40

BOOK II.

W/W* Jli

A —Twig. B —Trench.

men in discovering veins. With regard to deflection of branches of treesthey say nothing and adhere to their opinion.

Since this matter remains in dispute and causes much dissentionamongst miners, I consider it ought to be examined on its own merits. Thewizards, who also make use of rings, mirrors and crystals, seek for veinswith a divining rod shaped like a fork ; but its shape makes no differencein the matter,—it might be straight or of some other form—for it is notthe form of the twig that matters, but the wizard’s incantationswhich it would not become me to repeat, neither do I wish to do so. TheAncients, by means of the divining rod, not only procured those things neces-sary for a livelihood or for luxury, but they were also able to alter the formsof things by it; as when the magicians changed the rods of the Egyptiansinto serpents, as the writings of the Hebrews relate 22 ; and as in Homer,Minerva with a divining rod turned the aged Ulysses suddenly into a youth,and then restored him back again to old age ; Circe also changed Ulysses’companions into beasts, but afterward gave them back again their humanform 23 ; moreover by his rod, which was called “ Caduceus,” Mercury gave

22 Exodus vii., io, n, 12.

a3 0dyssey xvi., 172, and x., 238.