trick, whereby you may seem to cut a piece of tape into four parts, and make it whole again with words.
Take a piece of narrow white tape, about two or three yards long, first present it to view to any that may desire it; then tie both the ends of it together, and take one side of it in one hand, and the other in the other hand, so that the knot may be about the midst of one side, and using some circumstantial words to beguile your spectators, turn one hand about towards yourself, and the other from you, so shall you twist the tape once; then clap the ends together, and then if you slip your fore-finger and thumb of each hand between the tape, almost as one would hold a skane of thread to be wound, this will make one fold or twist, as appears where A signifieth the twist or fold; B the knot; then in like manner make a second fold, about the line D. C. as you may see by the second figure, where B. signifieth the knot, C. the first fold, A. the second fold: hold then the fore finger and thumb of your left hand upon the second twist and upon the knot also, and the fore-finger and thumb of your right hand upon the first fold C. and desire some one of your spectators to cut all asunder with a sharp knife, at the cross line E. D. when it is cut, hold still your left hand, and let all your ends fall, that you hold in your right hand, for there will be a shew of eight ends, four above and four below, and so the strings will be thought to be cut into four parts, as may be seen by the third figure; then gather up the ends that you let fall into your left hand, and deliver two of the ends, (seeming to take them at random) unto two several persons, binding them to hold them fast, still keeping your left hand fingers upon the twists or folds; then with your right and left hands seem to tumble all the ends together that you had in your left-hand, twist out the slips or pieces, which are three, as you may see at A. and B. in the third figure, twist them all I say, into a little ball, and conceal it between some of your fingers of your left hand, and crumble thereon another confused heap, and after some words said, with your right-hand deliver this confused heap unto any one of the company, biding him hold it fast, Hulla, Passa, then bid them look on it, who while they are greedily looking after the event, you with ease convey the ball or roll of ends into your pocket; so it will be thought that you have made it whole by virtue of your words. An excellent trick if it be gracefully handled; and a trick that cost me trouble to find.