rial of skill with the Egyptian
magicians, and seems to have been the first suggestion in early history
of the miraculous virtues of the rod. Then we must remember that it was
by the stretching forth of the rod of the prophet that all the waters of
Egypt were made to turn into blood, and that the plagues of frogs and
lice were wrought, and that the hail was called down from heaven which
destroyed the crops and flocks of the Egyptians. In fact, all the
miracles performed in the land of Egypt were made to appear more or less
as the result of the application of the magic rod, just as to this day
the clever conjurer appears to produce his wonderful effects with his
wand.

It was by the stretching forth of the rod of Moses that the Red Sea
divided, and that the water sprang from the rock. The staff of Elisha
and the spear of Joshua may also be cited in this connection, and other
examples in Holy Writ may occur to the reader. They are mentioned here
in no spirit of irreverence, but merely as evidence that the magic
virtue of the rod was a fixed belief in the minds of the early writers.

Belief in the vitalizing power of the rod may be found embalmed in many
a curious mediaeval legend. The budding rod, borrowed from the tradition
of Aaron's, is, for instance, very frequent. Thus in the story of St.
Christophoros, as preserved in Von Buelow's Christian Legends of Germany,
we read of the godly man carrying the Child-Christ on his back through a
raging torrent, and afterwards lying down on the banks of the stream,
exhausted, to sleep. The staff which he stuck in the ground ere he lay
down, budded and blossomed before he awoke, and in the morning he found
a great umbrageous tree bearing fruit, and giving shelter to hundreds of
gorgeous birds. There are many such legends in the traditions of all the
Christian nations, and the collection and comparison of them would be an
interesting and instructive task, but one too large for our present
purpose.

It is related by Holinshed, in connection with many wonderful visions
which were seen in Scotland about A.D. 697, that once when the Bishop
was conducting the service in the church of Camelon, with the
crozier-staff in his hand, 'it was kindled so with fire that by no means
it could be quenched till it was burnt even to ashes.' This was supposed
to have been the handiwork of the devil, who has on other occasions used
the staff or wand to emphasize his intentions or mark his spite. Thus,