JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<div id="a">
    <a href="/1/">1-One</a>
    <a href="/2/">2-Two</a>
    <a href="/3/">3-Three</a>
    <a href="/1/">4-One</a>
    <a href="/2/">5-Two</a>
    <a href="/3/">6-Three</a>
    <a href="/1/">7-One</a>
    <a href="/2/">8-Two</a>
    <a href="/3/">9-Three</a>
    <a href="/1/">10-One</a>
    <a href="/2/">11-Two</a>
    <a href="/3/">12-Three</a>
    <a href="/1/">13-One</a>
    <a href="/2/">14-Two</a>
    <a href="/3/">15-Three</a>
    <a href="/1/">16-One</a>
    <a href="/2/">17-Two</a>
    <a href="/3/">18-Three</a>
    <a href="/1/">19-One</a>
    <a href="/2/">20-Two</a>
</div>

<div id="out"><button>FOO</button></div>
<div id="out2"><button>FOO</button></div>

JavaScript

var btn = $("#out button");
var btn2 = $("#out2 button");
var res = $("#a").html();

var content = $(res);
var anchors = content.filter("a");
var anchorLimit = anchors.slice(0,5);
btn.after(anchorLimit);



btn2.after($('a', $("<div>" + res + "</div>")).slice(0,5));