WARNING-GIVERS 
 
 
The chambermaids christen this worm a "Death- 
    watch," 
Because, like a watch, it always cries "click;" 
Then woe be to those in the house who are sick, 
For sure as a gun they will give up the ghost, 
If the maggot cries "click" when it scratches a 
    post.                       Swift. 
 
  DIVINING-ROD (The).   A  forked hazel 
rod, suspended between the balls of the 
thumbs, was at one time supposed to indi- 
cate the presence of water-springs and 
precious metals by inclining towards the 
earth beneath which these things might 
be found. Dousterswivel obtained money 
by professing to indicate the spot of 
buried wealth by a divining-rod.-Sir W. 
Scott, The Antiquary. 
  DoGs. The howling of a dog at night 
forebodes death. 
      A cane prMiso funere disce mori. 
         R. Keuchen, Crepundia, 113 (1662). 
  Capitolinus tells us that the death of 
Maximinus was presaged by the howling 
of dogs. Pausanias (in his Messen~'a) says 
the dogs brake into a fierce howl just 
before the overthrow of the Messenians. 
Fincelius says the dogs in Mysinia flocked 
together and howled just before the over- 
throw of the Saxons in 1553. Virgil says 
the same thing occurred just previous to 
the battle of Pharsalia. 
  Dogs give warning of death by scratch- 
ing on the floor of a house. 
  DoTrTiis. 
      When dotterels do first appear, 
      It shows that frost is very near; 
      But when that dotterels do go, 
      Then you may look for heavy snow. 
                        Salisbury Saying. 
  DREAMs. It will be remembered that 
Joseph, the husband of Mary, was warned 
by a dream to flee from Judaea, and when 
Herod was dead he was again warned by 
a dream to "turn aside into the parts of 
Galilee."-Matt. ii. 13, 19, 22. 
 
 
  In the Old Testament, Pharaoh had a 
warning dream of a famine which he was 
enabled to provide against.-Gen. xli. 15- 
36. 
  Pharaoh's butler and baker had warning 
dreams, one being prevised thereby of his 
restoration to favor, and the other warned 
of his execution.-Gen. xl. 5-23. 
  Nebuchadnezzar had an historic dream, 
which Daniel explained.-Dan. ii. 1, 31-45. 
  Abimelech, king of Egypt was warned 
by a dream that Sarah was Abraham's 
wife and not his sister.-Gen. xx. 3-16. 
  Jacob had an historic dream on his way 
to Haran.--Gen. xxviii. 12-15. 
  Joseph, son of Jacob, had an historic 
dream, revealing to him his future great- 
ness.-Gen. xxxvii. 5-10. 
  Daniel had an historic dream about 
four beasts which indicated four king- 
doms (Dan. vii.). Whether his "visions" 
were also dreams is uncertain (see chs. 
viii. x.). 
  It would require many pages to do 
justice to this subject. Bland, in his 
Popular Antiquities, iii. 134, gives "A Dic- 
tionary of Dreams" in alphabetic order, 
extracted from The Royal Dream-Book. 
  DINKxING-HoRNs. King Arthur had a 
horn from which no one could drink who 
was either unchaste or unfaithful. The 
ceukold's horn, brought to King Arthur's 
court by a mysterious boy, gave warning 
of infidelity, inasmuch as no one unfaith- 
ful in love or unleal to his liege lord could 
drink  therefrom  without spilling  the 
liquor. The coupe enehantie possessed a 
similar property. 
  EAGLE. Tarquinius Priscus was assured 
that he would be king of Rome by an 
eagle, which stooped upon him, took off 
his cap, rose in the air, and let the cap fall 
again upon his head. 
  Aristander assured Alexander of his 
victory over Darius at the battle of Arb~la, 
                                   Iv 
 
 
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