The Botanic Garden

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_Argument of the Second Canto._

Address to the Gnomes. I. The Earth thrown from a volcano of the Sun;
it's atmosphere and ocean; it's journey through the zodiac; vicissitude
of day-light, and of seasons, 11. II. Primeval islands. Paradise, or the
golden Age. Venus rising from the sea, 33. III. The first great
earthquakes; continents raised from the sea; the Moon thrown from a
volcano, has no atmosphere, and is frozen; the earth's diurnal motion
retarded; it's axis more inclined; whirls with the moon round a new
centre. 67. IV. Formation of lime-stone by aqueous solution; calcareous
spar; white marble; antient statue of Hercules resting from his labours.
Antinous. Apollo of Belvidere. Venus de Medici. Lady Elizabeth Foster,
and Lady Melbourn by Mrs. Damer. 93. V. 1. Of morasses. Whence the
production of Salt by elutriation. Salt-mines at Cracow, 115. 2.
Production of nitre. Mars and Venus caught by Vulcan, 143. 3. Production
of iron. Mr. Michel's improvement of artificial magnets. Uses of Steel
in agriculture, navigation, war, 183. 4. Production of acids, whence
Flint. Sea-sand. Selenite. Asbestus. Fluor. Onyx, Agate, Mocho, Opal,
Sapphire, Ruby, Diamond. Jupiter and Europa, 215. VI. 1. New
subterraneous fires from fermentation. Production of Clays; manufacture
of Porcelain in China; in Italy; in England. Mr. Wedgwood's works at
Etruria in Staffordshire. Cameo of a Slave in Chains; of Hope. Figures
on the Portland or Barberini vase explained, 271. 2. Coal; Pyrite;
Naphtha; Jet; Amber. Dr. Franklin's discovery of disarming the Tempest
of it's lightning. Liberty of America; of Ireland; of France, 349. VII.
Antient central subterraneous fires. Production of Tin, Copper, Zink,
Lead, Mercury, Platina, Gold and Silver. Destruction of Mexico. Slavery
of Africa, 395. VIII. Destruction of the armies of Cambyses, 431. IX.
Gnomes like stars of an Orrery. Inroads of the Sea stopped. Rocks
cultivated. Hannibal passes the Alps, 499. X. Matter circulates. Manures
to Vegetables like Chyle to Animals. Plants rising from the Earth. St.
Peter delivered from Prison, 537. XI. Transmigration of matter, 565.
Death and resuscitation of Adonis, 575. Departure of the Gnomes, 601.

THE
ECONOMY OF VEGETATION.

CANTO II.

AND NOW THE GODDESS with attention sweet
Turns to the GNOMES, that circle round her feet;
Orb within orb approach the marshal'd trains,
And pigmy legions darken all the plains;
5 Thrice shout with silver tones the applauding bands,
Bow, ere She speaks, and clap their fairy hands.
So the tall grass, when noon-tide zephyr blows,
Bends it's green blades in undulating rows;
Wide o'er the fields the billowy tumult spreads,
10 And rustling harvests bow their golden heads.

I. "GNOMES! YOUR bright forms, presiding at her birth,
Clung in fond squadrons round the new-born EARTH;
When high in ether, with explosion dire,
From the deep craters of his realms of fire,
15 The whirling Sun this ponderous planet hurl'd,
And gave the astonish'd void another world.
When from it's vaporous air, condensed by cold,
Descending torrents into oceans roll'd;
And fierce attraction with relentless force
20 Bent the reluctant wanderer to it's course.

[_From the deep craters_. l. 14. The existence of solar volcanos is
countenanced by their analogy to terrestrial, and lunar volcanos; and by
the spots on the sun's disk, which have been shewn by Dr. Wilson to be
excavations through its luminous surface, and may be supposed to be the
cavities from whence the planets and comets were ejected by explosions.
See additional notes, No. XV. on solar volcanos.]

[_When from its vaporous air_. l. 17. If the nucleus of the earth was
thrown out from the sun by an explosion along with as large a quantity
of surrounding hot vapour as its attraction would occasion to accompany
it, the ponderous semi-fluid nucleus would take a spherical form from
the attraction of its own parts, which would become an oblate spheroid
from its diurnal revolution. As the vapour cooled the water would be
precipitated, and an ocean would surround the spherical nucleus with a
superincumbent atmosphere. The nucleus of solar lava would likewise
become harder as it became cooler. To understand how the strata of the
earth were afterwards formed from the sediments of this circumfluent
ocean the reader is referred to an ingenious Treatise on the Theory of
the Earth by Mr. Whitehurst, who was many years a watch-maker and
engineer at Derby, but whose ingenuity, integrity, and humanity, were
rarely equalled in any station of life.]

