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271
The Folk-lore of Plants
·
T. F. Thiselton-Dyer
227
De
Quincey
has
several
amusing
allusions
to
this
fallacy,
affirming
that
he
had
actually
seen
on
more
than
one
occasion
the
process
applied
with
success,
and
declared
that,
in
spite
of
all
science
or
scepticism
might
say,
most
of
the
tea-kettles
in
the
Vale
of
Wrington,
North
Somersetshire,
are
filled
by
rhabdomancy.
But
it
must
be
admitted
that
the
phenomena
of
the
divining-rod
and
table-turning
are
of
precisely
the
same
character,
both
being
referable
to
an
involuntary
muscular
action
resulting
from
a
fixedness
of
idea.
Moreover,
it
should
be
remembered
that
experiments
with
the
divining-rod
are
generally
made
in
a
district
known
to
be
metalliferous,
and
therefore
the
chances
are
greatly
in
favour
of
its
bending
over
or
near
a
mineral
lode.
On
the
other
hand,
it
is
surprising
how
many
people
of
culture
have,
at
different
times,
in
this
and
other
countries,
displayed
a
lamentable
weakness
in
partially
accepting
this
piece
of
superstition.
Of
the
many
anecdotes
related
respecting
it,
we
may
quote
an
amusing
one
in
connection
with
the
celebrated
botanist,
Linnaeus:--"When
he
was
on
one
of
his
voyages,
hearing
his
secretary
highly
extol
the
virtues
of
his
divining-wand,
he
was
willing
to
convince
him
of
its
insufficiency,
and
for
that
purpose
concealed
a
purse
of
one
hundred
ducats
under
a
ranunculus,
which
grew
up
by
itself
in
a
meadow,
and
bid
the
secretary
find
it
if
he
could.
The
wand
discovered
nothing,
and
Linnaeus'
mark
was
soon
trampled
down
by
the
company
who
were
present,
so
that
when
he
went
to
finish
the
experiment
by
fetching
the
gold
himself,
he
was
utterly
at
a
loss
where
to
find
it.
The
man
with
the
wand
assisted
him,
and
informed
him
that
it
could
not
lie
in
the
way
they
were
going,
but
quite
the
contrary,
so
pursued
the
direction
of
the
wand,
and
actually
dug
out
the
gold.
Linnaeus
thereupon
added
that
such
another
experiment
would
be
sufficient
to
make
a
proselyte
of
him."
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