NOTES ON ESSEX DIALECT AND FOLK LORE. 81
selves, or at least traditions of such objects is plain from sundry
passages in their writings. Tacitus speaks of divination by means
of rods. But the Middle Ages was the date of the full development
of this superstition. The first notice of its use among the late
writers is in the "Testamentum Novum" of Basil Valentine, a Bene-
dictine monk of the fifteenth century. He says that there are
seven names by which this rod is known. To its excellences, under
each title, he devotes a chapter of each book. The names are
"Divine Rod," "Shining Rod," "Leaping Rod," "Transcendent
Rod," "Trembling Rod," "Dipping Rod," and "Superior Rod."
The most general name is that by which it is known to us, viz.,
"The Divining Rod," but in Germany it is known as the "Wunschel
Ruthe," and in France as the "Baguette Divinatoire." It is also
known as the "Virgula Divina." We find no mention made of the
"Virgula" in any author before the eleventh century, but from that
time it has been in frequent use, and the notion still largely prevails
in England of a twig of hazel's tendency to turn to a vein of lead
ore, a seam or stratum of coal, water, etc. In the "Living
Library," 1621, we read "that no man can tell why forked sticks of
hazel or some other wood (but hazel in preference) are fit to show
the places where the veines of gold or silver are. The stick bending
itself in the places at the bottome where the same veines are."
From a paper in Tulloch's "Philosophical Magazine," written by
W. Phillips (vol. xiii., page 309), it appears that the Divining-rod
was advocated by De Thouvenal in France in the eighteenth
century ; and soon after in our own country by a philosopher of
unimpeachable character, Mr. Cookworthy, of Plymouth. This is
mentioned in Sir Thos. Browne's works, vol. ii., page 97 ; also in
"The Gentleman's Magazine," 1752 (page 77); and in "The
Agricultural Survey of the County of Somerset," 1797 ; in "The
Quarterly Review" for March, 1820; in "The Autobiography of
Henrick Zschokke," published by Messrs. Chapman & Hall, 1845 ;
several records are also given in "The Spiritual Magazine" for
March and April, 1862, and May and June, 1868.
In "The Shepherds' Kalendar or the Citizen's and Country-
man's Companion," there is a receipt given to make the "Mosaic
wand to find hid treasure" without the intervention of a human
operator :
" Cut a hazel wand forked at the upper end like a Y. Peel off
the rind and dry it in a moderate heat ; then steep it in the juice of
G