520 



GRANT GHANVELLA. 



Due and others, in the neighbourhood of Mont 

 Blanc. 



Granite forms some of the most lofty of the moun- 

 tain chains of the eastern continent. In Europe, the 

 central part of the principal mountain ranges is of 

 this rock, as in Scandinavia, Uie Alps, the Pyrenees, 

 iiii'l the Carpathian mountains. In Asia, granite 

 forms a considerable part of the Uralian and Altaic 

 ranges of mountains ; and it appears, also, to com- 

 pose the principal mountains that have been examin- 

 ed in Africa ; whereas, in the western hemisphere, it 

 has never been observed rising tc such great eleva- 

 tions, or composing such extensive chains. It is, 

 nevertheless, very abundantly distributed over the 

 northern parts of the American continent, as in La- 

 brador, the Cnnadas, and the New England states. 

 In New Hampshire, it is the predominating rock of the 

 White mountains, in which it attains the elevation of 

 more than 6000 feet. In the Andes, it has been 

 observed at the height of 11,000, but is here gen- 

 erally covered by an immense mass of matter, eject- 

 ed by ancient and recent eruptions. 



Granite very frequently forms veins, shooting up 

 into the superincumbent rocks, which seems to indi- 

 cate that it has existed below in a state of fusion, the 

 heat of which has softened and parted the upper 

 rocks, and forced up the granite, in a melted state, 

 into these fissures. Instances of this kind are very 

 frequent in New England, where the strata of mica- 

 slate, and of gneiss, are parted by perpendicular 

 dikes or veins of granite, which sometimes are seen 

 shooting up far above the intersected rocks, the strata 

 of which, in the immediate vicinity of the veins, are 

 bent upwards, proving, in the most satisfactory man- 

 ner, that these masses of granite have been protrud- 

 ed from below, and not infiltrated from above, as was 

 once imagined. 



G ranite abounds in crystallized earthy minerals ; 

 and these occur for the most part, in those masses of 

 it existing in veins. Of these minerals, beryl, gar- 

 net and tourmaline are the most abundant. It is not 

 rich in metallic ores, though it contains the princi- 

 pal mines of tin, as well as small quantities of copper, 

 iron, tungsten, bismuth, silver, columbium and mo- 

 lybdenum. 



Granite supplies durable materials for architec- 

 ture, and for decoration. It varies much in hard- 

 ness, as well as in colour; accordingly, there is room 

 for much care and taste in its selection. The Orien- 

 tal basalt, found in rolled masses, in the deserts of 

 Egypt, and of which the Egyptians made their statues 

 is a true granite, its black colour being caused by 

 the presence of hornblende and the black shade of 

 the mica. The original statue of the Nile, which 

 was placed in the temple of peace, at Rome, was 

 made from this granite. The Oriental red granite, 

 which is chiefly found in Egypt, is composed of large 

 grains, or imperfectly formed crystals, of flesh-col- 

 oured feldspar, of transparent quartz and of black 

 hornblende. Like the Oriental basalt, it is suscepti- 

 ble of a fine polish. Of the remarkable monuments 

 of antiquity constructed of this beautiful granite, 

 Pompey's pillar and the two famous obelisks at Alex- 

 andria, called Cleopatra 's Needles, are the most cele- 

 brated. The former of these is eighty-eight feet in 

 height, and nine feet in diameter at its base ; it is 

 formed of but three pieces. In modern times, how- 

 ever, granite is less employed in architecture than 

 formerly; the softer and more easily quarried rocks 

 are preferred. 



GRANT, in law; a gift in writing of such a thing 

 ns cannot be passed or conveyed by word only, as a 

 grant is the regular method, by the common law, of 

 transferring the property of incorporeal heredita- 

 ments, or such things whereof no actual delivery of 



possession can be had. The operative words in 

 grants are dediet concessi (I liave given and granted). 

 Grants may be void by uncertainty, impossibility, 

 being against law, or a mode to defraud credi- 

 tors, &c. 



ORANTHAM, a small borough town in Lincoln- 

 shire, which returns two members to parliament. 

 Population in 1831, 7427. 



GRANULATION; the method of dividing metal- 

 lic substances into grains or small particles, in order 

 to facilitate their combination with other substances, 

 and sometimes for the purpose of readily subdividing 

 them by weight. This is done either by pouring the 

 melted metal into water, or by agitating it in a small 

 box until the moment of congelation, at which instant 

 it becomes converted into a powder. 



Granulation (granulatio, from granum, a grain), 

 in surgery. The little, grain-like, fleshy bodies, 

 which form on the surfaces of ulcers and suppurating 

 wounds, and serve both for filling up the cavities^ 

 and bringing nearer together and uniting their sides, 

 are called granulations. Nature is active in bring- 

 ing parts, whose disposition, action and structure 

 have been altered by accident or disease, as nearly 

 as possible to their original state ; and, after having, 

 in her operations for this purpose, formed pus, she 

 immediately sets about forming a new matter upon 

 surfaces, in which there has been a breach of con- 

 tinuity. This process has received the name of 

 granulating or incarnation. The colour of healthy 

 granulations is a deep florid red. When livid, they 

 are unhealthy, and have only a languid circulation. 

 Healthy granulations, on an exposed or flat surface, 

 rise nearly even with the surface of the surrounding 

 skin, and often a little higher ; but when they ex- 

 ceed this, and assume a growing disposition, they 

 are unhealthy, soft, spongy, and without any disposi- 

 tion to form skin. Healthy granulations are always 

 prone to unite. 



GRANVELLA, ANTOINE PERRENOT, cardinal 

 de, a minister of state to Charles V. and Philip II., 

 was born, in 1517, at Ornans, in the county of Bur- 

 gundy. He studied first at Padua, and afterwards 

 applied himself to theology at Louvain. He was 

 subsequently initiated in state affairs by his father. 

 Acquainted with seven languages, so as to speak 

 them with facility, endowed with uncommon penetra- 

 tion and perseverance, and having a prepossessing 

 person and pleasing manners, he gave the reins to 

 his ambition, to which no office in the state appeared 

 too high. In his twenty-third year, he was appointed 

 bishop of Arras, and accompanied his father to the 

 diet at Worms and Ratisbon, where the labours of 

 both were fruitlessly employed in negotiations for 

 the suppression of the religious commotions of the 

 times. He also assisted at the opening of the coun- 

 cil of Trent, and endeavoured to engage the forces 

 of Christendom in the war against France. When 

 the Protestants, after the defeat at Muhlberg, sued 

 for peace, Granvella was commissioned to draw up 

 the conditions, and, in doing so, deceived, it is said, 

 the landgrave of Hesse, wno remained a prisoner, 

 though he had been assured of his liberty. About 

 the same time, he effected the capture of Constance 

 from the Protestants by surprise. In 1550, he was 

 made counsellor of state, and had charge of the great 

 seal. In 1552, when the emperor, having been sur- 

 prised by Maurice of Saxony in the Tyrol, fled from 

 Innspruck, by night, in a litter, Granvella accom- 

 panied him with lance in rest. The treaty of Passau, 

 concluded soon after that event, which delivered 

 Germany, certainly does great honour to Granvella. 

 In 1553, he negotiated the marriage of don Philip 

 with Mary, queen of England. In 1556, he made 

 answer, in the name of Philip, to the soeech ot 



