and behold every mans Swords was against his fellow and there was a great discomfiture Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time which went up with them into the Camp from the Countrey round about even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in Mount Ephraim when they heard that the Philistines fled even they also followed hard after them in the Battel So the Lord saved Israel that day and the Battel passed over unto Beth-haven This was about the year of the World 2940. And Josephus thus describes this Battel The Philistines had pitched their Tents on an pointed Rock which extended it self in length with three Angles and was on each side begirt with a Bank like a Wall or Fortification against the incursion of their Enemies The place was fortified by Nature so that no man might ascend or attack them without much hazard yet only Jonathan and his Armour-bearer climbing upon their Hands and Feet invaded their Camp and slew about twenty of them which filled their whole Army with terror and amazedness who throwing away their arms fled amain Others being ignorant who were their Friends or Foes invaded one another as Enemies for imagining with themselves that only two Hebrews durst never ascend and enter their Camp they addrest themselves to their mutual murder and slaughter so that some of them were slain others fled to escape the Sword and fell headlong down the Rocks The terrible trembling and quaking of the Earth at the same time being doubtless very contributary to their destruction XII A fourth terrible Earthquake happened from an immediate Divine Power in the days of Uzziah King of Judah of whom we read in the 2 Chronicles 26. and this Earthquake is likewise mentioned by the Prophets Amos and Zachariah And Uzziah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. And he sought God in the days of Zechariah who had Understanding in the Visions of God and as long as he sought the Lord God made him to prosper And he went forth and Warred against the Philistines and God helped him against them and against the Arabians and the Ammorites gave him gifts and his name spread abroad even to the entring in of Egypt for he strengthned himself exceedingly Moreover Uzziah had an Host of fighting men and the whole number of the Fathers of the mighty men of valour were two thousand and six hundred And under their hand was an Army three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred that made War with mighty power to help the King against the Enemy But when he was strong his heart was lifted up to his destruction for he transgressed against the Lord his God and and went into the Temple of the Lord to burn Incense upon the Altar of Incense And Azariah the Priest went in after him and with him fourscore Priests of the Lord that were valiant men and they withstood Uzziah the King and said unto him It appertaineth not unto thee Vzziah to burn Incense unto the Lord but to the Priests the Sons of Aaron that are consecrated to burn Incense Go out of the Sanctuary for thou hast trespassed neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God Then Uzziah was wrath and had a Censer in his hand to burn Incense and while he was wrath with the Priests the Leprosie even rose up in his Forehead before the Priests in the House of the Lord from beside the Incense Altar And Azariah the Cheif Priest and all the Priests looked upon him and behold he was Leprous in his Forehead and they thrust him out from thence yea he himself hasted also to go out because the Lord had smitten him And Uzziah the King was a Leper unto the Day of his Death Now though here is no mention made of the Earthquake that happened in his Reign which is recorded by Amos and Zachariah as aforesaid particularly by the last in Chapter 14. And ye shall flee like as ye fled before the Earthquake in the days of Uzziah yet Josephus in his History of the Jews makes it very evident that it was at this time and upon this occasion Uzziah says he upon a certain solemn Feast day wherein all the People were assembled together attired himself in the High Priests Vestmente and entred into the Temple to offer Sacrifice unto God upon the Golden Altar notwithstanding the High Priest Azariah accompanied with fourscore Priests prohibited the same telling him that it was not lawful for him to Sacrifice since it was only allowed to those that were of the Posterity of the High Priest Aaron whilst after this manner Azariah expostulated with him commanding him to go out of the Temple and not to invade the Ordinances of God The King waxed wrath and threatned to take his life from him unless he kept himself quiet Whereupon there fell a great Trembling and Earthquake and the Temple cleft in twain and a great light of the Sun entred thereinto and reflected on the Kings Face in such manner that all his body was covered with a Leprosy And before the City in a place called Eroge the half of a Mountain that stood to the Eastward brake and fell and rolled and removed for the space of four Furlongs toward the Oriental Mountain where it rested So that the publick ways were stopt and choaked up and the Kings Gardens of Pleasure were wholly ruinated and disfigured When the Priests beheld the Kings Face covered with a Leprosie they told him what inconvenience had happened to him and enjoyned him to depart out of the City according to the custom of men that were polluted Whereupon he wholly confused at so grievous an accident and having no farther courage to reply obeyed the commandment that was given him enduring a pittiful and lamentable punishment for being proud and presumptuous in committing such Impiety against God Finally he died through grief and discontent and was Buried in his own Garden In the year of the World 3194. XIII The next Earthquake that we read of is that which happened at the death of our blessed Lord and Saviour and was a very convincing demonstration of his Deity and that he was the Son of God As we find in St. Matthew 27. Now from the sixth hour there was Darkness over all the Land until the ninth hour Jesus when he had cried again gave up the Ghost And behold the Vail of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom and the Earth did quake and the Rocks rent And the Graves were opened and many Bodies of Saints which slept arose And came out of the Graves after his Resurrection and went into the Holy City and appeared unto many Now when the Centurion and they that were with him watching Jesus saw the Earthquake and those things that were done they feared greatly saying Truly this was the Son of God And
God on their Seats fell upon their Faces and Worshipped God saying We give thee thanks O Lord God Almighty which art and wast and art to come because thou hast taken to thee thy great Power and hast Reigned ver 18. And the Nations were angry and thy Wrath is come and the time of the Dead that they should be Judged and that thou shouldest give reward to thy Servants the Prophets and to the Saints and them that fear thy name small and great and shouldest destroy them which destroy the Earth And the Temple of God was opened in Heaven and there was seen in his Temple the Ark of his Testament and there were Lightnings and Voices and Thundrings and an Earthquake and great Hail Likewise in Chapter 16. And the seventh Angel poured his Vial into the Air and there was a great Earthquake and there came a great Voice out of the Temple of Heaven from the Throne saying It is done And there were Voices and Thunders and Lightnings and there was a great Earthquake such as was not since men were upon the Earth so mighty an Earthquake and so great And the great City was divided into three parts and the Cities of the Nation fell and great Babylon came in remembrance before God to give unto her the Cup of the Wine of the fierceness of his Wrath And every Island fled away and the Mountains were not found And there fell upon Men a great Hail out of Heaven every Stone about the weight of a Talent and men Blasphemed God because of the Plague of the Hail for the plague thereof was exceeding great These and such other Scriptures may denote the future Calamities that will befal the Inhabitants of the Earth about the end of the World and do also demonstrate the great power and alsufficiency of Almighty God who as Job saith Chapter 9. Is wise in Heart and mighty in Strength who removeth the Mountains and overturneth them in his anger Who shaketh the Earth out of her place and the Pillars thereof tremble XVIII Having given an account of the Supernatural and Metaphorical Earthquakes recorded in Holy Writ I shall now relate those that are mentioned by other Historians of the former and latter Ages and likewise of some of the Consequents which have succeeded them as to Wars Pestilence Famines and other dreadful Calamities and were judged to be the effects of them wherein I shall be obliged to repeat some of those already published in a Book called surprizing Miracles of Nature c. XIX Before the birth of Saviour Plato mentions a wonderful Earthquake whereby in a Day and a Night a vast Island without the Streights of Gibralter called Atlantis and bigger than Asia and Africa together was wholly overwhelmed and afterward covered by a great Inundation of Waters insomuch that on the Atlantick Ocean for a great while after no Ship could Sail by reason that the same huge Sea by resolution of the Earth of that mighty Island was all turned into Mud. He also Writes that by another terrible Earthquake the Continent of Africa was rent asunder from Europe and Asia as it is at this day being now only connected by a little Neck of Land at the Red Sea The famous Isle of Sicily was likewise formerly a part of Italy and by an Earthquake divided from it And our Island of Great Brittain is supposed to be broken off from the Continent of France by that means Herodotus saith that Egypt in ancient time was a Gulph of the Sca and by an Earthquake made a dry Land The River Indus in Asia which receives fifteen others Rivers into it altered its Channel and the neighbouring Countrey was turned into a Wilderness by a lamentable Earthquake Before the Peloponesian or Civil Wars among the Grecians one of their Islands called Delphos famous for the Oracle and Temple of Apollo scituated therein was wholly ruined by an Earthquake which was thought to portend those remarkable alterations which soon after happened in Greece A little before the Wars between the Lacedemonians and the Ilotae who were their Slaves and Bondmen in the Countrey of Laconia there happened in the City of Sparta a most terrible and fearful Earthquake for the Earth in many places of the Countrey opened and fell in as into a bottomless Pit The Mountain Taygetum shook so terribly that parts of Rocks fell down from it and Sparta with two other Cities with the violence of it were thrown to the ground five hundred Houses only exceptcepted And great flouds of Water following it the Countrey was almost utterly destroyed thereby Tyre and Sydon suffered exceedingly by Earthquakes and an infinite number of People were buried under the ruins And Strabo mentions a City scituate about Sidon that was wholly swallowed up thereby Pliny writes of twelve Cities ruined in one Night and St. Augustine is cited for what is more strange That in a samous Earthquake a hundred Cities in Lybia were destroyed In the Veliternean Fields the Earth rent asunder in such huge and frightful breaches that Trees and whole Houses were swallowed up in them and it Rained Bloud for two whole days together about which time Hannibal received that notable overthrow by Scipio which was the destruction of the famous City and Republick of Carthage and the Conquest of that Country to the Romans Tit. Livius Hist Josephus records that about twenty nine years before the birth of Christ there happened a tremendous Earthquake in the Country of Judea whereby divers Beasts were slain and many People overwhelmed in the ruins of their Houses and perished to the number as some write of about thirty thousand XX. I now proceed in a Chronological Order to relate all the Earthquakes that have happened since our Saviours Birth as I find them mentioned by several Authors of which that which happened at his Crucifixion is said to be the greatest that ever was which shook not only one part of the Earth as in other cases but the whole Would trembled at once if some famous Authors are to be credited In the tenth year of Christ was a great Earthquake in Cyprus that overthrew many Cities and in his sevententh year thirteen Cities in Italy were destroyed and the River Tyber overflowed Rome The effects whereof were thought to be That Sejanus the Favourite to Tyberius was executed for his Ambition his Son strangled his Daughter first Deflowred by the Hangman then put to death Drusius is Poisoned Tyberius turn'd Tyrant In 59. was a terrible Ecclipse of the Sun so that the Stars were seen Nero's Supper was burned with Lightning and a great Earthquake happened at Rome At this time the Brittains slay seventy thousand Romans and Suetonius destroys eighty thousand Brittains as he comes from Anglesey Rome is fired by Nero who rejoices in that Villany he commits Incest with his own Mother afterwards Murders and Rips her up to view the place where he lay before he was born Cartismunda Queen of the Brittains rejecteth her Husband the
