62 FAMILIAR TREES 
their spreading character, spits of Hazel were also 
used in the sacrifice to Bacchus of the goat that 
browsed on the plants sacred to him. In medieval 
times considerable respect seems to have been paid 
to the Hazel, and many cases have been recorded, 
both in England and on the Continent, of the 
occurrence of Hazel-wands in the coffins of 
ecclesiastics, possibly in commemoration of a 
pilgrimage performed by the deceased. But its 
chief importance was for ages derived from its 
supposed magical powers of divination. The use 
of the divining-rod would seem, from Hosea iv. 12, 
to be of extreme antiquity, and the “virgula 
Mercurialis,” as it was termed in Roman _ times, 
though sometimes, as now, made of Willow or 
other wood, or even of metal, was frequently of 
Hazel. Its virtue was supposed to depend upon its 
having two forks, which were so grasped in the 
fists, with the fingers uppermost, that the free 
end might turn downward towards the object 
sought. In other cases the rod was peeled and 
simply laid on the palm of the hand. In the 
fifteenth century this art of divination was named 
rhabdomancy. “It is,” says Evelyn, “very won- 
derful, 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 horizontal posture 
to discover not only mines and subterranean trea- 
sure and springs of water, but criminals guilty of 
murder, etc. . . . Certainly next to a miracle 
and requires a strong faith.” Even Linneus con- 
