> as lemmas

1619 T. Gataker Of Nature & Use Lots xi. 315 The finding out of a Theife by a key and a booke, or a paire of sheeres and a siue.

1637 F. Rous Archæologia Atticæ vi. 51 To take councell of an hatchet, taking it & laying it on a peece of timber flatwaies, which did the feat by turning round. Like to which is that naughty use of a key and Bible.

1704 Athenian Oracle III. 139 Finding out Thieves by the Turn of the Key and Bible.

1853 Chambers's Edinb. Jrnl. 2 July 14/2 In a subsequent communication, M. P. R. gave the following, as a book-and-key experiment.

1880 W. Jones Credulities Past & Present v. 228 She and her neighbours, after a consultation, agreed to have recourse to the key and Bible to discover the thief.

1900 A. M. Earle Stage Coach & Tavern Days vii. 157 Divination by Bible and key has ever been as universal in America as in England.

1999 R. E. Guiley Encycl. Witches & Witchcraft (ed. 2) 21/1 A method of Bibliomancy to determine guilt in a crime was the ‘key and book’ method, still used in some rural parts of Britain as late as the 19th century.