"Where yet the Bull with diamond-eye adorns
The Spring's fair forehead, and with golden horns;
Where yet the Lion climbs the ethereal plain,
And shakes the Summer from his radiant mane;
25 Where Libra lifts her airy arm, and weighs,
Poised in her silver ballance, nights and days;
With paler lustres where Aquarius burns,
And showers the still snow from his hoary urns;
YOUR ardent troops pursued the flying sphere,
30 Circling the starry girdle of the year;
While sweet vicissitudes of day and clime
Mark'd the new annals of enascent Time.

II. "You trod with printless step Earth's tender globe,
While Ocean wrap'd it in his azure robe;
35 Beneath his waves her hardening strata spread,
Raised her PRIMEVAL ISLANDS from his bed,
Stretch'd her wide lawns, and sunk her winding dells,
And deck'd her shores with corals, pearls, and shells.

[_While ocean wrap'd_. l. 34. See additional notes, No. XVI. on the
production of calcareous earth.]

[_Her hardening srata spread_. l. 35. The granite, or moor-stone, or
porphory, constitute the oldest part of the globe, since the limestone,
shells, coralloids, and other sea-productions rest upon them; and upon
these sea-productions are found clay, iron, coal, salt, and siliceous
sand or grit-stone. Thus there seem to be three divisions of the globe
distinctly marked; the first I suppose to have been the original nucleus
of the earth, or lava projected from the sun; 2. over this lie the
recrements of animal and vegetable matter produced in the ocean; and, 3.
over these the recrements of animal and vegetable matter produced upon
the land. Besides these there are bodies which owe their origin to a
combination of those already mentioned, as siliceous sand, fluor,
alabaster; which seem to have derived their acids originally from the
vegetable kingdom, and their earthy bases from sea-productions. See
additional notes, No. XVI. on calcareous earth.]

[_Raised her primeval islands_. l. 36. The nucleus of the earth, still
covered with water, received perpetual increase by the immense
quantities of shells and coralloids either annually produced and
relinquishied, or left after the death of the animals. These would
gradually by their different degrees of cohesion be some of them more
and others less removable by the influence of solar tides, and gentle
tropical breezes, which then must have probably extended from one pole
to the other; for it is supposed the moon was not yet produced, and that
no storms or unequal winds had yet existence.

Hence then the primeval islands had their gradual origin, were raised
but a few feet above the level of the sea, and were not exposed to the
great or sudden variations of heat and cold, as is so well explained in
Mr. Whitehurst's Theory of the Earth, chap. xvi. Whence the paradise of
the sacred writers, and the golden age of the profane ones, seems to
have had a real existence. As there can be no rainbow, when the heavens
are covered with clouds, because the sun-beams are then precluded from
falling upon the rain-drops opposite to the eye of the spectator, the
rainbow is a mark of gentle or partial showers. Mr. Whitehurst has
endeavoured to show that the primitive islands were only moistened by
nocturnal dews and not by showers, as occurs at this day to the Delta of
Egypt; and is thence of opinion, that the rainbow had no existence till
after the production of mountains and continents. As the salt of the sea
has been gradually accumulating, being washed down into it from the
recrements of animal and vegetable bodies, the sea must originally have
been as fresh as river water; and as it is not yet saturated with salt,
must become annually more saline. See note on l. 119 of this Canto.]

"O'er those blest isles no ice-crown'd mountains tower'd,
40 No lightnings darted, and no tempests lower'd;
Soft fell the vesper-drops, condensed below,
Or bent in air the rain-refracted bow;
Sweet breathed the zephyrs, just perceiv'd and lost;
And brineless billows only kiss'd the coast;
45 Round the bright zodiac danced the vernal hours,
And Peace, the Cherub, dwelt in mortal bowers!

"So young DIONE, nursed beneath the waves,
And rock'd by Nereids in their coral caves,
Charm'd the blue sisterhood with playful wiles,
50 Lisp'd her sweet tones, and tried her tender smiles.
Then, on her beryl throne by Triton's borne,
Bright rose the Goddess like the Star of morn;
When with soft fires the milky dawn He leads,
And wakes to life and love the laughing meads;--
55 With rosy fingers, as uncurl'd they hung
Round her fair brow, her golden locks she wrung;
O'er the smooth surge on silver sandals flood,
And look'd enchantment on the dazzled flood.--
The bright drops, rolling from her lifted arms,
60 In slow meanders wander o'er her charms,
Seek round her snowy neck their lucid track,
Pearl her white shoulders, gem her ivory back,
Round her fine waist and swelling bosom swim,
And star with glittering brine each crystal limb.--
65 --The immortal form enamour'd Nature hail'd,
And Beauty blazed to heaven and earth, unvail'd.

