MAGICK RODS, or Wands. It is said Ezek. xxi. 21.in Ezekiel, The King of Babylon stood at the parting of the Way, at the Head of the two Ways, to use Divination; he made his Arrows bright, he consulted with Images, he looked in the Liver. Saint Jerom, Theodoret, Grotius, and the Generality of modern Interpreters, writing upon this Passage of Ezekiel, tell us that the Chaldæans had a Custom, that when they went upon any Undertaking or Journey, they writ upon Wands or Arrows, which they mingled together in a Quiver, the Names of the Cities they intended to go to, or the Things they were to undertake; that afterwards drawing the Arrows out of the Quiver at all Adventures, they were determined about their Undertaking by the Inscription of the Arrow that first came forth. This Custom of divining by Rods or Arrows is very antient in the East. The Scythians1 and the Alans2 divined by the Means of certain Branches of Willows or Myrtle. The modern Arabians3 at this Day make Use of Arrows inclosed in a Bag. Upon one they write, Lord command me; upon another, Lord prevent me; and upon a third they write nothing. If the first Arrow that is drawn out of the Sack has the Inscription, Lord prevent me, then the Thing in Question is entirely omitted. We find also something like this among the Turks4, Chinese5, and antiently among the Medes6 and Hebrews7. Tacitus observes it also among the antient Germans. They cut into several Pieces a Bough of some Fruittree, which they marked with certain Characters, and threw them by Hazard upon a white Cloth. Then the Father of the Family took up these Pieces one after another, and thence took Auguries for future Events, by the Inspection of the Gen. x. 2. Magog.Marks that were upon them,
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