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271
The Folk-lore of Plants
·
T. F. Thiselton-Dyer
226
Billingsley,
in
his
"Agricultural
Survey
of
the
County
of
Cornwall,"
published
in
the
year
1797,
speaks
of
the
belief
of
the
Mendip
miners
in
the
efficacy
of
the
mystic
rod:--"The
general
method
of
discovering
the
situation
and
direction
of
those
seams
of
ore
(which
lie
at
various
depths,
from
five
to
twenty
fathoms,
in
a
chasm
between
two
inches
of
solid
rock)
is
by
the
help
of
the
divining-rod,
vulgarly
called
josing;
and
a
variety
of
strong
testimonies
are
adduced
in
supporting
this
doctrine.
So
confident
are
the
common
miners
of
the
efficacy,
that
they
scarcely
ever
sink
a
shaft
but
by
its
direction;
and
those
who
are
dexterous
in
the
use
of
it,
will
mark
on
the
surface
the
course
and
breadth
of
the
vein;
and
after
that,
with
the
assistance
of
the
rod,
will
follow
the
same
course
twenty
times
following
blindfolded."
Anecdotes
of
the
kind
are
very
numerous,
for
there
are
few
subjects
in
folk-lore
concerning
which
more
has
been
written
than
on
the
divining-rod,
one
of
the
most
exhaustive
being
that
of
Mr.
Baring-Gould
in
his
"Curious
Myths
of
the
Middle
Ages."
The
literature,
too,
of
the
past
is
rich
in
allusions
to
this
piece
of
superstition,
and
Swift
in
his
"Virtues
of
Sid
Hamet
the
Magician's
Rod"
(1710)
thus
refers
to
it:--
"They
tell
us
something
strange
and
odd
About
a
certain
magic
rod
That,
bending
down
its
top,
divines
Whene'er
the
soil
has
golden
mines;
Where
there
are
none,
it
stands
erect,
Scorning
to
show
the
least
respect.
As
ready
was
the
wand
of
Sid
To
bend
where
golden
mines
were
hid.
In
Scottish
hills
found
precious
ore,
Where
none
e'er
looked
for
it
before;
And
by
a
gentle
bow
divined,
How
well
a
Cully's
purse
was
lined;
To
a
forlorn
and
broken
rake,
Stood
without
motion
like
a
stake."
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