[_So young Dione_. l. 47. There is an antient gem representing Venus
rising out of the ocean supported by two Tritons. From the formality of
the design it would appear to be of great antiquity before the
introduction of fine taste into the world. It is probable that this
beautiful allegory was originally an hieroglyphic picture (before the
invention of letters) descriptive of the formation of the earth from the
ocean, which seems to have been an opinion of many of the most antient
philosophers.]

III. "You! who then, kindling after many an age,
Saw with new fires the first VOLCANO rage,
O'er smouldering heaps of livid sulphur swell
70 At Earth's firm centre, and distend her shell,
Saw at each opening cleft the furnace glow,
And seas rush headlong on the gulphs below.--
GNOMES! how you shriek'd! when through the troubled air
Roar'd the fierce din of elemental war;
75 When rose the continents, and sunk the main,
And Earth's huge sphere exploding burst in twain.--
GNOMES! how you gazed! when from her wounded side
Where now the South-Sea heaves its waste of tide,
Rose on swift wheels the MOON'S refulgent car,
80 Circling the solar orb; a sister-star,
Dimpled with vales, with shining hills emboss'd,
And roll'd round Earth her airless realms of frost.

[_The first volcano_. l. 68. As the earth before the existence of
earthquakes was nearly level, and the greatest part of it covered with
sea; when the first great fires began deep in the internal parts of it,
those parts would become much expanded; this expansion would be
gradually extended, as the heat increased, through the whole terraqueous
globe of 7000 miles diameter; the crust would thence in many places open
into fissures, which by admitting the sea to flow in upon the fire,
would produce not only a quantity of steam beyond calculation by its
expansion, but would also by its decomposition produce inflammable air
and vital air in quantities beyond conception, sufficient to effect
those violent explosions, the vestiges of which all over the world
excite our admiration and our study; the difficulty of understanding how
subterraneous fires could exist without the presence of air has
disappeared since Dr. Priestley's discoveries of such great quantities
of pure air which constitute all the acids, and consequently exist in
all saline bodies, as sea-salt, nitre, lime-stone, and in all calciform
ores, as manganese, calamy, ochre, and other mineral substances. See an
ingenious treatise by Mr. Michel on earthquakes in the Philos. Trans.

In these first tremendous ignitions of the globe, as the continents were
heaved up, the vallies, which now hold the sea, were formed by the earth
subsiding into the cavities made by the rising mountains; as the steam,
which raised them condensed; which would thence not have any caverns of
great extent remain beneath them, as some philosophers have imagined.
The earthquakes of modern days are of very small extent indeed compared
to those of antient times, and are ingeniously compared by M. De Luc to
the operations of a mole-hill, where from a small cavity are raised from
time to time small quantities of lava or pumice stone. Monthly Review,
June, 1790.]

[_The moon's refulgent car_. l. 79. See additional notes, No. XV. on
solar volcanos.]

[_Her airless realms of frost_. l. 82. If the moon had no atmosphere at
the time of its elevation from the earth; or if its atmosphere was
afterwards stolen from it by the earth's attraction; the water on the
moon would rise quickly into vapour; and the cold produced by a certain
quantity of this evaporation would congeal the remainder of it. Hence it
is not probable that the moon is at present inhabited, but as it seems
to have suffered and to continue to suffer much by volcanos, a
sufficient quantity of air may in process of time be generated to
produce an atmosphere; which may prevent its heat from so easily
escaping, and its water from so easily evaporating, and thence become
fit for the production of vegetables and animals.

That the moon possesses little or no atmosphere is deduced from the
undiminished lustre of the stars, at the instant when they emerge from
behind her disk. That the ocean of the moon is frozen, is confirmed from
there being no appearance of lunar tides; which, if they existed, would
cover the part of her disk nearest the earth. See note on Canto III. l.
61.]

"GNOMES! how you trembled! with the dreadful force
When Earth recoiling stagger'd from her course;
85 When, as her Line in slower circles spun,
And her shock'd axis nodded from the sun,
With dreadful march the accumulated main
Swept her vast wrecks of mountain, vale, and plain;
And, while new tides their shouting floods unite,
90 And hail their Queen, fair Regent of the night;
Chain'd to one centre whirl'd the kindred spheres,
And mark'd with lunar cycles solar years.