King of Scots takes her and baries her alive XXI In the reign of Trojan the Emperor 105. there happened a most terrible Earthquake at Antioch which destroyed many Cities and People and extended it self very far Frightful Lightnings which made the Night as light as Day preceded with dreadful Thunderbolts that threw down stately buildings killed many men Also strong and unusual Storms of Wind after which were heard great and sudden Noises the Sea wrought the Waves swelled the Earth was shaken buildings trembled others were lifted up and fell down whereby so thick a dust and darkness was raised that People could not see nor hear one another nor scarcely breath Trees were pluckt up by the Roots and multitudes buried in the Ruins of their own Houses After which came such violent heats that People not being able to indure it stript and hid themselves naked under ground where many were famished by reason the continual shaking of the Earth so distracted them that they durst not come forth for relief In 107. A very great Earthquake happened in Asia with many Prodigious sights in the Air as sighting of Men c. Another in Galatia and Rome where Lightning from Heaven consumed the Temple of their Gods with strong unwonted Winds and horrible Noises in the Earth In 120. A great Earthquake in Nice and two terrible ones in Palestina Milk in a Prodigious manner rained in Rome and a great Fire destroyed two hundred and forty Houses In 162. A very great Earthquake in Bithynia The Waves of the Mediterranean Seas in a Calm elevated themselves to the top of a Mountain far distant from it and cast the foam a great way upon the main Land At this time Mogul King of Scots growing odious to the Nobility for his Tyranny they Murder him Smyrna in Asia is quite destroyed The Emperor Commodus groweth rediculous and the People taking notice thereof he executed many of them he is strangled by Martia his Concubine and Pertinax succeeding after having Reigned only eighty seven days is slain by the Souldiers XXII In 244. The Sun was totally Ecclipsed and there was so horrid an Earthquake the Earth gaped so extreamly that certain Cities together with their People were swallowed up and exceeding great darkness happened for many days together Now the tenth Persecution began wherein one hundred forty four thousand Christians were put to Death in Egypt and seventy thousand banished and many burned in an House in Nicomedia In the year 300. there were great Earthquakes by one whereof thirteen Cities in Campania were overthrown and another in Asia A hand was seen in the Church of Lateran in Rome without a Body which in the sight of many men writ upon the Wall these words Hodie venenum in Ecclesia infusurus To day is Poison poured into the Church Which was thought to intend the extraordinary indulgence of Constantine the Great and first Christian Emperor upon the Bishops and his heaping Honours and Estates upon them whereby they degenerated from their Primitive simplicity and humility Soon after many Cities in the East fell to the ground by an Earthquake and Neo-Caesarea was overturned and all its Inhabitants perished except such as were saved by the Bishop in the Church Dyracchium was demolished by an Earthquake and Rome trembled for three Days and Nights successively and Antioch was indangered by an Earthquake of a whole years continuance Rhodes and Sicily were likewise endamaged thereby and likewise Cilicia and indeed it was so general that all Europe and Asia were shaken at once XXIII In 366. in the reign of Julian the Emperor who was first a Christian and afterward revolted to Paganism for which he was named the Apostate and became a bitter Enemy to the Christians and in despight and contempt of our blessed Saviour who had Prophesied that the Temple of Jerusalem should be destroyed and never rebuilt He impiously resolved to invalidate the same and designed to build it Magnificently with excessive cost and charges committing the care thereof to one Alypius who did vigorously apply himself to the Work being assisted therein by the Governour of the Province But there brake out dreadful Balls of Fire near the Foundation of the Walls which with their frequent Irruptions made the Place unapproachable several Workmen being consumed by the Fire and in this manner a full period was put to their further proceeding therein But Niciphorus Calistus gives a more large and full Narrative thereof as followeth The Jews saith he having got together as many as were skilful in the Art of Building and having provided Materials for it and fully cleansed the place they prepared Spades made of Silver their charges being allowed out of the publick stock with such Earnestness and Alacrity did they labour herein that the very Women carried away the Rubbish in their Laps and whatsoever Jewels or precious Ornaments they had they expended on the business When they had digged up the remainders of the old Building from the lowest Foundations and had cleared the ground so that there was not a stone left upon a stone according to our Blessed Lords Prediction The next day coming to the place there was a great Earthquake insomuch that the stones were cast our of the Foundation so that many of the Jews were slain who either came to see the work or had the oversight thereof The Publick buildings which were nearest the Temple were likewise loosned and falling down with great violence buried those who were in them in their ruines some who attempted to fly away were found half dead others lost their Legs Arms Hands and other Members according as the force of that sudden accident seized upon them The Earthquake was scarce over but those who remained fell to work again But when they attempted it the second time sudden flashes of Fire violently issued out of the Foundations and other Fire fell furiously from Heaven and destroyed more than before consuming to Ashes the Hammers Graving Tools Saws Hatchets Axes and all other Instruments which the Workmen had brought for their Service the flames continuing a whole day together When Cyril who was at that time Bishop of Jerusalem saw these things he considered in his mind the words of the Prophet Daniel to which Christ also had set his Seal in the Holy Gospel and then told them all That now was the time when the Oracle of our Saviour had its accomplishment which said That a Stone should not be left upon a Stone in the Temple which when he had said a dreadful Earthquake assailed the remaining Foundations and casting out all the rest of the Stones dispersed them abroad and a fearful Storm arose which whirled in the Air many Thousand Bushels of Lime and Plaister and sudden flames of Fire flashing from beneath burnt up in a moment an innumerable Company of People who were either labouring in the work or coming to behold it Thus did the wicked Julian fulfil Christs Predictions concerning Jerusalem by the same
means whereby he designed to make them void XXIV In 367. in the Reign of Valens and Valentinian Emperors of Rome there happen'd such horrible Earthquakes throughout the Western Empire as neither True Historians have related the like nor Fables themselves represented to us A little after the day dawned there was a great Tempest of Thunder and Lightning which was followed by such a dreadful trembling of the Earth that the Sea also was shaken therewith and deserted the shore and its ancient bounds for a great space and the depths of its Channels were discovered multitudes of Fish were seen to stick in the Mud and many plowed Fields became Navigable the inequality of the Seas bottom appeared here Hills and there Vallies which had never before seen the Sun since at the original of all things they were first overwhelmed with the Flouds Many Ships were left on the dry ground and swarme of People flew thither to catch Fish when suddenly the Sea as disdaining to be imprisoned returned to its former station with such impetuosity that it over-ran its former bounds and with the fury thereof overthrew a multitude of Towns and Houses with many thousands of People and great numbers of Ships were overwhelmed some of which with the violence thereof were blown upon the tops of Houses Soon after a great Rebellion happened and the Northern Nations came in like a Floud and over-ran the Roman Empire which was thought to be presaged by this lamentable accident XXV In 430. A great Earthquake raged in divers places and overturned many Cities the Wall of Constantinople though but new built it threw to the ground with 57 Turrets Also Stones of great bulk lately placed there fell down many Town were ruined Yea some Authors affirm that it was so terrible as to affect almost the whole World the Earth gaped and swallowed up many Villages Fountains were dried up and Waters brake forth in places formerly dry Great Trees were torn up by the Roots Heaps of Earth were so shaken together that they were raised into Mountains The Sea threw up dead Fishes many Islands were sunk and overwhelmed Ships sailing on the Sea were suddenly left on dry ground In short many places of Bythinia the Hellespont and both the Phrygin's were grievously distrest thereby This disaster continued six months without intermission and the People of Constantinople not daring to stay in the City for fear of the fall of their Houses continued together with their good Emperor and their Patriarch in the Fields instant in Prayers to the Almighty for the removal of so dreadful a Judgment After the danger was over the Emperor repaired the Walls of Constantinople which were much endamaged thereby This was judged a Sign of the Death of Theodosius which soon after followed and of several changes which happened at the same time in divers parts of the World XXVI In 454. A great Earthquake at Rome another at Vienna Wolves and other Beasts wander all the year through the City and devour men An Earthquake in Russia and at Constantinople with two wonderful Blazing Stars About this time the Brittains beat the Saxons and drive them into the Isle of Thanet The Jews Rebel in Egypt and Kill two hundred thousand Men and forced those that survived to eat the dead They slay two hundred and forty thousand in Cyprus and at last are slain themselves A