I'm sure this has been discussed before, but I was just reminiscing about how David Roth, who studied Scott, and was the first to my knowledge, at least among the younger guys in the NYC scene at the time, to really get into it. I remember people asking him about origins of various things, and he'd usually answer "it is in Scott's".

I think he was pulling your leg a little, it's not all in Scott but it's surprising how much is. For example the coin trick we call coin unique, where a coin of smaller dimension disappears by going into a shell coin and being held there by a magnet, that's in there save it uses wax to hold the coin in place rather than a rare earth magnet, but it's the same principle.

Personally I found Scott a fascinating read from an historical point of view, it also has an interesting chapter on ventriloquism along with much else besides, but I find it hard to believe anyone uses the book as a serious study course in magic, like a sort of early Tarbell, as it is more about attempting to dispel belief in witches and demons rather than to foster the next generation of stage wizards who would, I suspect, have run the risk of being arrested by the Witchfinder General and hence BBQed at the stake for being in league with the Devil.

Magic, in the sense of conjuring, is only featured in one chapter and of course it is written in the English of those times which is a bit like trying to read a Shakespeare play or the King James bible - i.e. a hard read!!

Well, no. He would only say that when it was something that was in Scott's. I think a historical perspective is good for magicians to have. There are other magic books? I guess I've seen 1 or 2 others.

Scott didn't write the magic part of the Discoverie. He wasn't a magician. He hired John Cautares. (sp)

Anyway, glad you're delving in.

Actually I think his first name was Jean Cautares. French magician.

So, anyway, I need to check but there are some quotes in Shakespeare from the Discoverie - Odds Bodkins is one. I want to look into this again. Try to find out more. Also check dates. By-the-way, Manly P. Hall thought Shakespeare was definitely Francis Bacon. He said William Shakespear (without the e) was illiterate and signed documents with an X.

So, does anybody know of other phrases in Shakespeare that are from The Discoverie?