[_When earth recoiling_. l. 84. On supposition that the moon was thrown
from the earth by the explosion of water or the generation of other
vapours of greater power, the remaining part of the globe would recede
from its orbit in one direction as the moon receded in another, and that
in proportion to the respective momentum of each, and would afterwards
revolve round their common centre of gravity.

If the moon rose from any part of the earth except exactly at the line
or poles, the shock would tend to turn the axis of the earth out of its
previous direction. And as a mass of matter rising from deep parts of
the globe would have previously acquired less diurnal velocity than the
earth's surface from whence it rose, it would receive during the time of
its rising additional velocity from the earth's surface, and would
consequently so much retard the motion of the earth round its axis.

When the earth thus receded the shock would overturn all its buildings
and forests, and the water would rush with inconceivable violence over
its surface towards the new satellite, from two causes, both by its not
at first acquiring the velocity with which the earth receded, and by the
attraction of the new moon, as it leaves the earth; on these accounts at
first there would be but one tide till the moon receded to a greater
distance, and the earth moving round a common centre of gravity between
them, the water on the side furthest from the moon would acquire a
centrifugal force in respect to this common centre between itself and
the moon.]

IV. "GNOMES! you then bade dissolving SHELLS distil
From the loose summits of each shatter'd hill,
95 To each fine pore and dark interstice flow,
And fill with liquid chalk the mass below.
Whence sparry forms in dusky caverns gleam
With borrow'd light, and twice refract the beam;
While in white beds congealing rocks beneath
100 Court the nice chissel, and desire to breathe.--

[Footnote: _Dissolving shells distil_. l. 93. The lime-stone rocks have
had their origin from shells formed beneath the sea, the softer strata
gradually dissolving and filling up the interstices of the harder ones,
afterwards when these accumulations of shells were elevated above the
waters the upper strata became dissolved by the actions of the air and
dews, and filled up the interstices beneath, producing solid rocks of
different kinds from the coarse lime-stones to the finest marbles. When
those lime-stones have been in such a situation that they could form
perfect crystals they are called spars, some of which possess a double
refraction, as observed by Sir Isaac Newton. When these crystals are
jumbled together or mixed with some colouring impurities it is termed
marble, if its texture be equable and firm; if its texture be coarse and
porous yet hard, it is called lime-stone; if its texture be very loose
and porous it is termed chalk. In some rocks the shells remain almost
unchanged and only covered, or bedded with lime-stone, which seems to
have been dissolved and sunk down amongst them. In others the softer
shells and bones are dissolved, and only sharks teeth or harder echini
have preserved their form inveloped in the chalk or lime-stone; in some
marbles the solution has been compleat and no vestiges of shell appear,
as in the white kind called statuary by the workmen. See addit. notes,
No. XVI.]

"Hence wearied HERCULES in marble rears
His languid limbs, and rests a thousand years;
Still, as he leans, shall young ANTINOUS please
With careless grace, and unaffected ease;
105 Onward with loftier step APOLLO spring,
And launch the unerring arrow from the string;
In Beauty's bashful form, the veil unfurl'd,
Ideal VENUS win the gazing world.
Hence on ROUBILIAC'S tomb shall Fame sublime
110 Wave her triumphant wings, and conquer Time;
Long with soft touch shall DAMER'S chissel charm,
With grace delight us, and with beauty warm;
FOSTER'S fine form shall hearts unborn engage,
And MELBOURN's smile enchant another age.

[_Hence wearied Hercules_. l. 101. Alluding to the celebrated Hercules
of Glyco resting after his labours; and to the easy attitude of
Antinous; the lofty step of the Apollo of Belvidere; and the retreating
modesty of the Venus de Medici. Many of the designs by Roubiliac in
Westminster Abbey are uncommonly poetical; the allegory of Time and Fame
contending for the trophy of General Wade, which is here alluded to, is
beautifully told; the wings of Fame are still expanded, and her hair
still floating in the air; which not only shews that she has that moment
arrived, but also that her force is not yet expended; at the same time,
that the old figure of Time with his disordered wings is rather leaning
backwards and yielding to her impulse, and must apparently in another
instant be driven from his attack upon the trophy.]

[_Foster's fine form_. l. 113. Alluding to the beautiful statues of Lady
Elizabeth Foster and of Lady Melbourn executed by the ingenious Mrs.
Damer.]