great Famine in Constantinople The Goths wast Thrace Thessaly and Epirus Gratian killeth thirty five thousand Germans Maxinius slayeth Gratian treacherously and possesseth Brittain France Spain and Africk The Temple of Apollo Daphneus is burnt The Heathen Temples are shut up by the Christian Emperors and their Idols destroyed In 458. A great Earthquake happened at Antioch which the Citizens had sad cause to remember Before it began some of the Inhabitants were seized with an extraordinary madness such as seemed to exceed the fury of Wild Beasts and to be the presage of that Calamity which followed soon after For about the Fourth hour of the night in September almost all the buildings of the new City were overturned which was well peopled and none of it forsaken or empty being curiously built by the Magnificence of divers Emperors who strove to exceed each other in the adornment of it The first and second Fabricks in the Palace were also cast down the rest standing together with a Bath which having formerly been neglected now when by the Earthquake the rest were choaked up stood the Citizens in very good stead XXVII In the first Century was a terrible Earthquake in Arabia and another in Palestina and a third at Constantinople for six weeks together It rained Bloud in Piedmont and at York the Fountains ran Bloud a Dragon and many Serpents were seen in the River Tyber After this so terrible a Famine raged in Brittain that the People assembled in great numbers to cast themselves into the Sea A Plague so great in Rome that 800 men fell dead in an hour in the time of Procession Brunchild a Daughter of France being found guilty of the death of ten Kings She is tyed by the Hair of the Head and the Arms to Wild Horses and torn to pieces The Jews and Samaritanes Persecute the Christians and burn their Churches in Caesaria XXVIII In the sixth seventh and eighth Centuries an Earthquake at Antioch Another in Palestina another in England and Normandy a fiery Dragon was seen in the Skies and divers other dreadful Prodigies About the same time there was a violent Earthquake at Constantinople which lasted many days and every hour the City suffered extraordinary shocks Many houses were thrown down but the People betook themselves to Prayer Fasting and Repentance and the Almighty had compassion on them Many Cities in the East were ruined by it and the City of Alexandria was sore shaken therewith which was the more astonishing because it seldom happens in those parts Some years after Constantinople was again shaken so violently that not only the Walls and Churches but all Greece trembled therewith The Saracens about this Age Besieged Constantinople for seven years and at last thirty thousand of them were slain The King of Scots is slain by the Picts A Pestilence in Constantinople for three years which devoured so many that the living were not sufficient to bury the Dead Alphonsus King of Portugal killeth seventy thousand Moors and taketh Lisbon from them The Danes Invade England but all of them almost perished The Brittains Invade Scotland Constantine their King was killed The Saracens take Armoricum and many Captives Lothair Wars with his Brethren and an hundred thousand men are slain In 801. while Charles the Great was in Italy there was an Earthquake with great noises which shook all France and Germany but especially Italy it overthrew several Towers and even Mountains and the Church of St. Paul at Rome was destroyed by it whereupon Pope Leo III. appointed solemn Feasts and Processions These Prodigies were followed with furious Tempests and Contagious
Diseases which affected the Cattel throughout Italy so that most of their Beasts died A great Famine and Pestilence in France The King of England is slain by the East Angles The Danes enter the Thames with two hundred and fifty Ships they take Canterbury and London and expel the King XXIX In the Ninth Tenth and Eleventh Centuries an Earthquake happened in Scotland another in France a very great one in Asia and several terrible ones with mighty Whirlwinds in Germany Also a great Earthquake in England where five Suns appear at one and afterward four Moons at once Horrible groans and noises in the ground at Rome Syracuse in Sicily was extreamly shaken with an Earthquake A wonderful Hail at Oxford in England with many other terrible appearances as Fire rising out of the River Rhyne and many places in Germany the Sun appears for certain days as if it bled In the Reign of King William the Conqueror 1086. happened an Earthquake with a dreadful noise In 1100 in the Reign of King Henry I. the Earth moved with so great violence in England that many buildings where shaken down and Malmesbury the Historian writes That the House wherein he sate was lifted up with a double remove and at the third time setled again in its proper place In divers places a hideous noise was heard and the Earth through several rifts cast forth Fire for many days together which neither by Water nor any other means could be supprest In Lumbardy in Italy about the same time was an Earthquake which lasted above six weeks and removed a Town from the place where it stood a great distance Matthew Paris mentions another Earth quake and a great Darkness in England about twenty years after And another in the Reign of King Henry II. in the Eastern parts of England which threw down many Persons who were standing or walking and made the Clocks to strike and Bells to ring in the Steeples In 1179. on Christmas day at Oxenhall near Darlington in the County of Durham the Earth was lifted up aloft like a Tower and so continued all that day as it were immoveable till Evening and then fell with so horrible a noise that it affrighted the Inhabitants thereabout and the Earth swallowing it up made in the same place three Pits of a wonderful depth which were afterward called Hell-Kettles It is reported that Bishop Tonstal put a Goose into one of these Pits having first given her a mark and the same Goose was found in the River Tees which if true these Kettles have passages under Ground XXX In 1180. an Earthquake ruined a great part of the City of Naples Great Stones were Rained from Heaven and a Hill of an immense magnitude is removed out of his place The City of Catania in Sicily is destroyed with nineteen thousand People by an Earthquake A multitude of Snakes were seen at Rome a fiery Dart ran up and down in the Heavens Women appeared in the Heavens of admirable shapes to the great amazement of the Spectators About this time the Hungarians Invade the Empire of Germany but are reconciled The Bishop of Saltsburg calls an hundred thousand Hungarians into Bavaria which are all slain there and the Emperors Eyes pluckt out A great Famine in Germany and France The Prussians Invade Poland and fifteen thousand of them are slain and twenty thousand made Prisoners The Saxons Rebel against the Emperor twenty six thousand of them are Drowned in a Pitfall by the Stratagem of two Bishops in Holland as they came against the Earl of Flanders Gonsalmus King of Spain Poisons King Sancho with an Apple The Danes Land in Scotland and wast divers places the Scots put them to flight They Land in Kent and spoil the Isle of Thanet The King of Denmark is slain by one of his Servants The Danes being defeated at Oxford fly to the Church and are there burnt Otho Emperor of Germany is Poisoned with a pair of Gloves Pedro King of Spain taketh Oscu and killeth thirty thousand Moors The English Invade Normandy Harold Earl of Caithnes in Scotland cuts out the Bishops Tongue for which the King puts out his Eyes hangs him and causeth his Male Children to be Gelt The K. of Ioenium is swallowed up by an Earthquake and in England many Buildings are thrown down by the same means amongst which the Cathedral Church of Lincoln was rent in pieces XXXI In 1222. There were such Earthquakes in Italy and Lombardy that the Cities and Towns were forsaken and the People kept abroad in the Fields in Tents many Houses and Churches were thrown down much people thereby crushed to Death The Earth trembled twice a day in Lombardy for fourteen days together besides two Cities in Cyprus and the City of Brescia were this year destroyed by Earthquakes In 1176. About the time that Adrian the Fourth was made Pope was a dreadful Earthquake at Millain and all the Country round about A noise like Trumpets in the Air was heard in Italy where was likewise a great Earthquake another in England and a third in Germany The Consequents were thought to be the slaying of two hundred thousand Moors by the Spaniards about that time The Pope giveth the Kingdom of England to Philip King of France Excommunicating King John The French strive to take possession of it but the Flemish with the English take three hundred sail of Ships from them and burn an hundred more The King of Arragon is slain The King of Bulgaria plucks out the Emperors Eyes The Infidels take Jerusalem and slay many Prisoners The Turks win all the lower Asia from the Greeks The Pope is slain by a Fall The Emperor Kills fourteen thousand Bohemians The King of England brings the Welsh under intire subjection XXXII Remarkable is what is related by divers Authors which happened in a Town called Hamel in the Dutchy of Brunswick in Germany in 1248. June 26. This Town being very grievously troubled with Rats and Mice there came to them a Pied Coat Piper who agreed with the Burgers that for so much Money he would quite clear them from those Vermine nor would he demand it till a year and a day after The agreement being made he began to play on his Pipes going from one Street to another and all the Rats and Mice followed him whom he led to a great Lake hard by where they all went in and were drowned so that the Town was Infected no more At the end of the year the Pied Piper returned for his reward The Burgers put him off with slightings and neglect offering him some small matter which he refusing and staying some few days in Town On Sunday Morning at High Mass when most People were at Church he fell to Play on his Pipes and began another Tune whereupon there followed him one hundred and thirty Boys out of the Town to a great Hill called Koppen scituate on the Road hard by when they approached the Mountain it rent in twain and opening let him
