A 



POETICAL GEOGNOSY; 



OR 



FEASTING AND FIGHTING. 



Ter Keplunus aquis cum torvo brachia vultu 

 Exserere ausus erai : ter non lulit aeris mstus. 



Ovid. Met. lib. 2. 



THE ARGUMENT. 



The Poem commenceth with the b«!g:inning of things : the scene of the ac- 

 tion is laid under the ocean ; and the Poet proceedeth to describe the or- 

 der of succession of the various rocks. Their frequent dislocations are hint- 

 ed at (line 7.) — Granite is first seated at the bottom : Gneiss and Mica- 

 slate are seated next to Granite ; the distortions of Gneiss, and its fre- 

 quent intermixture with Mica-slate (line 14 to 19). — The series of Slate- 

 rocks follow, intermixed with the Lower Limestones (line 22).— The or- 

 igin of Limestone from the oxidation of calcium (line 26).^Porphyry5 

 Eurite, Greenstone, and Sienite, occur without any regular order of suc- 

 cession ; they often lie unconformably over other rocks, and are supposed 

 by some geologists to be the products of fire (line 32 — 45). — Serpentine 

 often connected with Mica-slate (line 51). — Character of Grauwacce 

 (line 55). — Great Limestone filled with remains of encrinites {entrochi) 

 contains large caverns (line 60). — Series of Coal strata (line 62). — The 

 Red Sandstone or Red Marie which covers Coal strata contains Rock- 

 salt and Gypsum (line 69) ; — it lies under Lias Limestone, and some- 

 times incloses Magnesian Limestone (line 73). — The Oolites and various 

 strata with which they are associated are seated above Lias Limestone 

 (line 75). — Chalk and Chalk-marle spread along the coast in many parts 

 of England and France; they are therefore seated close to Neptune (line 

 78). — Partial formations of strata, deposited after the Chalk, in detached 

 lakes nine 81). — Gravel and black Earth near the sides of rivers contain 

 the teeth and bones of the mammoth and other extinct species of large 

 mammalia (line 80 — 85), — Strata round Paris ; the lowest bed, the Cal- 

 caire Grassier, is filled with Cerites, and the Marie above it with Lym- 

 nites (line 86 — 9i;. — An enumeration of the most remarkable fossil orga- 

 nic remains (line 94). — Oviparous vertebrated animals, such as lizards 

 and fish, occur plentifully in Lias Limestone, and the latter sometimes in 

 Magnesian Limestone (line 105). — Coal strata contain almost exclusively 

 remains of vegetables (line 1 10;. — The Great Limestone filled with En- 

 crinites (line 112^. — Ocganic remains more rare in the Lower Lime- 

 stones (line 113; occur occasionally in Slate (line 115). — White Statua- 



