439 



but the Subsidy was an uncertain and arbitrary tax, and often 

 made most oppressive and unfair. He invited discussion. Mr. 

 H. M. Skrine asked whether Prior HoUoway sold his rights for 

 £5 a year, charged on Bathford parish, and paid to Cromwell for 

 his trouble in arranging the cession of the Abbey to the Crown 1 



Mr. Austin King spoke of the valuable labours of Mr. Green 

 in illustrating, by means of patient research, a phase of English 

 history which historians had, for want of accurate information, 

 been unable to deal with. The Proceedings of the Field Club 

 were becoming every year more important as a store-house of 

 valuable information on historical subjects. 



The afternoon of Wednesday, February 6th, was given up to 

 Mr. Plowman, Sec. B. & W. Eng. Soc, for a paper on " The 

 Divining Eod." (Fide ■p. ill.) An animated discussion followed 

 the reading of the jaaper. 



Mr. H. D. Serine, who was in the chair, in moving a vote of 

 thanks to Mr. Plowman for his interesting paper, mentioned a 

 few instances in his experience when water had been discovered 

 by means of the divining rod ; in one case, some years ago at 

 Warley, two of his sons who possessed this power when they 

 were boys, by the use of the divining rod found a spring of 

 water beneath the library. He himself and the only other person 

 who knew of its being there were not present at the time they 

 found it. 



Col. Thompson related an incident which occurred when 

 he was serving with his regiment 40 years ago in Ireland. A 

 *' dowser " was searching for water, using an ordinary hazel twig . 

 he accompanied him, and found water in several places. He 

 wished to try himself, by using the man's rod, but the latter 

 suggested that he should " cut his own stick," which he did. He 

 was at first unsuccessful, so also was the " dowser " who followed 

 him ; but soon afterwards the stick distinctly bent, and on the 

 " dowser " coming to the same spot his twig was similarly affected. 

 On a subsequent trial in another locality the twigs of both again 