to the Manes or Ghosts of their deceased Friends who were there said to have returned answers to what they have demanded of them This place is now only a little watry plash choaked up by the horrible and astonishing eruption of a new Mountain whereof as often as I think I am apt to give credit to whatsoever is wonderful For who is there in this place but knows or who elsewhere will believe that a Mountain should arise partly out of a Lake and partly out of the Sea in one day and anight to such an height as to contend in altitude with the highest Mountains adjoyning yet so it was For Sept. 29. 1538. the Courtrey hereabout having for several days before been tormented with perpetual Earthquakes that no one House was left intire but all Men expected an immediate ruin After the Sea had retired two hundred Paces from the Shoar leaving abundance of Fish and Springs of fresh water rising in the bottom this Mountain visibly ascended about the second hour of the Night with an hideous roaring noise horribly vomiting Stones and such store of Cinders as overwhelmed all the buildings thereabout and the healthful Baths of Tripergula celebrated for so many Ages consuming the Vines to Ashes and killing Birds and Beasts The fearful Inhabitants of Puteoli flying away in the dark with their Wives and Children naked defiled crying out and detesting their Calamities Manifold mischiefs had they suffered by the Turks and Barbarians yet none like that which Nature inflicted This Mountain is to be seen at this day the top whereof is above a Mile from the Foundation the stones upon it are so light and pory that they will not sink when thrown into Water when it was newly raised it had a vast number of Vents or Issues some of them smoaking and likewise flaming others disgorging little Rivers of hot water keeping a dreadful rumbling and many miserably perished who ventured to go down into the hallowness above But that hollow on the top is now an Orchard and the Mountain throughout is bereft of its Terrors no more smoak fire or flames issuing therefrom XXXVII In 1571. Feb. 17. A prodigious Earthquake happened in the Eastern Parts of Herefordshire near a little Town called Kinaston About Six in the Evening the Earth began to open and an Hill called Marcley Hill with a Rock under it made at first a mighty bellowing noise which was heard afar off and then lifted up it self a great heighth and began to travel bearing along with it the Trees that grew upon it the Sheepfolds and Flocks of Sheep abiding thereon at the same time In the place from whence it first moved it left a gaping distance forty Foot wide and eighty Ells long the whole Field was about twenty Acres Passing along it overthrew a Chappel standing in the way removed an Ewâ—-Tree growing in the Church yard from the West to East With the like violence it thrust before it Highways Houses and Trees it made Tilled ground Pasture and again turned Pasture into Village Having thus walked from Sunday in the Evening till Monday Noon it then stood still and moved no more mounting to an Hill twelve fathoms high The like prodigy happened about the same time at Blackmore in that County where a Field of three Acres with the Trees and Fences moved from their place and passed over another Field travelling in the Highway that goeth to Herne and there stayed A great Earthquake fell out at Constantinople about this time a while before a terrible Fire in that City which burnt the Gaol and consumed seven hundred Prisoners An Earthquake and Bowls of Fire in Carinthia The Sun seemed to cleave in sunder Corn rained from Heaven An Earthquake and Inundation in Holland At this time was the Swearing Sickness in England Nine thousand French were slain at Dreux in Normandy among whom the King of Navar. The Turkish Pyrates carry Six Thousand Captives out of the Isle of Gaul near to Malta A great Plague in England Very great Thunder and an Earthquake in Spain XXXVIII In 1580. April 6. being Easter Wednesday about six a Clock in the Afternoon happened a great Earthquake in England which shook all the Houses Castles and Churches every where as it went and put them in danger of utter ruin yet through the Divine Clemency it overthrew few or none save certain Stones Chimneys Walls and Pinacles of high Buildings both in London and divers other places and a Boy and a Girl being at Sermon among a great number of People at Christ-Church in Newgate-Street the Boy was killed outright with the fall of a Stone from the Roof of the Church and the Girl so fore bruised by another that she dyed soon after At York it made the Bells in the Churches jangle This Earthquake had such influence upon the mind of the People That a Prayer was Published by Queen Elizabeth to be used of all Housholders with their whole Family every Evening before thy went to Bed that it would please God to turn his wrath from us threatned in the last terrible Earthquake In 1581. Josephus Acosta relates That in Peru in America there happened an Earthquake which removed the City of Augnangum two Leagues from the place where it stood without demolishing it in regard the Scituation of the whole Countrey was changed The same Author gives an account of another Earthquake in the same Countrey that reached three hundred Leagues along the Sea-shore and seventy Leagues in Land and levelled the Mountains all along as it went threw down Citys turned the Rivers out oâ— their Channels and made an Universal â—avock and confusion All this he saith was done within the space of seven or eight Minutes Some time before this above forty thousand People perished in an Earthquake about Puel and Naples XXXIX In 1590. The Election of Pope Urban VII was signalized by an Earthquake which made Austria Bohemia and Moravia to tremble and was followed by an extraordinary Dearth Gregory XIV quickly succeeded and died in ten months There was such a Famine and Plague in Italy that year that above threescore thousand Persons died In 1591. In St. Michaels Island in the West Indies there happened an Earthquake which continued about sixteen days to the extream terror of the French who inhabite there especially when by the force thereof they perceived the Earth to remove from place to place and Villa Franca their principal Town overthrown the Ships that then road at Anchor in the Bay trembled and quaked insomuch that the People thought the Day of Judgment was come In 1593. Another terrible Earthquake happened in Persia which overturned three thousand Houses in the City of Lair crushing to Death above three thousand Persons in their ruins yea the Castle though built upon a solid Rock groaned under the like affrighting downfall In 1614. there was a great Earthquake in Vercer one of the largest of the Islands called Azores belonging to the King of Portugal overturning in
the City of Agra eleven Churches nine Chappels besides many private Houses and in the City of Praga hardly an house was left standing Not long after so horrible an Earthquake happened in another of the Islands of Azores called St. Michael aforementioned that not far from thence the Sea opened and thrust forth an Island above a League and half in length at a place where there was above a hundred and fifty Fathom Water XL. In 1618. The Town of Pleurs in Switzerland was overwhelmed by an Earthquake of which we have the following account in the late Travels of a Reverend Divine in that Countrey This place consisted in about two thousand two hundred Inhabitants and magnificently built for besides the great Palace of the Francken that cost some Millions there were many other Palaces erected by several Rich Factors both of Milan and other Parts of Italy who liked the Scituation and Air as well as the freedom of the Government of this place so they used to come hither during the Heats and here they gave themselves all the Indulgences that a vast wealth could furnish By one of the Palaces that was a little distant from the Town which was not overwhelmed one may judg of the rest It was an Out-house of the Family of the Francken and yet it may compare with many Palaces in Italy and certainly House and Gardens could not cost so little as one hundred thousand Crowns The Voluptuousness of this Place became very crying and Madam de Salis told me saith my Author that she often heard her Mother relate some Passages of a Protestant Ministers Sermons who Preached in a little Church which those of the Religion had there and warned them frequently of the terrible Judgments of God that were hanging over their heads and that he believed would suddenly break in upon them On the 25 of August 1618. an Inhabitant came and persuaded them to be gone for he saw the Mountains cleaving but he was laughed at for his pains He had a Daughter whom he prevailed with to leave all and go with him but when she was gone out of the Town with him she called to mind that she had not lockt the Door of a Room in which she had some things of value and so she went back to do that and was buried with the rest for at the hour of Supper the Hill fell down and buried the Town and all the Inhabitants so that none escaped The fall of the Mountains did so fill the Channels of the River that the first news those of the Chavennes had of it was by the failing of the River for three or four hours there came not a drop of Water but the River wrought for it self a new course and returned to them I could hear no perticular Character of the Man who escaped so I must leave the secret reason of so singular a preservation to the great discovery at the last day of those steps of Divine Providence that are now so unaccountable Some of the Family of the Francken got some Miners to work under-ground to find out the Wealth that was butied in their Palace for besides their Plate and Futniture there was a great Cash and many Jewels in the House the Miners pretended they could find nothing But they went to their Countrey of Tirol and built fine Houses and a great Wealth appeared of which no other visible account could be given but this that they had found some of that Treasure XLI In 1622. Was a great Earthquake in Italy The shape of an Elephant was seen in the Air and three Suns Armies fighting Monstrous births Waters turned into bloud unusual and impetuous Tempests which overthrew several Towers At this time began the third Civil War in France the Prince of Conde is taken and shot to Death with a Pistol The Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland rebel The Popish Clergy are expelled Antwerp by the People The Emperor Prohibiteth the Protestant Religion at Atken The Spaniards Invade Ireland but are beaten thence The Turks lose Alba Regalis and threescore thousand men The Persians Invade Babylon and kill twenty thousand men The King of France is slain Nine hundred thousand Moors are expelled Spain The Hollanders beat the Spaniards in the South Sea The Tartars Invade Podolia they burn four Cities and four hundred Villages and carry from thence a vast booty The Jesuits and Papists are expelled the Netherlands In 1627. An Earthquake happened in England and a great fiery Beam was seen in the Air in France Six Suns in Cornwall at once and five Moons in Normandy In 1627. July 31. happened an Earthquake in Apulia in Italy whereby in the City of Severine alone ten thousand Souls were taken out of the World and in the horror of such infinite ruins and sepulchre of so many Mortals a great Bell thrown out of the Steeple by the Earthquake fell so fitly over a Child that it inclosed him and doing him no harm made a Bulwark for him against any other danger Strange and wonderful were the Prodigies that were seen in Germany both in the Heavens Earth and Waters before the beginning of that Bloody War in those Countreys and which plainly presaged the ensuing miseries and desolations which happened there and began about 1631. In which year not long before the troubles of Naples there happened a terrible Earthquake in and about that City and the Mountain of Soma after many terrible bellowings vomited out burning streams of Fire which tumbled into the Adriatick Sea and cast out an huge deal of Ashes The like happened the year following with great damage and loss to the Neighbouring places both in Houses People and Cattel And in Apulia seventeen thousand Persons were destroyed by the same XLII In the year 1638. Six Suns were seen at once in Cornwall and several Apparitions of men in the Heavens preparing to fight with each other Also Navys of Ships were visible in the Sky The Scots at this time make an Insurrection the King goes in Person to appease them they renounce the Bishops and Prelacy and set up Presbytery in Scotland In this year 1638. happened a Terrible Earthquake in the Island of St. Michael one of the Azores or Tercera's belonging to the Spaniards in the Atlantick Ocean Westward Upon June 26. this Island began unversally to quake and tremble which continued eight days so that the People leaving the Cities Towns and Castles were forced to live in the open Fields After which this Prodigy succeeded Six miles distant from the Hill or Pick of Camerine at a place called Ferriera where Fishermen with their Boats use to fish in Summer they at this time caught such a multitude that no Boat returned with less than Ten Thousand Fish At this very place in July this very year Fire broke forth with such unexpressible violence notwithstanding the depth of the Ocean which had been fathomed one hundred and twenty foot deep that the very Sea it self was not sufficient to extinguish
