DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9697#0284
220
covel's diary.
his hceles, and his body poysed, his body upon his head
and neck, and then with a jerk would turne himself quite
to the other side the dagger without the least harme.
This fellow did the like, but more bunglingly. The
Smyrna man would likewise place three swords with their
points upwards, and upon them a little piece of dirt or
such a thing; then fetching a run, he would passe them on
the ayre, striking of the pieces of dirt, and with the fourth
step come to the ground. This logger-head did not doe
it, though he said he could.
Jugglers were many likewise, but the generality were
loggerheads to what we have in England. There was
one, an Arab, so ill-looking a fellow as you would have
sworne that he was elder brother to the Divel himself.
His face exceeding black and shriveled much (for he was
old), blear-eyed, his head bald and shined like soot, being
well baked in the sun ; he had short, crisp'd hair, black
and massy (like a black moor) round about like the Corona
of the fryars ; and he was accordingly clad just like a
Dominican in a white serge vest or gown closed before,
with open sleeves covered with another black one like it
in all things, excepting that it was not closed before.
The common people here are the most superstitious,
credulous, fabulous creatures alive. I speak of all Turkes,
Greekes, etc., and this man by his lookes, and garb, and
tricks had so imposed upon them as sevcrall had repre-
sented him to me as if he had been one of the old Magi-
cians in /Egypt risen from Gehenna. I was big with
desire and expectation of seeing him, for he seldome
(as the best of his jibes being common) shew'd his tricks
publickly. At last I laid out for him, and he was brought
to my Ld. He shew'd little then, but I saw all he could
do afterwards, which tritely was not much, and being so
old, he slubber'd1 his businesses over so as I could discover
1 Slubber is a variant of slabber, to do a thing carelessly. " Slubber
not business for my sake." (Shakes., Mer. of Ven., ii, 8.)
covel's diary.
his hceles, and his body poysed, his body upon his head
and neck, and then with a jerk would turne himself quite
to the other side the dagger without the least harme.
This fellow did the like, but more bunglingly. The
Smyrna man would likewise place three swords with their
points upwards, and upon them a little piece of dirt or
such a thing; then fetching a run, he would passe them on
the ayre, striking of the pieces of dirt, and with the fourth
step come to the ground. This logger-head did not doe
it, though he said he could.
Jugglers were many likewise, but the generality were
loggerheads to what we have in England. There was
one, an Arab, so ill-looking a fellow as you would have
sworne that he was elder brother to the Divel himself.
His face exceeding black and shriveled much (for he was
old), blear-eyed, his head bald and shined like soot, being
well baked in the sun ; he had short, crisp'd hair, black
and massy (like a black moor) round about like the Corona
of the fryars ; and he was accordingly clad just like a
Dominican in a white serge vest or gown closed before,
with open sleeves covered with another black one like it
in all things, excepting that it was not closed before.
The common people here are the most superstitious,
credulous, fabulous creatures alive. I speak of all Turkes,
Greekes, etc., and this man by his lookes, and garb, and
tricks had so imposed upon them as sevcrall had repre-
sented him to me as if he had been one of the old Magi-
cians in /Egypt risen from Gehenna. I was big with
desire and expectation of seeing him, for he seldome
(as the best of his jibes being common) shew'd his tricks
publickly. At last I laid out for him, and he was brought
to my Ld. He shew'd little then, but I saw all he could
do afterwards, which tritely was not much, and being so
old, he slubber'd1 his businesses over so as I could discover
1 Slubber is a variant of slabber, to do a thing carelessly. " Slubber
not business for my sake." (Shakes., Mer. of Ven., ii, 8.)