vi.] THE SLATES ON THE EOOF. 127 



purple, as when wet, the colour of the English slate 

 well justifies Mr. Ruskin's saying, that wherever there 

 is a brick wall and a slate roof there need be no want 

 of rich colour in an English landscape. But most 

 beautiful is the hue of slate, when, shining wet in the 

 sunshine after a summer shower, its blue is brought 

 out in rich contrast by golden spots of circular lichen, 

 whose spores, I presume, have travelled with it off 

 its native mountains. Then, indeed, it reminds the 

 voyager of a sight which it almost rivals in brilliancy 

 of the sapphire of the deep ocean, brought out into 

 blazing intensity by the contrast of the golden patches 

 of floating gulf- weed beneath the tropic sun. 



Beautiful, I say, is the slate ; and curious likewise, 

 nay, venerable ; a most ancient and elaborate work of 

 God, which has lasted long enough, and endured 

 enough likewise, to bring out in it whatsoever latent 

 capabilities of strength and usefulness might lie hid 

 in it ; which has literally been as far as such words 

 can apply to a thing inanimate 



Heated hot with burning fears, 

 And bathed in baths of hissing tears, 

 And battered by the strokes of doom 

 To shape and use. 



And yet it was at first naught but an ugly lump of 

 soft and shapeless ooze. 



Therefore, the slates to me are as a parable, on 

 which I will not enlarge, but will leave each reader to 

 interpret it for himself. I shall confine myself now to 

 proofs that slate is hardened mud, and to hints as to 

 how it assumed its present form. 



That slate may have been once mud, is made 