the uttermost brow of the Hill flourishes with Trees and excellent Pasturage the midst is shaded with Chesnut Trees and others bearing divers fruits The lower parts are admirably clothed with Vines which afford the best Greek Wines in the World It hath at divers times made dreadful Eruptions and Devastations which as well as Mount Aetna of which hereafter have been accounted ominous and to portend some woful Calamities to ensue But never any thing appeared so horrible saith my Author as what hapned in the Reign of the Emperor Titus eighty years after Christ For then it disgorged such boyling Waves and Flouds of Fire as consumed the Neighbouring Cities And then it was that Pliny the Second that great searcher into Nature and the famous Author of the Natural History and then Admiral of the Roman Navy being desirous to discover the reason thereof was choaked and suffocated in approaching too near to discover so great a mystery of Nature yet not wilfully I suppose though some Authors assert that he threw himself into it because he could not understand the natural cause of this mighty Conflagration At that time there issued forth so great a smoak that the very Sun seemed to be in an Eclipse and likewise huge Stones and such plenty of Ashes that Rome Africk and Syria were even covered with them and besides Beasts Fish and Fowl which were destroyed it overwhelmed Herculanum and Pompeios two adjoyning Cities with Pumice Stones together with all the People sitting in the Theater There were also heard dismal noises all about the Province and Giants of incredible bigness were seen to stalk up and down the top and edges of the Mountains if the Peoples fancies were not imposed upon by their astonishment which extraordinary Accident was judged either a cause or presage of a terrible Pestilence which reigned in Rome and Italy long after Marcellinus the Roman Historian relates That the Ashes of Vesuvius transported in the Air obscured and darkned all Europe and that the Inhabitants of Constantinople were wonderfully affrighted therewith insomuch that their Emperor Leo forsook the City and that in memorial of the same they celebrated yearly the 12 of November It likewise burnt in the six year of Constantine the Fourth and groaned but ejected no Cinders Platina writes that it flamed in 685. prognosticating the Death of Pope Benedict II. with the insuing Slaughters Rapines and Deaths of Princes During the Papacy of Benedict VIII and IX it is said to have done the like and though it hath made dreadful devastations yet the fruitful Ashes thrown about did seem to repair the foregoing losses with a quick and marvellous fruitfulness At the foot of the Hill there are divers holes and vents out of which exceeding cold wind do continually issue and which at Padua they let into their Rooms at pleasure to qualifie the heat of Summer In the year 1610. in February Vesuvius began to flame to the great affrightment of the Neapolitans and solemn Prayers and Supplications being ordered they went in Procession with the Head of Januarius their Patron and the defender of their City carried before them whereby the deluded people were persuaded that the destruction which hung over their heads was prevented In 1631. was a new Eruption and again in 1635. was an Earthquake in Messina XLV In the year 1638. likewise the industrious Kircher made a discovery of the Phlegrean or Fiery Plains in the Fields of Puteoli near Naples which being another wonderful Prodigy of Nature may be worth relating Passing by Naples saith he I could not let slip the opportunity of inquiring and looking into those Sulphurous Plains so much celebrated in all Ages Having therefore gone through a Passage under ground called the Groote arched and made hollow to the Mountain Pausilippus not far from Puteoli between the Jaws of the Mountains a large Plain presents it self to view altogether dreadful and full of horrour in length about twelve hundred Foot in breadth a thousand The whole Plain is surrounded with Hills of high and steep Rocks which were formerly very lofty but are since devoured by perpetual Fires In the bottom little hills are seen to burn and flame with a strong smell of Brimstone which is carried by the Winds through all the Neighbouring Regions even as far as Naples some parts of the Plain have an infinite number of holes and are yellow with a Sulphurish matter the ground wheh it is touched by those who walk thereon sounds and rattles like a Drum by reason of the hollowness thereof and you may feel as it were not without astonishment boyling Waters under your feet and thick fiery fumes to hiss and flow from one place to another with a great crackling noise through the Pipes and Passages under ground which are made by these fiery Exhalations the force of this is very great as you may experience by stopping any of these holes with an heavy stone or the like for then you shall observe the violence of the smoak presently to throw it up and belch it forth again But an huge Laky Ditch in the same plain did wonderfully affect me It is full of boyling Waters very frightful for their blackness that one would imagine it were a Kettle or Caldron boyling with Pitch and Rosin It is likewise admirable that the swallowing Gulph casts forth these boyling Waters eight or ten foot above a Mans height in the fashion of a spire Steeple or Pyramid In the Mountains and Rocks wherewith this Vulcanian Plain is incompassed there are Passages like Chimneys some whereof breath out a continual Wind with a terrible sound and ratling and also with such strength that if you cast a stone thereinto it is struck back again to your hand with great fury some of their breathing holes dart forth smoak mixt with flames you would here think your self almost in the midst of Hell where all things appear horrid sad and lamentable and you are even struck breathless with the stench of Sulphur Bitumen Napthe and other Earths Clays Marls and Minerals In 1640. all the Low Countreys and a great part of Germany were shaken by a sudden Earthquake XLVI In 1650 about five a Clock in the Afternoon in the Countys of Cumberland and Westmorland was a general Earthquake wherewith the People were so affrighted that many of them forsook their Houses and some Houses were so shaken that the Chimneys fell down The same year 1650. the Island of Santorin at the bottom of the Streights in the Mediterranean Sea not far from Candia had formidable Fires and Earthquakes This Island was formerly called Thera but now Santorin and started up out of the Sea for Baronius out of Pliny thus writes In the year 726. a Vapour was seen to bubble forth out of a Chimney of Fire between the Islands of Theresia or Santorin from the very bottom of the Sea which continued some days and the Fire and Smoak growing thicker by degrees spread it self abroad with mighty flames and
thence it ran to Madonni di Monserrato which it wholly destroyed then falling down to Madonna delle Gratie it entred in at one Gate and passed through another without any considerable hurt and running through the Gate Della Decima filled all the Plain Di Schiara Viva where it was above six Ells deep Then taking its way towards the Bulwark on the Sea-side under the Castle of this City it ran by two Ells deep into the Sea in which to the great wonder of all that saw it it has made its Progress a mile in length and as much in breadth and is drawing towards the Gate of the Channel which gives us great Apprehensions least it may that way Invade the City it self Nor is there less danger on the side Del Tindaro where there runs a great Torrent of the same Active matter which draws near and seems to threaten the Walls and is in that place about a mild in breadth having overflowed and destroyed all the Gardens from the Gate Della Decima as far as Madonni delli Amellati The names of the most considerable Towns and places ruined and destroyed by the dreadful Earthquakes and Irruptions were The Town of Nicolosi wholly ruined Badara and Tre Castagne the greatest part destroyed The Towns of La Guardia Malpasso Campo Rotundo Potielli St. Antonino St. Pietro Masterbianco Montpileri La Anunciata Falicchi Placchi all wholly overflowed consumed and lost in this fiery Inundation with all the Lands belonging to them no foot-steps of them remaining The Towns of Masculucia and St. Giovanni de Galermo ruined in part The large Gardens and Vineyards of Albanelli overflown and destroyed The famous piece of Antiquity of Marcus Marcellus much ruined Madonna de Monferrato destroyed besides many Castles Farms and other Places which have run the same Fortune whose names we for brevity pass over LVI West of the Isle of Sicily in the Tuscan Sea within sight of Messina and one hundred and fifty miles distant from Mount Aetna are the Aeolian Islands so called from Aeolus King thereof who first taught the use of the Sail and by observing the Fire and Smoak which ascended from these Islands for heretofore they all flamed was from thence fabled to be the God of the Winds These were anciently seven but are now eleven Islands of which Liparis is the greatest being ten miles in circuit the Fire went out here about an Age ago So that at this day Strombolo only burns though another called Vulcaeno smoaks continually It was formerly called Strongile but by corruption Strombolo from the roundness thereof for it seems like an high round Mountain in the Sea out of the top whereof issueth continually a flame like a burning Beacon and exceeding clear so that by night especially it is to be discerned a wonderful way A place so full of horror to the neighbouring Islanders that the more ignorant Papists are made to believe it is the very Jaws of Hell it self The aforenamed Kircher made Observation of this Mountain likewise which he thus relates That on a certain day viewing Strombolo very curiously about threescore miles distant he observed it to be more than ordinarily furious for it appeared wholly overwhelmed with Fire in so great plenty that it seemed to belch out flaming Mountains a most horrendous Spectacle And then saith he I heard a strange kind of dull murmur from the Mountain so far off which seemed to come towards us under the Earth till it reached the subterrancous place where we stood and there uttered such horrible Thundrings within the Earth with such formidable Earthquakes that none of them were able to stand on their Feet After the violence was over getting up again with unspeakable Consternation they beheld the destruction and lamentable subversion of the famous Town of St Euphemia three miles off which happened at that instant the City being wholly swallowed up for seeking for the Town they found instead thereof what is wonderful to be related nothing but a dark stinking Lake sprung up in its place they could find no men nor Inhabitants Thence passing on their Journey they found nothing else for Two Hundred miles but the Carcases of Cities horrid ruins of Castles Men stragling up and down in the open Fields and through horror and famine pining and withering away LVII In April 1669. The Mountain Vesuvius aforementioned cast up more Smoak and Ashes than formerly and for several Nights the neighbouring places were much affrighted with the great Flames which issued from it accompanied with unusual noises At the same time they write That the Vice-Roy of Sicily having compassion upon the miserable condition of above thirty thousand poor People who by their Flight had saved themselves from the Fire of Mount Aetna aforementioned which had destroyed seventeen or