This is the third of three notes on books of magic tricks,
"1712 - I giochi di Lorenzo Stecchi," posted June 10, 2024, at https://www.naibi.net/A/STECCHI.pdf. (The other two are posted immediately before this one.) Notes in brackets are mine in consultation with Franco, and
the page numbers are those of Franco's online Italian pdf.
1712 - The games of Lorenzo Stecchi
Franco Pratesi
1. Introduction
I present here the third of the three manuscript books that I
recently found in the Central National Library of Florence; like the
second, this third book is preserved in the Targioni Tozzetti
collection, which "preserves the manuscripts and papers resulting from
the scientific activity of Giovanni (1712-1783), Ottaviano (1755-1826),
and Antonio Targioni Tozzetti (1785-1856), as well as some important
codices by Pier Antonio Micheli (1679-1737).”
The three manuscripts can all be found in the library inventories by
searching for "giochi di carte" [games of cards], but in these cases, we
are not talking about traditional card games, as minchiate typically is
in Tuscany, but about magic tricks. Some general considerations in this
regard are present in the studies relating to the first two books and I
refer anyone who is interested to those. [note 1]
2. Lorenzo Stecchi's book. [note 2]
Unusually, for this 107-page book we have the author, Lorenzo
Stecchi, and also the date, 1712. This is information that we find
directly on the title page of the book where we read the following.
“1712 Rules for learning to play all sorts of games of sleight of hand,
Bussolotti, ribbons, and cards no longer seen, written by me Lorenzo
Stecchi and tested, one by one.” Almost verbatim the same information is
found in the Vannucci Inventory of the BNCF. [note 3]
BCNF Targioni Tozzetti, 120. Cover and title page (Reproduction prohibited)
_______________1. https://www.naibi.net/A/MAGIA.pdf; https://www.naibi.net/A/TARGIONI.pdf
2. BNCF, Targioni Tozzetti, 120. [Regole per imparare a fare tutte le sorte di Giuochi di destrezza di mano, Bussolotti, di nastri, e di carte non piu visti, scritti da me Lorenzo Stecchi et esperimentati, ad uno ad uno.]
3. https://archive.org/details/sala.-mss.c ... 7/mode/2up
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If we look for information on Lorenzo Stecchi, we encounter a professor from the University of Pisa with science studies, or natural philosophy, and in particular his book on meteors. [note 4] However, nothing confirms that it is the same person, also because, in reality, the teacher is indicated as Giovanni Lorenzo. The handwriting also leaves some doubts in this regard, because on the one hand, the handwriting appears more professional than usual, but on the other hand, rather incorrect forms are frequently noted. The comparison of this text with that of an autograph letter by Professor Giovanni Lorenzo Stecchi, preserved in the Riccardiana Library [note 5] was decisive: the calligraphies are decidedly different, and therefore the hypothesis of attributing the book in question to the Pisan professor also falls short.
In this book, the games that use playing cards are not found at the beginning but are grouped together in a second part, as listed below. The games are not numbered; the initial numbers are those of the corresponding pages. The overall number of these games is significantly lower than that encountered in the two books described previously.
3. Examples56 Making a card be taken and divining what card it is by smell alone and without seeing it
59 Having a card removed and then making two piles of the rest of the cards and leaving the room, divining which pile the card was placed on, and also having the person who removed the card cover it with the back of his hand, and showing him another card from the other pile and placing it in the palm of his hand, making it so that the card he removed comes to the palm of his hand and that which is on the palm goes under the back of his hand where the one he had previously taken out was before.
64 Having someone think of a card from the deck, and after having made it be thought of, without his telling anyone, divining what card was thought of, making three piles of them.
66 Having five cards be drawn, so that all five are the same as the one that he will draw last.
71 Having a card taken out, and then mixing it with the others, and then throwing the deck of cards in the air, making it that the card taken out remains attached to the ceiling or a window shutter.
73 Having a card taken out and then making it go into a girl's shoe or someplace else.
76 Throwing a pack of cards onto the fire, and after they are burnt, making them come back down from the chimney, naming them card by card.
78 Making the Ace of Clubs disappear, and making it become the Ace of Hearts, or making the Jack of Spades disappear and making it become the Jack of Diamonds, or something else.
80 Taking five cards from a deck and showing them to everyone, and then making them all blank, being first colored like the others.
85 Having a card be taken out, and then having it returned and mixed with the others, making said card walk over the table.
89 Blindfolding your eyes with a cloth, and then taking a deck of cards, and divining which is a court card and which is not a court card.
90 Taking a minchiate deck and making a bird come out of it, or indeed other gallantries.
102 Having a person make three piles of a deck of cards, in the form you will see below, and then, taking the rest of the cards, knowing how many points are under those piles.
____________64 Having someone think of a card from the deck, and after having made it be thought of, without his telling anyone, divining what card was thought of, making three piles of them.
