Take a pack of eight cards, viz., four aces and four knaves, and let
them be laid in this order: an ace and a knave, and so alternately
through all the eight cards; then shuffle them, so that always at the
second shuffling or at least when you have done shuffling them, one of
the aces may be the lowermost card; then putting your hand with the
cards to the edge of the table, let out privately a piece of the second
card, which is one of the knaves: then showing to the audience the lower
card, which is one of the aces, be sure to cover the piece of the knave
with your fingers; then draw out the same knave, laying it down on the
table; then shuffle the cards as before, and you will have two aces at
bottom; therefore take off the uppermost card, and thrust it in to the
middle of the pack; do the same with the lowermost card, which is one of
the aces, then you may show another ace as before; and instead of that
lay down another knave; proceed in the same method, till, instead of the
four aces, you have laid down the four knaves.
The beholders, all the time thinking that they lay four aces on the
table, are greatly deceived when the cards are turned up, and will
wonder at the transformation.