eighteen Towns or Villages and by the daily approaches to the City of Catania seemed to threaten it with inevitable ruine so that the Inhabitans were leaving the place And that he thereupon sent one of his Officers to take order for the maintenance of those distressed Creatures and disposing of them into places of safety June 20. this year at Jnspurg in Germany a little after Noon there was a very violent Tempest with extraordinary Hail Rain Thunder and Lightning accompanied with an Earthquake which had such terrible Effects at Schnatz a Town about three miles distant from Jnspurg where the Emperor of Germany had some Silver Mines that the River which runs through it overflowing drowned all the adjacent Fields driving down and destroying above thirty Houses endamaging many more and drowning above two hundred People LVIII In 1682. Aug. 25. The Mountain Vesuvius did cast out Fire accompanied with a most terrible and hideous noise which from an hour after Sunset on Saturday till three a Clock next morning was so great that it caused a kind of Earthquake the houses in that City being plainly observed to shake The Mountain likewise cast out Ashes in great abundance which were dispersed many miles by the Wind and the Sunday all the Streets of Naples were covered with them as if it had been a deep Snow These Prodigies very much terrified the People and Publick Prayers were made for appeasing the Wrath of Heaven It is added That many great Coals of Fire fell also the dread whereof wrought so much upon the Inhabitants that they removed to other Cities That the terrible Earthquakes have thrown down near three thousand Buildings all about the foot of the Mountain and it roared so loud as to be heard forty miles distance in a still night The same year an Earthquake happened in France and Switzerland which affected all the Cities and places for many hundred miles about LIX In 1685. a very wonderful Prodigy happened in France which though it may not seem so properly inserted among these Relations of Earthquakes yet the strangeness and reality thereof may excuse the account I shall give of it and not being generally known may be the more
So doth my Soul desire alway With thee Lord to remain c. There were others that confirmed the same and assured us moreover that they had heard the whole Psalm sung Less grief it is to be exil'd From mine own House than thine Oh! how I wish t' approach the place Where all thy Glories shine This makes my sorrow to increase And Tears become my Food To hear my Foes reproach my Faith And say Where 's now thy God Past joys renew my grief to think How to thine House we came In Troops to Feast and Praises sing In Consort to thy name c. I consess I only heard a charming Musick which represented a great number of Voices that agreed exceeding well but I could not distinguish the words There was one that raised his Voice above the rest and made himself observed when the rest had done After I had a long while heard this Melody with ravishment I perceived that these Voices drew off and abated by little and little till they were insensibly lost in the Air. The same Evening returning to my own House and discoursing at the Gate with many of my Neighbours of the marvellous things we had heard on a sudden the same Voices again saluted our Ears and filled us with new delight for a quarter of an hour and then withdrew as before The Tuesday following in the Evening being with one of my Relations at the Door of my own House we both heard a great number of Voices in the Air which resouâ—â—… 〈…〉 and made themselves heard with the greatest clearness Upon which I ran hastily to a Popish Physitian who lodged in my House and was that year one of the Magistrates of Orthez to invite him to hear this Divine Melody who following me pretended to hear nothing though the night being calm and serene the singing sounded clearly A while after the Voices reinforced themselves whereupon I pressed him to tell me whether he heard them It is true said he aloud I hear very lovely singing I think I hear the voice of such and such a one naming several Persons in Orthez that sung very well I replied Monsieur if men hold their peace the very Stones will speak But he as if troubled at the confession he had made complains Alas I observe here a crafty Wile of the Devil he causes these Voices to be heard in the Air to keep the World in Error and hinder this poor People from Converting and Imbracing the Catholick Faith I asked him whether he had ever heard the Devil sung the Praises of God he smiled and retired hastily to his lodgings Nevertheless we bless God for his great goodness towards us in admonishing us of our duty by these heavenly voices who melodiously sung those Holy Hymns that we were wont to sound forth in our Church which was then laid wast and destroy'd I protest before God that these things are so as I have reported them and I am very glad to make known these truths for the edification of all those that fear the Lord In Testimony whereof I subscribe my self at Amsterdam Sept. 4. 1686. V. Deformalagnes I shall next insert the Memorial of Monsieur de Brassalay a Gentleman of Honour and acknowledged such by all that know him Some days before the Interdiction of the Churches of Bearn there were many Persons that heard the singing of Psalms in the City of Orthez The first that heard it was Lichagaray Brunier a Lawyer revolted some years since the most malignant of the Persecutors and who continually stir'd up troubles to those of the reformed Religion He rose from his Bed to tell the Curate that there was an Assembly of People who sung Psalms without the City He also went to a Serjeant named Gowlan to conduct him to the place where he thought to surprize them but this Popish Serjeant having laid his Ear to the Window said there was nothing to be done for he plainly perceived the singing was in the Air. Afterward it was often heard for above a month by divers Persons both by night and day Among others M. Canneille an Elder of the Church of Orthez protested to me that sitting reading on the Rivers Bank about a mile from the City he heard a great singing of Psalms on that side the Church stands which is in the midst of the City and not at all doubting but it was an ordinary Assembly met together to Evening Prayers which was then very numerous because of the hazardous conjuncture and consisted at the least of two or three thousand Souls he hastned thither and heard a great singing of Psalms all along till he was entered into the City but finding the Doors shut the Neighbours told him that it was not yet the hour of Prayer It is to no purpose to alledge that they sung in some Cavern or Cave for there is nothing but Houses Vineyards Meadow and Fields thereabout and the strict prohibition against the Protestants singing of Psalms under very severe penalties makes it highly improbable Moreover this Elder told me that he never heard more lofty singing in the Church This Monsieur Brassalay declared as a most certain truth in the presence of many honest men After the Church of Orthez was razed to the Ground this singing ceased till about October following and then was again heard by most of that City and by many that came out of the Countrey to Market and staid till night on purpose It ordinarily happened about the same hour between eight and nine at night some heard the words others the Tune of the Psalm and there is scarce a House in Orthez of which some of the Family hath not heard it Monsieur Brunier aforementioned went one night with two or three others to the usually place without the City and they all three heard the singing for a long time over their heads the Tune of the 138 Psalm whereof they could hear distinctly these words Toward thy Holy Temple I Will look and worship thee And praised with my thankful voice Thy Holy name shall be Even for thy loving kindness sake And for thy Truth withal For thou thy Name hast by thy Word Advanced over all Dr. Faur a Physitian and Magistrate of the City another Papist heard it divers times but their malice made them say they were Sorcerers and Devils A young Damsel of Moncade heard this singing being in her Bed She arose and caused above 50 persons to go out who having heard it fell on their Knees and wept through the joy they conceived to hear such incomparable melody in the Air which continued above half an hour The place of this singing was raised above the City even as a very high Mountain and the People heard this singing over their heads as if it had been in the Clouds I have heard an honest man make this Relation who poured out tears when he spake of it The same thing I heard from other places To conclude it is impossible to doubt of a
re-entred into our Souls LX. In 1687. Octob. 20. The London Gazett gives a sad Relation of another Earthquake in the Kingdom of Peru in America whereby the City of Lima was totally overthrown and not one House left standing burying many of the Inhabitants units ruins At the same time Callao Fanette Pisco Chancay Los Florillos c. Most of them Sea-port Towns were destroyed by an Inundation of the Sea which carried several Ships above nine Miles into the Countrey and great numbers of People and Cattel were drowned there being found when the water fell at one place near the Sea-side above five thousand People dead and every dry more were found so that no account could be given of their number LXI In 1688. A dreadful Earthquake happened at Naples in Italy which was attended with the rage and roarings of Mount Vesuvius of which the London Gazett gives likewise the followinwing Account in a Letter from that City Dated June 8 On Saturday June 5. about the twenty second hour happened here a terrible Earthquake though it lasted not long which frightning the Inhabitants out of their Houses with the terror of an inevitable destruction they betook themselves to the Plazza's and open publick places of the City The old College of the Jesuits was ruin'd by it also the great Chappel of their New Colledge together with three other Chappels adjoining Three of the Fathers were killed there besides manness hers whose numbers are not yet known The Front of another great Church of the Jesuits opened in many cracks and the great Tower or Steeple seemed ready to fall In the Theatins Convent of the Holy Apostles a whole Dormitory fell down besides other considerable damage they received And the magnificent Arch erected before the Church of St. Paul belonging to the said Fathers fell together with those great and ancient Columns that formerly made part of the Temple Castor and Pollux there there remaining only four of them standing and those in a tottering condition Out of these ruins there have been already dug 19. Persons that were dead and there was reason to fear that the mischief might have been much greater it being so near to a publick Market where there were great throngs of People The Walls of the great Church of St. Dominick opened in many places and great part of the Refectory fell down as also part of adjoyning Palace where many were killed several other Churches of Augustins c. were ruined and in short there is scarce a Palace or House that has not received some considerable damage This occasioned very devout Processions of Persons of all Ranks The next day was another great Shock which threw down many of the Houses that were before the most weakned and Yesterday there was another perceived but without much damage but this day we have felt nothing of it However the Processions continue in great numbers and the Persons of Quality are all retired from hence In the Neighbourhood of Vdico a City sixteen Miles distant from hence a mountain opened and a Courier from Benevento a City belonging to the Pope brings an Account that it was all ruined and that of Six thousand Inhabitants there were but few left alive The Arch-bishops Palace there was thrown down and the Arch-bishop himself drawn out of the ruins being hurt in his Head and Arm. And there are Accounts of the like damages in several other places In a Letter from Rome June 12. 