309. There remains what may be called amateur jugglery ; that is, innocent frauds of mischievous jest ers. They may doubtless practice it, by way of pas time, in trifling and frivolous circles, but not in serious assemblies, where only serious persons are admitted. A person may please himself by a momentary mystification, but he must be endowed with singular pa tience to play this part for months and years, and each time for several consecutive hours. Interest of some kind can alone give this perseverance ; and this interest, we repeat, makes everything suspicious.
