Contemporary magicians of Robert-Houdin and men of high repute in other walks of life seem to agree that Robert-Houdin was an entertainer of only average merit. Among the men who advanced this theory were the late Henry Evanion of whose deep interest in magic I wrote in the introduction, Sir William Clayton who was Robert-Houdin's personal friend in London, Ernest Basch who saw Robert-Houdin in Berlin, and T. Bolin of Moscow, Russia, who bought all his tricks in Paris and there saw Robert-Houdin and studied his work as a conjurer. Robert-Houdin's contributions to literature, all of which are eulogistic of his own talents, are as follows: "Confidence et Révélations," published in Paris in 1858 and translated into English by Lascelles Wraxall, with an introduction by R. Shelton Mackenzie. "Les Tricheries des Grecs" (Card-Sharping Exposed), published in Paris in 1861. "Secrets de la Prestidigitation" (Secrets of Magic), published in Paris in 1868. "Le Prieuré" (The Priory, being an account of his electrically equipped house), published in Paris in 1867. "Les Radiations Lumineuses," published in Blois in 1869. "Exploration de la Rétinue," published in Blois, 1869. "Magic et Physique Amusante" (oeuvre posthume), published in Paris in 1877, six years after Robert-Houdin's death. In his autobiography, Robert-Houdin makes specific claim to the honor of having invented the following tricks: The Orange Tree, Second Sight, Suspension, The Cabalistic Clock, The Inexhaustible Bottle, The Pastry Cook of the Palais Royal, The Vaulting Trapeze Automaton, and the Writing and Drawing Figure. His fame, which has been sung by writers of magic without number since his death, rests principally on the invention of second sight, suspension, and the writing and drawing automaton. It is my intention to trace the true history of each of these tricks and of all others to which he laid claim as inventor, and show just how small a proportion of the credit was due to Robert-Houdin and how much he owed to magicians who preceded him and whose brain-work he claimed as his own. CHAPTER II THE ORANGE-TREE TRICK Robert-Houdin, on page 179 of the American edition of his "Memoirs," thus describes the orange-tree trick, which he claims as his invention: "The next was a mysterious orange-tree, on which flowers and fruit burst into life at the request of the ladies. As the finale, a handkerchief I borrowed was conveyed into an orange purposely left on the tree. This opened and displayed the handkerchief, which two butterflies took by the corners and unfolded before the spectators." On page 245 of the same volume he presents the programme given at the first public performance in the Théâtre Robert-Houdin, stating: "The performance will be composed of entirely novel Experiments invented by M. Robert-Houdin. Among them being The Orange-Tree, etc."