115 V. GNOMES! you then taught transuding dews to pass
Through time-fall'n woods, and root-inwove morass
Age after age; and with filtration fine
Dispart, from earths and sulphurs, the saline.

[_Root-inwove morass_. l. 116. The great mass of matter which rests upon
the lime-stone strata of the earth, or upon the granite where the lime-
stone stratum has been removed by earthquakes or covered by lava, has
had its origin from the recrements of vegetables and of air-breathing
animals, as the lime-stone had its origin from sea animals. The whole
habitable world was originally covered with woods, till mankind formed
themselves into societies, and subdued them by fire and by steel. Hence
woods in uncultivated countries have grown and fallen through many ages,
whence morasses of immense extent; and from these as the more soluble
parts were washed away first, were produced sea-salt, nitre, iron, and
variety of acids, which combining with calcareous matter were productive
of many fossil bodies, as flint, sea-sand, selenite, with the precious
stones, and perhaps the diamond. See additional notes, No. XVII.]

1. "HENCE with diffusive SALT old Ocean steeps
120 His emerald shallows, and his sapphire deeps.
Oft in wide lakes, around their warmer brim
In hollow pyramids the crystals swim;
Or, fused by earth-born fires, in cubic blocks
Shoot their white forms, and harden into rocks.

[_Hence with diffusive salt_. l. 119. Salts of various kinds are
produced from the recrements of animal and vegetable bodies, such as
phosphoric, ammoniacal, marine salt, and others; these are washed from
the earth by rains, and carried down our rivers into the sea; they seem
all here to decompose each other except the marine salt, which has
therefore from the beginning of the habitable world been perpetually
accumulating.

There is a town in the immense salt-mines of Cracow in Poland, with a
market-place, a river, a church, and a famous statue, (here supposed to
be of Lot's wife) by the moist or dry appearance of which the
subterranean inhabitants are said to know when the weather is fair above
ground. The galleries in these mines are so numerous and so intricate,
that workmen have frequently lost their way, their lights having been
burnt out, and have perished before they could be found. Essais, &c. par
M. Macquart. And though the arches of these different stories of
galleries are boldly executed, yet they are not dangerous; as they are
held together or supported by large masses of timber of a foot square;
and these vast timbers remain perfectly sound for many centuries, while
all other pillars whether of brick, cement, or salt soon dissolve or
moulder away. Ibid. Could the timbers over water-mill wheels or cellars,
be thus preserved by occasionally soaking them with brine? These immense
masses of rock-salt seem to have been produced by the evaporation of
sea-water in the early periods of the world by subterranean fires. Dr.
Hutton's Theory of the Earth. See also Theorie des Sources Salees, par
Mr. Struve. Histoire de Sciences de Lausanne. Tom. II. This idea of Dr.
Hutton's is confirmed by a fact mentioned in M. Macquart's Essais sur
Minerologie, who found a great quantity of fossil shells, principally
bi-valves and madre-pores, in the salt-mines of Wialiczka near Cracow.
During the evaporation of the lakes of salt-water, as in artificial
salt-works, the salt begins to crystallize near the edges where the
water is shallowest, forming hollow inverted pyramids; which, when they
become of a certain size, subside by their gravity; if urged by a
stronger fire the salt fuses or forms large cubes; whence the salt
shaped in hollow pyramids, called flake-salt, is better tasted and
preserves flesh better, than the basket or powder salt; because it is
made by less heat and thence contains more of the marine acid. The sea-
water about our island contains from about one twenty-eighth to one
thirtieth part of sea-salt, and about one eightieth of magnesian salt.
See Brownrigg on Salt. See note on Ocymum, Vol. II. of this work.]

125 "Thus, cavern'd round in CRACOW'S mighty mines,
With crystal walls a gorgeous city shines;
Scoop'd in the briny rock long streets extend
Their hoary course, and glittering domes ascend;
Down the bright steeps, emerging into day,
130 Impetuous fountains burst their headlong way,
O'er milk-white vales in ivory channels spread,
And wondering seek their subterraneous bed.
Form'd in pellucid salt with chissel nice,
The pale lamp glimmering through the sculptured ice,
135 With wild reverted eyes fair LOTTA stands,
And spreads to Heaven, in vain, her glassy hands;
Cold dews condense upon her pearly breast,
And the big tear rolls lucid down her vest.
Far gleaming o'er the town transparent fanes
140 Rear their white towers, and wave their golden vanes;
Long lines of lustres pour their trembling rays,
And the bright vault returns the mingled blaze.

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