LEGEND, any idle or ridiculous story told by the Romanists concerning their saints, and other persons, in order to support the credit of their religion.
The legend was originally a book used in the old Romish churches, containing the lessons to be read at divine service; hence the lives of the saints and martyrs came to be called legends, because chapters were read out of them at matins, and at the refectories of religious houses. Among these the golden legend, which is a collection of the lives of the saints, was received in the church with great applause, which it maintained for 200 years; though it is so full of ridiculous and romantic stories, that the Romanists themselves are now ashamed of it.
LEGEND is also used to signify the words or letters engraven about the margins, &c. of coins. Thus the legend of a French crown is, Sit nomen Domini benedictum; that of a moire, In hoc signo vinces; on those of the last emperors of Constantinople, we find Jesus Christus Basileus Basileon, IHS XPS NIKA, Jesus Christus vincit.
A DENOMINATION given to certain deceptive performances, which either depend altogether on dexterity and address, or derive but a small degree of aid from philosophical principles. Of these we shall present our readers with a selection of the best that have been either explained in books, or publicly exhibited.
PREVIOUS to the performances with cards, it will be necessary to explain the method of making the pass; that is, bringing a certain number of cards from the bottom of the pack to the top; as many of these performances depend on that manoeuvre.
1. Hold the pack of cards in your right hand, so that the palm of your hand may be under the cards: place the thumb of that hand on one side of the pack, the first, second, and third fingers on the other side, and your little finger between those cards that are to be
brought to the top and the rest of the pack. Then place your left hand over the cards, in such a manner that the thumb may be at C, (fig. 20, 21.) the fore-finger at A, and the other fingers at B.
The hands and the two parts of the cards being thus disposed, you draw off the lower cards confined by the little finger and the other parts of the right hand, and place them, with an imperceptible motion, on the top of the pack.
It is quite necessary, before you attempt any of the experiments that depend on making the pass, that you can perform it so dexterously that the eye cannot distinguish the motion of your hand; otherwise, instead of deceiving others, you will expose yourself. It is also proper that the cards make no noise, as that will occasion suspicion. This dexterity is not to be attained without some practice.
There is a method of preparing a pack of cards, by inserting one or more that are a small matter longer or wider