1688. There was this further Account We have had nothing considerable to entertain us here this Week but the sad Relations of the terrible Earthquakes at Naples and several places about it It happened at Naples on Sunday last about 21. hours and a half which at the same instant was perceived by a great many here On Sunday too it returned Several Churches Palaces and Houses are ruin'd among the rest the famous Church of the Jesuits reckoned the finest in Italy is all tumbled down except the Walls and the High Altar The particular number of those killed and buried in the ruins is not known The last Letters say many of the Inhabitants sie abroad under Tents in Couches c. and continually Prayers Processions publick Penances c. are performed and every one runs about crying Miserecordia Mercy Mercy Mercy Three Ships were Sunk in the Harbour and the Water in the Wells rose many handfuls Benevento is almost totally ruined and of ten thousand Inhabitants they say there remains scarce six hundred alive Cardinal Vrsini their Arch-bishop was taken out of the Ruins alive but hurt Several other Places and Seats are quite ruined and most of the Inhabitants swallowed up This City and the Countrey hereabout just felt the Shock but received no harm The damage is said to be above fifty Millions LXII In the same year and Month 1688. The London Gazett gave an Account of a dreadful Earthquake and Fire at Smyrna In a Letter from an English Gentleman at Constantinople Dated July 8. 1688. As followeth On June thirty between 11. and 12. at Noon there happened at Smyrna a violent Earthquake which in a Minute threw down many and shattered all the Houses in that City It reached all the adjacent Parts and Motelone and Scio where it did some small harm and at the same time that day it was felt here though the force of it being spent by the distance it was not generally taken notice of About four hours after the Earthquake a Fire broke out in the Frank-Street from an House called the Genovese-House which by the strength of the Wind and in that Consternation having no opposition soon consumed the Frank-Street and all the Town except the Skirts and the Houses on the side of the Hill which stand scattering and not contiguous The most moderate computation of People destroyed is 5000. Some make it double the number of which 400. Jews and one of the most famous Chaccham Rabbies of the East Aaron Aben Haim who as he was much reverenced by them in his life so particular lamentations are made here for his Death The Metropolite of Smyrna with some Papa's went to the Church to Prayers and were killed by its falling on them The Patriarch also of Alexandria had the same Fate And many poor People were buried in the ruins before they could get help Of the French Nation only the Consul was killed Of the Dutch one Merchant And of the English three and several others were bruised and hurt but not dangerously The Consul and half of the Nation it being Saturday were abroad but perceiving the Earthquake came immediately to the City and all went aboard their Ships in Port. In the interim betwixt the shock of the Earthquake and the breaking out of the Fire great quantities of Goods were saved So that the English as to their loss in Merchandise have escaped much better than the Dutch who had no Ships in Port. All the lower Ware-houses in Viserchan are saved but those above Stairs either by Windows
The Dreadful Earthquake in Jamaica Iune 7. 1692 The General HISTORY OF Earthquakes BEING An Account of the most Remarkable and Tremendous Earthquakes that have happened in divers parts of the World from the Creation to this time As they are recorded by Sacred and Common Authors And perticularly those lately in Naples Smyrna Jamaica and Sicily With a description of the famous burning Mount Aetna in that Island And a Relation of the several dreadful Conflagrations and Fiery Irruptions thereof for many Ages Likewise the Natural and Material Causes of Earthquakes with the usual Signs and Prognosticks of their approach And the Consequents and Effects that have followed several of them By R. B. LONDON Printed for Nath. Crouch at the Bell in the Poultrey near Cheapside 1694. TO THE READER THE several dreadful Earthquakes that have happened in divers parts of the World within a few years past and among others that in the Island of Jamaica and another in England wherein the People of this Nation is particularly concerned seem to call aloud for Repentance and Reformation of the horrid Enormities that are boldly committed amongst us for the Almighty executes his Judgments upon Mankind that the People of the Earth might learn Righteousness Therefore the collecting and publishing the terrible Relations of Earthquakes needs no Apology and may I hope be influential upon the minds of men who appear affected with the dismal accounts that have been lately given of these terrible Visitations of God I have been the more incouraged to proceed in Printing these small Manuals by the acceptance that others of this nature have already met with which I find has occasioned many especially young people to lay aside those vain and idle Songs and Romances wherewith they were formerly Conversant and to divert their vacant hours with reading the real Transactions Revolutions and Accidents that are recorded by Authors of the greatest Veracity to have happened in divers Ages and Countreys And this being of that kind I have no cause to doubt but it may meet with as civil Treatment as as those that have already been made publick by R. B. The General HISTORY OF Earthquakes I. AMong the several Plagues and Judgments wherewith the Almighty visiteth and punisheth the Enormities and Sins of Mankind that of Earthquakes may be accounted the most Dreadful and Tremendous which in an instant swalloweth up thousands of people of all Qualities and Ages together with the most superb and stately Edifices that Pride and Ambition can raise in a moment even in the twinkling of an Eye to convince men of the Greatness and Power of the Supream Creator and how vain it is to value themselves upon any mundane enjoyments Of which we have lately had very astonishing Instances in several parts of the World II. But before I proceed to give a Relation of them it may be necessary to discover the Natural Causes of this dreadful Concussion of the Earth which the God of Heaven makes use of to signifie his Displeasure for the provoking Crimes of Nation and People Of which a Learned Divine gives the following account III. An Earthquake is a shaking of the Earth occasioned by Wind and Exhalations inclosed within the Caves and Bowels of the Earth which can find no passage or at least none long enough to discharge themselves and therefore breaking forth with great force and violence it sometimes shaketh the Earth another while rendeth and openeth the same sometimes casting up Earth a great height into the Air otherwhile causing the ground to sink down a great depth swallowing Cities Towns Palaces Castles yea prodigious high Mountains leaving in the place nothing but deep holes or long and unfathomable Lakes of Water IV. Authors Write differently of the several kinds of Earthquakes but they usually comprehend them under four The first kind is when the Earth is shaken laterally or to one side the whole force of the inclosed Wind and Vapours driving to one place and there is no contrary motion to hinder it This Wind if it be not great causeth the Earth to tremble like a man in an Ague Fit and doth no more harm but if it be strong and violent it looseth the Foundations of all Buildings though never so firm overthrows whole Cities and sometimes throws down great Hills so that they overwhelm all the Valleys under them The second kind is when the Earth is lifted up with great violence so that the Buildings are like to fall and instantly sink down again and this is caused by the force of the Winds which strive to get upward like Gunpowder and finding some deliverance from confinement the Earth falls down to its former place The third sort is the opening rending or gaping of the Earth which sinking down swallows up Cities Towns yea Rocks Rivers and Flouds and so that they never appear again Nay the Sea in some places hath been drunk up so that People have gone over on foot till the returning Tyde hath covered the place with Water again The last kind is when great Mountains arise out of the Earth or else when some part of the Land sinketh down and instead thereof arise Rivers Lakes or Fires breaking out with Smoak and Ashes Sometimes the bottom of the Sea is lifted up whereby many Islands are made that were never seen before Of which History gives large accounts V. If it be asked how such mighty Winds come to be under the Earth the Philosophers answer that the great Caves and Dens of the Earth being always full of Air when the heat of the Sun resolves the moisture of the Earth many Exhalations are generated both within and without the same and the places being full before can receive no more unless some part be let our so that in those Countries where the Earth hath but few Pores or where they are stopt with moisture it must necessarily happen that these Exhalations striving to get out must needs rend the Earth or lift it up either to get free passage or to make room enough to abide within VI. It has been observed That there are usually several Signs and Presages of this terrible Calamity As first the raging of the Sea when there are no Tempestuous Winds to move it yea in the greatest Calm which is occasioned by the Winds labouring to get passage that way but being repelled soon after shakes the Earth Again the Water in the bottom of deep Wells is troubled and infected with a Sulphurous smell from the pestilent Exhalations long inclosed within the Earth which now begin to spread abroad And hereupon in divers places an Earthquake has caused abundance of Smoak Flame and Ashes to issue forth by reason that the vast quantity of Brimstone under ground is by the violent motion set on Fire and bursteth out so that it is a wonder if after an Earthquake some grievous Pestilence does not follow the whole Mass of the Poysonous Minerals within the Bowels of the Earth being by this furious shock blown
