326 On the Virgula Dhj'inalorid, 



and laid them by till they became dry; when, having tied twt> 

 together with a vegetable fubftance, I proceeded to endeavour 

 the difcovery of iome pieces of metal : but repeated trials, 

 both by others and myfelf, afforded us no opportunity of 

 becoming convinced by experience that metals poffefs any 

 influence upon the rod; and we were obliged, in giving up 

 the trial, to acknowledge that we poffefled thofe " fmgular 

 occult faculties" which, according to Agricola, in fome peo- 

 ple prevent its action. It would, however, be an abfurd and 

 unwarrantable concluiion, to aflert that the accounts which 

 have been handed to us have been fabricated merely to excite 

 pur wonder, becaufe thofe effects which have been aflerted 

 to accompany the ufe of the rod occafionallv have not, in 

 thel'e few inftances, been obferved. Yet it has fo long been 

 confidered the prerogative of human reafon to deny what 

 cannot be explained, that it is with much difficulty we can 

 admit as fact, however refpeetable the authority, that of 

 which we have no ocular or feniible teftimony, or for which 

 no phyfical caufe has been afligned. Two centuries ago who 

 would have believed in the exiitence of the electric fluid ? or 

 who, if ocular demonnration were wanting, would not deny 

 the incomprehenfible attraction of the magnet ? Philofophy, 

 like fanaticifm, has its prejudices, and has often rejected as 

 impofiibilities what have afterwards been confirmed by experi- 

 ence. But fo ftrongly does the refpectability of its advocates 

 claim a favourable opinion as to the real exiflence of the 

 virtues afcribed to the divining rod, that, though it feems 

 impoflible wholly to admit their teftimony, it feems equally 

 fo wholly to reject; it. 



The faculty of fubterraneous difcovery has been referred to 

 the theory of effluvia, or to the corpufcular philofophy, for 

 explanation; but it feems only to have been hvpothetically 

 referred to an hypothec's. For, in the firft place, although 

 the afferted effects of the rod have been copioufly defcribed, 

 a definition of its modus agendi, where it will act, has been 

 wanting, nor have we been told what particular conftitu- 

 tional defects have in molt cafes prevented its acting at all ; 

 and fecendly, the theory of the corpufcular philofophy, though 

 perhaps it may be impoflible wholly to reject it, has never 

 been completely admitted. Rebeira permitted perfons to fee 

 him ufe the rod, but would difcover no more; and neither 

 Cook worthy nor Pryce has faid whether, as the practifer in 

 the divining art approaches a fpot under which fprings or 

 metals lie hid, he feels any internal fenfations : but Thouve- 

 nel has more completely provoked doubt, by afTerting that 

 internal fenfations, nearly approaching to morbid affections, 



are 



