down a mirror into a fountain before the temple of Ceres, and,
from the appearance of the glass, to judge what was to be the
result--whether the sickness was to be removed, or death to take
place. If a ghastly, disfigured face was seen, it was regarded as a
certain evidence of death; but if the patient's face appeared fresh,
healthy, and comely, it was a sign of recovery.

Dactyliomancy was divination performed by means of a ring. The ring
was suspended by a thread above a round table, on the edge of which
letters of the alphabet were marked. The ring, in shaking or vibrating
over the table, stopped over certain of the letters, which, on being
connected, supplied the answer asked. But the operation was preceded
and accompanied by several superstitious ceremonies. In the first
place, the ring had to be consecrated; the person from whose hand it
was suspended required to be clothed in linen garments; his head had
to be shaven all round; and he required to hold vervain in his hand.

Cledonism denoted divination drawn from words only occasionally
uttered. Cicero observes that the Pythagoreans made observations not
only of the words of gods, but those of men also. Accordingly the
people thought it was unlucky to pronounce at meal-time such words as
conveyed peril, evil consequences, sickness, death, estrangement of
friends, or the displeasure of their deities. In another sense
Cledonism seems to be divination drawn from the movements of birds,
such as those noticed in another part of our work.

Onomancy, Onomamancy, or Onomatomancy, was the art of divining the
good or bad fortune of man from the letters of his name. This mode of
divination was popular among the ancients. The Pythagoreans taught
that the mind, actions, and successes of mankind were according to
their fate, genius, and name. Plato, who recommended parents to give
their children happy names, was inclined to think they were right, and
adduced grounds for maintaining his opinion. Some of the Bible
worthies are referred to in support of Onomancy; and a certain profane
writer calls attention to tippling Meroe, supposing she would drink
her wine without water. Hippolitus was torn to pieces by his own
coach-horses, as his name imported; Agamemnon signified that he should
linger long before Troy; Priam, that he should be redeemed out of
bondage in his childhood. The greatest empires and states have been
founded and destroyed by men of the same name. Cyrus, the son o