The Lives of the ConjurorsTinsley, 1876 - 360 pages The history of magicians and magic. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
advertisements afterwards Agrippa amusing ancient Anderson announced apparatus appeared Asklepius astonished audience automaton Bacon Bartholomew fair basket Black Art brazen head Breslaw Bungay celebrated century concave mirror conjuring entertainment conjuring tricks conjuror crowded crowded houses deception demons dexterity disappeared Döbler Egyptian Hall enchanters engaged exhibited fair famous Faust feats figure fire friar gave gentleman glass Grisy gun trick hand head hocus pocus honour of performing Ingleby invention invisible James's James's Theatre juggler King lady legerdemain London Lyceum magic magician manner marvellous Maskelyne mechanical ment metropolis mysteries necromancy night occasion opened optical illusions Paris person phantom Philippe Pinetti pistol placed present priest produced profession professor programme provincial towns puzzled returned Robert-Houdin Roger Bacon says season seen shillings spectators spirit Strand Theatre success temple theatre tion Torrini tour vanished visited Vortigern watch Wizard wonder young
Popular passages
Page 21 - Instinct with inexpressible beauty and grace. Each stain of earthliness Had passed away, it reassumed Its native dignity, and stood Immortal amid ruin.
Page 2 - And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
Page 98 - ... They produced a chain of fifty cubits in length, and in my presence threw one end of it towards the sky. where it remained as if fastened to something in the air. A dog was then brought forward, and being placed at the lower end of the chain, immediately ran up, and reaching the other end, immediately disappeared in the air. In the same manner a hog, a panther, a lion, and a tiger were successively sent up the chain and all equally disappeared at the upper end of the chain.
Page 2 - Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers : now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents : but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.
Page 164 - The small theatre of exhibition was lighted only by one hanging lamp, the flame of which was drawn up into an opaque chimney or shade when the performance began. In this ' darkness visible ' the curtain rose, and displayed a cave, with skeletons and other terrific figures in relief upon its walls. The flickering light was then drawn up beneath its shroud, and the spectators, in total darkness, found themselves in the midst of thunder and lightning.
Page 95 - ... journey, they saw the atmosphere so powerfully illuminated as to exceed the brightness of the brightest day they had ever seen. " They placed in my presence a large...
Page 4 - In a manifestation which ought not to be revealed there appeared on the wall of the temple a mass of light which at first seemed very remote ; it transformed itself in coming nearer into a face evidently divine and supernatural, of a severe aspect, but mixed with gentleness, and extremely beautiful. According to the institution of a mysterious religion, the Alexandrians honoured it as Osiris and Adonis.
Page 163 - ... to form an image in the same room with the spectator. If a fine transparent cloud of blue smoke is raised, by means of a chafing dish, around the focus of a large concave mirror, the image of any highly illuminated object will be depicted in the middle of it with great beauty.
Page 211 - After this the juggler took a large earthen vessel with wide mouth, filled it with water, and turned it upside down, when all the water of course ran out. He then reversed the jar, which all present perceived to be quite full, and all the earth around was perfectly dry. He then emptied the jar and handed it round for general inspection.
Page 101 - A Jugler knowing the common tradition, and foolish opinion that a familiar spirit in some bodily shape must be had for the doing of strange things beyond the vulgar capacity ; he therefore carrieth about him the skin of a mouse stopped with feathers, or some like artificial thing, and in the hinder part thereof, sticketh a small springing wire of about a foot long, or longer, and when he begins to act his part in a fayr, or a market, before vulgar people, he bringeth forth his impe, and maketh it...