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Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring
·
Professor Hoffmann
684
John
Muller,
known
as
Regiomontanus,
was
one
of
the
cleverest
mechanicians
of
the
fifteenth
century--that
is,
if
we
can
rely
on
the
testimony
of
Peter
Ramus,
who
did
not
flourish
until
a
hundred
years
afterward.
We
must
take
Peter’s
account
cum
grano
salis.
Regiomontanus
is
stated
to
have
constructed
an
eagle
which,
upon
the
approach
of
the
Emperor
Maximilian
to
Nuremberg,
in
June,
1470,
perched
upon
the
town
gate,
stretched
forth
its
wings,
and
saluted
him
by
an
inclination
of
the
body.
He
is
also
said
to
have
manufactured
an
iron
fly.
At
dinner
one
day,
when
surrounded
by
his
friends,
he
produced
it
for
their
amusement,
and
caused
the
insect
to
fly
from
his
hand,
take
a
circle
round
the
room,
and
return
again
to
its
maker.
Charles
V.
after
his
abdication
entered
with
zest
into
the
study
of
mechanism.
He
engaged
the
services
of
Torriano,
said
to
be
a
very
eminent
artist,
who
accompanied
him
to
the
Monastery
of
Juste.
Here
they
worked
together.
Strada
tells
us
that
his
Majesty
frequently
introduced
puppets
upon
the
table,
some
of
which
beat
drums,
some
blew
trumpets,
others
charged
each
other
with
couched
spears,
and
with
a
ferocity
almost
human.
He
made
wooden
sparrows,
which,
by
their
flight,
terrified
and
scared
the
superstitious
monks,
who
thought
him
a
magician
and
an
accomplice
of
his
infernal
majesty.
He
is
said
to
have
made
a
mill
which
moved
of
itself,
and
which
was
so
small
that
a
monk
could
put
it
up
his
sleeve,
and
yet
we
are
told
that
it
was
powerful
enough
to
grind
in
a
single
day
grain
sufficient
for
the
consumption
of
eight
men!
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