epoch, that we can ascribe the characteristic features of British scenery-nor is it to internal convulsions alone, however violent, or however repeatedly displayed; but it is to both of these, each acting in its own way, and during successive ages, that we must appeal, if we would ever arrive at anything approaching to a satisfactory solution of the problem.

A FORGOTTEN CHAPTER.

MANY years ago, when more antiquarian than geological, we stumbled upon a curious chapter in Verstegan's 'Restitution of Decayed Intelligence in Antiquities concerning the most noble and renowned English Nation.' Being more than two hundred and sixty years (1605) since Verstegan wrote his Restitution,' and the chroniclers of that day being but slenderly geological, the chapter is indeed. a curious one, relating, as it does, to a question which in recent times has received the attention of several of the most eminent geologists in France and England. The question, Whether Great Britain was ever joined to the Continentor, as our author puts it, "the Ile of Britaine sometime continent with Gallia?"-had been often discussed even before Verstegan's time, and in the early part of the present century was made the subject of a prize competition. by the Academy of France. The successful competitor on this occasion was the well-known geologist Desmarest, and in reading his essay one cannot avoid being struck with the similarity (we had almost said identity) of his argu. ments with those of the old English chronicler. On first reading the chapter in 1838, we made it the subject of a paper to the Literary and Philosophical Society of St.

S

Andrews, and subsequently communicated the facts to Sir Charles Lyell, who embodied them in the seventh edition of his 'Principles of Geology' with acknowledgment and comment. Beyond our locally published paper and Sir Charles's brief reference, nothing seems to be known to English geologists of Verstegan's reasoning and arguments; and it may gratify many to have this "Forgotten Chapter" reprinted in its quaint old-fashioned style and original integrity.

The title of the chapter (the fourth in the work) is set forth in these words: "Of the Ile of Albion, afterward called Britaine, and now England, Scotland, and Wales. And how it is shewed to haue beene continent or firme land with Gallia, now named France, since the floud of Noah;" and the arguments are as follow:

"In what manner and forme it pleased Almightie God in the beginning of the world, to diuide the sea from the drie land, is vnto vs wholly vnknowne; but altogether vnlikely it is that there were any Iles before the deluge; and so much may be gathered by the words of the Scripture. Dixit vero Deus: congregentur aquæ quæ sub cœlo sunt, in locum vnum, & appareat arrida: Et factŭ est ita. Et vacauit Deus aridam terram, congregationesque aquarum appellauit maria, Whereby appeareth, that the waters were gathered together in their owne place by themselues, and therefore had no such inter course between land & land, as now they haue, and so consequently there were no Iles before the flood of Noah: howbeit by that great and vniuersall deluge, many Iles were doubtlesse caused. Moreouer it is manifest by the Scripture, that since the time of the aforesaid deluge, some alterations both of sea and land haue also beene made, as may appeare where it is said of the meeting together of certaine Kings. Omnes hi conuene

runt in vallem syluestrem, que nunc est mare salis. All these met together in the wood-valley, which is now the salt sea; so as this valley hauing in the time of Abraham beene full of trees, was now in the time of Moses the salt sea. Plinie saith that it sometimes hath hapned that Iles haue been drowned and deuoured by the sea, and that at other times they haue appeared out of the sea, where before they neuer were seene, and haue so continued. Moreouer that it hath

bin seene that Iles being situated neere vnto the continent, haue become ioyned and annexed vnto it; and contrariwise parts or Peninsulaes that were annexed vnto the continent, haue bin separated & made Iles. Of all which he giueth

in his naturall Historie both the examples and the reasons. Ouid also saith, that he hath seene land where sometime was sea, and sea where sometime was land. Sundrie the like examples might in like manner here be set downe, of the alterations that haue bin wrought by the inundations and course of the sea, as where it hath in many places gained of the land, and contrariwise where the land hath recouered it selfe againe from the sea, all which were onely to shew how vsuall a thing it hath bin for the limits and bounds of many maritime places, to haue bin most subiect to such alterations & changes.

"That our Ile of Albion hath bin continent with Gallia, hath beene the opinion of diuers, as of Antonius Volscus, Dominicus Marius Niger, Seruius Honoratus, the French Poet Bartas, our countriemen M. Iohn Twine, and M. Doctor Richard White, with sundrie others; but these Authors following the opinion the one of the other, are rather content to thinke it somtime so to haue bin, then to labour to find out by sundry pregnant reasons that so it was in deed.

"The first appearance to moue likelihood of this thing, is the neernes of land betweene England and France (to

vse the moderne names of both countries) that is, from the clifs of Douer, vnto the like clifs lying betweene Calis and Bullin, for from Douer to Calis is not the neerest land, nor yet are the soyles a like: the shore of Douer appearing vnto the saylers high and chalkie, and the shore of Calis, low and altogether sandie, as in like manner the English shore towards Sandwich (which is more directly ouer against Calis then Douer is) also doth.

"These clifs on either side the sea, lying iust opposite the one vnto the other; both of one substance; that is, of chalke and flint; the sides of both towards the sea, plainely appearing to bee broken off from some more of the same stuffe or matter, that it hath sometime by nature been fastned vnto; the length of the said clifs along the sea shore being on the one side answerable in effect, to the length of the verie like on the other side, and the distance between both, as some skilfull saylers report, not exceeding 24 English miles; are all great arguments to prooue a coniunction in time long past, to haue beene betweene these two Countries; whereby men did passe on drie land from the one vnto the other, as it were ouer a bridge or Isthmus of land, being altogether of chalke and flint, and containing in length about the number of miles before specified, and in bredth some sixe English miles or there abouts, whereby our countrie was then no Iland but Peninsula, being thus fixed vnto the maine continent of the world.

"To make this more plainly to appeare, this maxime or principle must be granted, that there is nothing broken, but it hath beene whole, for albeit Nature doth now and then (against her owne intent) commit some errors, and that sometimes the things shee formeth haue too much, and sometimes too little, yet deliuereth she nothing broken or disseuered, but such as it is, how euer in deformitie it be, yet is it alwayes whole and neuer broken, vnlesse afterward