172 " ENGLISH BOTANY. 



hasel, not only in this country, but in Germany, Holland, Sweden, and Denmark. 

 The hazel or Nux Avellana, we are told by Virgil in the " Georgics," was considered 

 by the Romans to be injurious to the \'ines, on account of its spreading roots, as the 

 goat was for its propensity to browse on the young shoots ; and the keepers of the 

 vineyards used to sacrifice the goat to Bacchus, and roast its entrails on hazel- 

 spits. Virgil also mentions that they used hazel-twigs to bind their vines. In the 

 dark ages the hazel was highly valued for its supposed divining powers. The follow- 

 ing passage from Evelyn shows the popular belief in his time on the subject : — 

 " Lastly, for riding switches and divinating rods, for the detecting and finding out of 

 minerals (at least if that tradition be no imposture), it is very wonderful, by whatever 

 occult virtue the forked stick (so cut and skilfully held) becomes impregnated with 

 those invisible steams and exhalations, as, by its spontaneous bending from a hori- 

 zontal posture, to discover not only mines and subterraneous treasure, and springs of 

 water, but criminals guilty of murder, &c., made out so solemnly, and the efiects 

 thereof, by the attestation of magistrates, and divers other learned and credible 

 persons (who have critically examined matters of fact), is certainly next to a miracle, 

 and requires strong faith. Let the curious, therefore, consult the philosophical treatise 

 of Dr. Vallemont, which will at least entertain them with a world of surprising 

 things." The belief that certain gifted persons possessed the power of discovering 

 hidden water or gold by means of a divining-rod is as old as the time of the Romans. 

 When a hazel-rod was used for this purpose, it was peeled, and then laid on the palm 

 of the hand, with the butt end of the t\Wg on the pulse of the wrist, and the diviner 

 moved slowly along, till the rod pointed to the desired place ; the diviner feeling at 

 the same time either a violent acceleration or retardation of pulse, and a sudden 

 sensation of heat or cold. Sir Walter Scott makes Dousterswivel in the " Antiquary " 

 use a hazel-twig as a divining rod ; and several instances are mentioned, in different 

 volumes of the " Gentleman's Magazine," of divining rods ha\ang been used in England 

 as late as the beginning of the eighteenth century. Numerous other virtues were 

 anciently attributed to hazel-rods. The ashes of the shells of its nuts, applied to the 

 back of a child's head, were supposed to turn the child's eyes from grey to black, and 

 Parkinson says, " Some doe hold that these nuts, and not wallnuts with figs and 

 rue, was Mithridates' medicine effectuall against poysons. The oyle of the nuts is 

 effectuall for the same purposes." He also says, that " if a snake be stroke with an 

 hasell wand, it doth sooner stunne it, than with any other strike ; because it is so 

 pliant, that it will winde closer about it ; so that being dej^rived of their motion, they 

 must needs dye with paine and want ; and it is no hard matter, in like manner, saith 

 Ti-agus, to kill a mad dog that shall be strook with an hazel sticke, such as men use 

 to walke or ride withall." Evelyn says, that " the venerable and sacred fabric of 

 G lastonbuiy, founded by Joseph of Arimathea, is storied to have been first composed of 

 a few hazel-rods interwoven about a few stakes driven into the ground." The hazel 

 has been cultivated for its fruit since the time of the Romans, who, according to Sir 

 William Temple, called Scotland Caledonia, from Cal Dun, the hill of hazel. It is 

 the badge of the Highland clan Colquhoun. It is largely cultivated in Kent, and 

 from thence the nuts are sent all over England. To those who are addicted to 

 indulgence in Kentish cobs or filberts we commend Dr. Culpepper's quaint and 

 amusing vindication of them against the charge of causing indigestion, and difficulty 

 of breathing in consequence. He says, " Why should the vulgar so familiarly affirm 

 that eating nuts causeth shortness of breath, than which nothing is falser. For how 

 can that which strengthens the lungs cause shortness of breath ? I confess the 

 opinion' is far older than I am. I knew tradition was a friend of errors before, but 



