tailieunhanh - A Conjurer's Confessions

[Sleight-of-hand theories alone cannot explain the mysteries of "magic" as practiced by that eminent Frenchman who revolutionized the entire art, and who was finally called upon to help his government out of a difficuity--Robert-Houdin. The success of his most famous performances hung not only on an incredible dexterity, but also on high ingenuity and moral courage, as the following pages from his "Memoirs" will prove to the reader. The story begins when the young man of twenty was laboring patiently as apprentice to a watchmaker.] In order to aid my progress and afford me relaxation, my master recommended me to study some treatises on mechanics in general,. | 1 A Conjurer s Confessions M. Robert-Houdin I SELF-TRAINING Sleight-of-hand theories alone cannot explain the mysteries of magic as practiced by that eminent Frenchman who revolutionized the entire art and who was finally called upon to help his government out of a difficuity--Robert-Houdin. The success of his most famous performances hung not only on an incredible dexterity but also on high ingenuity and moral courage as the following pages from his Memoirs will prove to the reader. The story begins when the young man of twenty was laboring patiently as apprentice to a watchmaker. In order to aid my progress and afford me relaxation my master recommended me to study some treatises on mechanics in general and on clockmaking in particular. As this suited my taste exactly I gladly assented and I was devoting myself passionately to this attractive study when a circumstance apparently most simple suddenly decided my future life by revealing to me a vocation whose mysterious resources must open a vast field for my inventive and fanciful ideas. One evening I went into a bookseller s shop to buy Berthoud s Treatise on Clockmaking which I knew he had. The tradesman being engaged at the moment on matters more important took down two volumes from the shelves and handed them to me without ceremony. On returning home I sat down to peruse my treatise conscientiously but judge of my surprise when I read on the back of one of the volumes SCIENTIFIC AMUSEMENTS. Astonished at finding such a title on a professional work I opened it impatiently and on running through the table of contents my surprise was doubled on reading these strange phrases 2 The way of performing tricks with the cards--How to guess a person s thoughts--To cut off a pigeon s head to restore it to life etc. etc. The bookseller had made a mistake. In his haste he had given me two volumes of the Encyclopaedia instead of Berthoud. Fascinated however by the announcement of such marvels I devoured the mysterious pages