Geological Poems. 283 



He on his sparkling front and polished face 



Mix'd with his father's strength his mother's grace. 



Young Felspar flourishM, and in early life 



With pale Magnesia lived like man and wife. 



From this soft union sprang a sprightly dame. 



Sparkling with life — and Mica^ was her name. 



Then Siiex, Felspar, Mica, dwelt alone, 



The triple deities on Terra^s throne. 



For he, stern Silex, all access denied 



To other gods^ or other powers beside*. 



Oft when gay Flora and Poniona strove 



To land their stores, their bark he rudely drovQ 



Far from his coast ; and in his wrath he swore 



They ne'er should land them on his flinty shore. 



Fired at this harsh refusal, angry Jove, 



In terrors clad, descended from above; 



His glory and his vengeance he enshrouds, 



involved in tempests and a niglit of clouds : 



O'er Mica's head the livid lightning play'd, 



And peals of thunder scared the astonished maid. 



■To seek her much-loved parents quick she flew ; 



Her arms elastic round their necks she threw, 



** Thus may I perish, never more to part, 



PressM to my much lov'd sire's and grand-sire's heart V^ 



So spoke the maid. The thunder-bolt had fled, 



And all were numbered with the silent dead. 



^nt, interfused and changed to stone, they rise 



A mass of Granite'' towering to the skies. 



O'er the whole globe this ponderous mass extends, 



Round either pole its might arms it bends ; 



And thus was doomM to bear in after time 



All other rocks of every class and clime- 



So sings the bard that Granite first had birth, 



And form'd the solid pavemeut of the earth: 



And minor bards may sing, whene'er they list, 



Of Argillaceous or Micaceous Schist. 



5 Mica.— The descent of mica may be rather dubious : the quaiility of 

 -Magnesia which enters into the composition of tli is mineral, as given m 

 ^^^^^nalyses, is very small. 



6 Siliceoua earth alone is extremely unfavourable to vegetation, anu 

 pamtic rocks, in which this earth at)ounds, remain for a^es denuded and 



7 Granite forms the summits and peaks of lofty mountains. It is also 

 supposed by geologists to be the lowest rock with which we are acquainted^ 

 Joritting a foundation for other rocks in every part of the jlobe. 



