USE OF THE DIYINING EOD. 69 



tightly clenched; it is necessary that the compressed fingers 

 should be turned upwards, so that the end of the rod may have 

 free play : held thus, the diviner says when his foot is on the 

 vein, that the rod immediately turns and betrays the vein, but 

 that when he retreats it becomes immoveable again. Such affirm 

 that the cause of the motion is the force of the veins, and that 

 this is sometimes so great that it draws the branches of trees 

 growing near the spot downward towards the vein : on the other 

 hand those who deny that the rod can be of any use to an upright 

 man, deny the power of the veins, and say it only turns with 

 those who use incantations : specially they deny that a vein can 

 draw down the branches of trees, and the twisting of these they 

 refer to a hot and dry exhalation. To these the upholders of the 

 rod answer, that if it does not turn with any man, it is due to 

 some occult property in him which overcomes the force of the 

 vein, which they affirm acts like a magnet. They remind us 

 as to the way of holding the rod, that the fingers should be not 

 loosely but tightly compressed, for if the rod be held loosely, it 

 falls before the vein makes it turn : but when firmly held the 

 attraction of the vein overcomes the force of the hands; and 

 they hold five things essential for the manifestation — first, the 

 kind of rod, because a vein won't act on one that is too big ; 

 second, the shape, unless it is forked it won't turn ; third, the 

 power of the vein ; fourth, the way of holding the rod ; fifth, 

 freedom in the operator from any occult power which might 



counteract the force of the vein It is plain, however, 



why these fervid practitioners do not take a straight twig but a 

 forked one, and that a pliable one, because if held firmly as they 

 direct wherever you may be it shall turn ; nor is it wonderful 



if it will not turn when held loosely The vulgar pin 



their faith on the power of the rod, because veins have been found 

 in some cases, but much more often they cause the waste of 

 fruitless labour." 



He then points out what is plain to geologists, that by observing 

 nature you can in many cases trace the metal-courses without a 



