PSYCHOLOGY OF PRESTIDIGITATION, 557 



the illusion, without troubliug themselves to iiivesti.iiate it, which 

 would only destroy the ap])earauce and therefore the pleasure. 



It must be observed that the greater part of these illusions which 

 owe their existence to the art of prestidigitation must have for a neces- 

 sary condition the cooperation of the public, or at least their willingness 

 to oblige. 



The public do not go to the prestidigitators for the purpose of pick- 

 ing- to pieces, as it were, a scientific experiment. They ask only one 

 thing — to be deceived; that is to say, to experience that astonishment, 

 that slight cloudiness of ideas or intellect which the sight of a phe- 

 nomenon contrary to all natural laws excites within us. In order that 

 this particular mental state should be produced one must give one's 

 self up to the illusion, and not endeavor to lay hold of the mechanism 

 which produces it. If by chance we discover the secret of the trick 

 we must keep the discovery to ourselves, as propriety demands. We 

 would not dream of such a thing as questioning the prestidigitator 

 while in the exercise of his profession, nor of taking precaution to see 

 through his magical performances. If the magician jdaces his hands 

 behind his back at a critical moment we would not call out to him 

 as did the fox in the fable, "I beseech of you, sir, turn round."' The 

 reserve of the first instance comes from a sentiment of discretion; 

 that of the other from a certain timidity. These illusionists are well 

 aware of this; as for instance when they wish to have a certain card 

 chosen from the jiack they invariably address themselves to a lady, as 

 a woman is much more given to reserve than a man; and should she 

 perceive the fraud, she dare not raise her voice to demand an explana- 

 tion for fear of attracting attention to herself; her timidity makes her 

 the artist's accomplice. For that matter the magician has more than 

 one means of mastering a skeptical and unyielding public. In perform- 

 ing a trick he goes through one part of it before one person and to 

 complete it he turns to another who has as yet seen nothing of the 

 first part. It is necessary for the same person to witness the entire 

 trick in order to understand how it is done. Thus one person is made 

 to mark a piece of money and another farther awaj- is to keep it, who, 

 not having seen it marked, is not aware that it has been changed. 



With regard to those who are requested to come upon the stage in 

 order to examine closely the actions of the magician, they exercise a 

 control essentially deceptive. The prestidigitator takes particular 

 care only to choose those from the audience whose countenance express 

 artlessness and simplemindedness, when they are not confederates. 

 The magician allows these witnessess to see only as much as it is 

 convenient for him to have them see; they are also at liberty to do, 

 whether they be aware of it or not, only that which he wishes them to 

 do, and can not undertake to find out anything for themselves without 

 the artist's permission. This is the conclusion arrived at lately in a 

 cunoas conteBt. One of the audience wished absolutely to knpw what 



