034v - - - - - For melting or transforming a jewel placed in a box
Figure
Take a cylindrical ringed vessel carved in wood, as you see, into which you will insert another small vessel that easily fits, as you see in the one marked B, and make it so that it does not touch the bottom of the larger one marked A, but so that there is some distance. Whatever is entering the larger vessel must be planed, but that the rim is made in a circle so that, being joined, they will appear as if they are the same vessel. You must also have a round cover of leather of the same length as the vessel, as you see marked C, which will fit easily and surround the aforesaid vessels thusly, placed one within the other. But before you do your trick, you must put gold or silver powder or mercury amalgamed with silver at the bottom of the larger vessel, and then place the little vessel marked B on top. After, holding the vessel with your index finger on top, present it, and only showing the bottom of the smaller vessel marked B, put a ring or something similar in it. This being done, while placing the vessel on the table, cover it with the leather cap, and making the requisite facial expressions, you will remove the leather cap without showing the interior, and put it on the table and ask them to recall the ring that you placed in the bottom of the smaller vessel marked B. Then, place the leather cover gently back on top and after saying inhonorificabilitidinitatudinibus, take the outside of the leather cover with two fingers, and squeezing it more firmly than before, then you will lift only the smaller vessel that is inside and contains the ring and you will place both carefully on the table. Then you will pour out the powder or amalgam that is in the bottom of the large vessel, then replace the leather cover with that vessel inside it, as it was at the start. Then, removing the leather cover without removing the smaller vessel, you will show the ring that returned to the bottom of the vessel in its previous state, holding your index finger on the rim of the vessel so that it does not fall out.