Rule
To play said game, take twenty-one cards of which the person is made to think of one, and after having thought of it, make three stacks in this way, as you see,
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
4. Delle meteore libri tre poema filosofico di Gio. Lorenzo Stecchi lettore di filosofia nell'Universita di Pisa. Florence 1726.
5. MS Ricc. 3452/6 c. 275.
Page 3
10 11 12
13 14 15
16 17 18
19 20 21
but one above the other, that is, the four above the one, the 5 above the 2, the 6 above the three, the seven above the four, the eight above the five, the nine above the six, and so on, that in essence there are only three piles as you can see; and then tell him that he should look at which pile the one he thought of is in, and saying so, put that pile where the card thought of is in the middle of the other two piles and start again from the beginning, and count again, as above i.e. 1, 2, 3, etc. and ask again which pile the card thought of is in, and place that pile where it is in the middle of the other two, and again count 1, 2, 3, as before and be told again which pile the card thought of is in, and similarly putting in the middle, and then counting, that card that will come at No. 11; that is that card which was thought of; that is how the game is done.
BNCF, Targioni Tozzetti, 120, p. 65 (Reproduction prohibited)
Page 4
BNCF, Targioni Tozzetti, 120, p. 80 (Reproduction prohibited)
Page 573 Having a card taken out and then making it go into a Girl's shoe or someplace else.
Rule
To play this game you must have two similar cards in the deck, that is, two 5s of hearts, or whatever you want, and one of these you must give to some Woman of your correspondents and friends, so that in some way, and under some pretext, she must put it in a shoe of one of those girls who are to be at that evening party, and after having put she must tell you, and then you propose the game, and take the cards and put the similar card underneath, which you then have to put in the middle, slanting as usual, and having that double card taken out, and then having it given to you, and putting it in the deck, talking about some nonsense while you are shuffling, pretending that you have forgotten which card he has drawn, and you look carefully in the deck two or three times and say that you can't find it there, and you don't remember what card it is, and so begging the one who drew it to say what card he drew, and hearing it, pretending to search again in the deck but not finding it, and telling the audience that the card isn’t there, and therefore they have to order where they want the card to be found.
________________Then another of your correspondents will say to you to make it go in the right shoe of that girl, or wherever it was put, and then you have to make a few faces, saying that it is too difficult, but your correspondent making sure to say that he wants it there, then commanding Berlicche [note 6] that the card go into that Shoe, and inspection made and said card found, it will turn out to be a very wonderful and beautiful game.
89 Blindfolding your eyes with a cloth, and then taking a deck of cards and guessing which is a Court card and which is not a Court card
Rule
To play this game you must have a Companion, [note 7] who must be instructed in this way. Firstly, when you have proposed the game and have blindfolded your eyes, he must stand in front of you, and when you have the cards in your hands, you must hold them facing the people, and the Companion, seeing a court card, must step on your feet, and you, feeling your toes stepped on, must say this: it is a court card; and then saying this is not a court card, until you feel your Feet being stepped on again, and continue doing so until you have the cards in your hand, which will make a very beautiful game.
90 Taking a pack of minchiate and making a little bird come out of it, or other Gallantry.
Rule
To play this game, you must have two decks of similar minchiates, one natural, and the other in this way, first you have to take sixty of said cards and cut them in the middle, that is, only that little bit remains from the sides, as seen below, and when you have cut the aforementioned cards into that shape you must form them, like a small box, gluing them one on top of the other in this manner, then placing the other cards underneath it will look like a natural deck of cards, [note 8] and If you want to play the game, in said little box you must place a little bird, or instead lemons, confetti, or whatever you want without anyone seeing, then taking said cards in your hand, begin to shuffle those loose cards that are below and say it would be a nice game, if from this deck of Cards I were to bring out a Goose, a Peacock, a Capon, [note 9] a Thrush, or whatever Your Lordships want, and then one of your Correspondents, Knowing the Thing that is in the Cards must say, I would like you to bring out such and such a thing, and you then start shuffling and quickly saying Berlicche Berlocche [note 10] - let's say there is a Calderugio [note 11] inside - I command you, Lord [Lady?] Cards, to send out a Calderugio, and having someone parare [stretch out?] his/her hands, opening [you open] the box, namely by removing the card that holds it closed, so that the Calderugio will come out, and you immediately remove the Cards and place them in your box, but your Confederate must ask to see the cards a little, and you then take the other natural deck of Cards and show them to everyone, the game will be more wonderful and beautiful.
6. Devil's name, used in jest.
7. In the first of the three manuscripts examined, this game is played with a prepared deck and without a partner.
8. In fact, 37 free cards remain, one above and the others below the box (made up of 60) so that they can be shuffled and cut at will.
9. It's easy to play the boaster, having the “correspondent” ready to avoid insoluble problems.
10. Common magic spell to impress the audience.
11. Disused term for goldfinch.
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BNCF, Targioni Tozzetti, 120, p. 91 (Reproduction prohibited)
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