and the Children in and then closed again so that he nor they were ever seen after This History is writ and religiously kept by them in their Annals at Hamel to this day is read in their Books and painted in their Windows and their Churches they date their Bills Bonds and other Instruments in Law From the year of the going out of the Children Besides there is a great Pillar of Stone at the Foot of that Hill whereon the Story is Ingraven It is also observed in the memory thereof that in the Streets the Children passed out of no Piper is admitted to live ever since and if a Bride live in that Street till she is come out of it no Dancing is to be suffered Howel's Epistles page 272. XXXIII In 1300. When the Turkish Empire began to be considerable there was such an Earthquake at Rome as never was before and forty eight Earthquakes happened in one year whereby all Lombardy was shaken A great Earthquake in London which was especially felt on the Banks of the River Thames which shook and threw down many buildings and was the more terrible because the Western parts are less accustomed to Earthquakes and there was little ebbing or flowing of the Sea observable as at other times for about three months after Another Earthquake did much mischief about Bath and Bristol and two more happened in England not long after Also two in France and one in Savoy An Earthquake at Rome in the time of Pope Boniface the eight who fainted away for fear and afterward published a Jubilee In 1348. a terrible Earthquake happened at Constantinople which indured six weeks and reached in the extent of it as far as Hungary and Italy Twenty six Cities were overthrown by it Mountains were torn up by the Roots and several Men Women and Beasts by that strong Exhalation were turned into Statues of Salt In Persia five hundred Houses were thrown by an Earthquake in the City of Lair In England for six hours together the Sun appeared as Bloud In Germany was a very great Earthquake Grashoppers cover Switzerland like Snow At Oxford the Image of a Head spake thus Caput decidetur Caput Elevabitur Pedes elevabuntur super Caput The Head shall be cut off The Head shall be lift up The Feet shall be elevated above the Head Which was thought to presage the Deposing and Death of King Richard II. At this time fifty thousand Christians were slain by the Turks in the Plains of Casovia Scotland is wasted by the English The Emperor Sigismond executed thirty two of the Nobles in Hungary The Pope is imprisoned by the French King A great Battle between King Henry the V. and the French wherein they lost twenty thousand men ten thousand being killed upon the place and as many made Prisoners The French burn Rye and Hastings in Sussex and Plunder the Isle of Wight In Gaunt five thousand Houses were burnt and seventeen Towns drowned in Flanders A very great Earthquake in France and Grashoppers destroy almost every green thing there The World was shook with terrible Earthquakes Cities Castles Villages and a multitude of People were swallowed up in the Caverns of the Earth Many at Liege destroyed by Thunder while they were paying their Veneration to the Saints for safety Mountains were cleft and Rivers were dried up XXVIV In 1456. There arose upon the Sea of Ancona in Italy together with a thick Gloomy Cloud that extended above two Miles a Tempest of Wind Water Fire Lightning and Thunder which peircing to the most deep Abysses of the Sea forced up the Waves with a most dreadful fury and carried all before it upon the Land which caused so horrible an Earthquake some time after that the Kingdom of Naples was almost ruined and all Italy carried the dismal marks of it A Million of Houses and Castles were buried in their own ruins and above thirty thousand People crushed to pieces and a huge Mountain overturned into the Lake de la Garde Soon after was a dreadful Earthquake in Millain another in Hungary In Poland there was seen saith my Author an Image of Christ crucified with a Sword to pass along the Air from West to South for two hours In Germany Hailstones fell as big as Goose Eggs. At this time the Hungarians defeat the Turks and take thirty thousand Captives from them The Spanish Inquisition is first instituted in Castile against the Moors and Jews The Jews are expelled Spain The Turks expel the Christians from Adrianople King Henry VI. is taken Prisoner at North-hampton Great Inundations in England The Sun is darkned without an Ecclipse XXXV In 1509. Sept. 14. There happened a terrible Earthquake at Constantinople and in the Countrey thereabout Bajazet II. being Emperor by the violence whereof a great part of that Imperial City with many stately Buildings both Publick and Private were overthrown and thirteen thousand People overwhelmed and slain The terror thereof was so great that the People generally forsook their Houses and lay abroad in the Fields Yea Bajazet himself though very Aged and sore troubled with the Gout for fear thereof went from Constantinople to Adrianople but finding himself in no more safety there than before he left the City and lay abroad in the Fields in his Tent. This Earthquake endured by the space of eighteen days or as the Turks relate for a month with little intermission which was then accounted ominous as portending the miserable Calamities which afterward happened in the Ottoman Family After this Earthquake ensued a great Plague wherewith Constantinople was grievously Visited and almost depopulated After the Earthquake ceased the Emperor imployed eighty thousand Men to repair it who in four months time re-edified the ruins thereof with much Beauty and Magnificence It is strange to Relate saith my Author that in this year 1510 there fell twelve hundred stones from Heaven some weighing Sixty pound others more An Earthquake in Apulia whereby above Sixteen thousand Persons were overwhelmed after which ensued a War betwixt the French and the Duke of Savoy which devoured above a Million of Men. In Holland four hundred and four Parishes are drowned with all their People and Cattel The Turks take Buda in Hungary King Henry VIII writes against the Pope Cardinal Woolsey dies The English Clergy are fined and pay the King an hundred thousand pound for divers Misdemeanors In 1531. In the City of Lisbon in Portugal about fourteen hundred Houses were overthrown by an Earthquake and Six hundred more so sorely shaken that they were ready to fall and many of their Churches were cast to the ground XXXVI In 1538. Mr. George Sandys gives the following Relation of a most remarkable Earthquake and Burning which happened near the City Puteoli with the new formed Mountain For the famous Lake Lucrinus hard by extended formerly to the deadly Sulphurous Lake Avernus supposed the entrance into Hell by ignorant Antiquity where they offered Infernal Sacrifices to Pluto their God of Hell and
with the vastness of its strength it cast out huge Rocky Pumice Stones and great heaps of other matter which it carried through all Asia Lesbos and Abydus and the Sea-Coasts of Macedonia so that the whole Surface of the Sea was covered with these Pumices But in the middle of so great a Fire there was an Island made from the heaping up of that matter and and joyned to the Island called The Sacred which never was in being before There was likewise another Island next to this formed in 1670. not without great terror to those of Santorin since the burning lasted for a year as some ancient People who saw it with their Eyes did lately testifie But in the middle of this smaller new Island which is now called little Camena there is to be seen at this very day an huge deep Ditch which being narrow toward the bottom grows bigger by degrees like a Funnel out of which as out of a Chimney those mighty Stones and Rocks did burst forth which being mixt with Cinders and Ashes composed the rest of that Isle XLVII But if ever these Fires pent up in the Bowels of the Earth exercised their force it was most remarkable upon September 24. 1650. which shook the Island till the ninth of October with such mighty and frequent Earthquakes that the People of Santorin fearing that their immediate ruin was approaching were on their Knees night and day before their Altars It cannot be expressed what an horror invaded all men especially when those victorious Flames breaking through all Obstacles strove to make themselves a way through the midst of the Waters of the Ocean about four miles Eastward from Santorin For the Sea all on a suddain swelled Thirty Cubits upward and extending it self wide through the Neighbouring Lands overturned all in its way Insomuch that it broke in pieces several Ships and Galleys in the very Haven of Candia with its extraordinary violence though fourscore miles distant from thence The Air being darkned with those sulphurous stinking Vapours put on innumerable Forms and Appearances as of Fiery Lances and Swords brandished and shaken bright and glittering Arrows darting forth Here terrible Serpents and Dragons seemed to be flying There hideous Thunderclaps Lightnings and Thunderbolts And yet they could scarce see for the Peoples Eyes were so hurt with those sharp pricking sulphurous smoaks and vapours that almost all became blind for three days with such grievous pains in their Eyes that they wept continually and bewailed their most miserable Fate But when their Eye-sight returned they saw all their Silver and Gold both Vessels and Garments and Pictures spread over with a yellow colour and such a vast multitude of Pumice stones did this fiery Gulph vomit forth that it covered the Sea so that they could scarce pass in a Vessel It is most certain that they were carryed many hundred Miles even to Smyrna and Constantinople and all the Shoars and Coasts were filled therewith The fury of this Burning was greatest for the first two months which caused the Neighbouring Sea to bubble like a boyling Pot and night and day huge Globes and Flakes of Fire and exceeding thick Smoak mounted up to the Heavens which if at any time it was carryed by contrary winds to any places near at hand besides a most grievous stink it brought certain destruction upon Birds and Beasts yea upon men themselves As it happened in October and November this year that fifty Husbandmen miserably perished thereby besides an innumerable multitude of Birds Sheep Oxen and Asses The like happened to nine Marriners who passing that way in their Ship by night after three days were all found half burnt and were buried in the Island Nio threescore Miles from Santorin But the other four months for it flamed six in all though that Hellish Hearth or Furnace abated much of its vigour and fierce heat and could scarce lift it self above the waves yet it still seemed to cast out Pumice stones and to be labouring to form a new Island which though it does not yet appear above Water yet in a calm Sea it is observed to be very shallow thereabout the Water being in that place not above eight Cubits deep XLVIII In 1657. The Spaniards felt a terrible blow in Peru which if it were not a Mark of the Wrath of Heaven saith my Author was at least a Sign that the Earth is weary of them especially in those parts where they have stained it with so much innocent blood The City of Lima was swallowed up by an Earthquake and Calao another City not far from it was consumed by a shower of Fire out of the Clouds eleven thousand Spaniards lost their lives in this calamity and the Earth devoured an hundred Millions of refined Silver which the lucre of the Spaniards had forced out of its Bowels All the Mountains of Potosi from whence they dug their choicest mettal were levelled with the Plain and no more hopes of Gold was left to their insatiable avarice XLIX In 1660 an Earthquake happened at Paris in France and at the same time they had news that part of the Pyrenean Mountains had been overthrown some days before They are certain Mountains that divide France and Spain it did great mischief there overwhelming some Medicinal Baths many Houses and destroying hundreds of People only one Church which sunk into the Caverns below was thrown up again and stands very firm but in another place This was looked upon as a great Miracle especially by the French who have disputed with the Spaniard about this Church as standing on the Frontier Line but now is removed near half a League within the acknowledged limits of France L. In 1665. There was a great Tempest accompanied with Thunder Lightning and an Earthquake in divers places in England at which time the stately Spire of Trinity-Church in Coventry fell down and demolished a great part of the Church The next year Sir Rob. Holms destroyed above one hundred and fifty sail of Dutch Ships at the Vly in Holland and burnt the Town of Bandaris in the Island of Schelling containing at least a thousand Houses Sept. 2. about One a Clock in the Morning a sudden and lamentable Fire broke out in the City of London beginning in a place called Pudding-lane near New-Fish-Street which in four days time burnt down thirteen thousand two hundred Houses LI. In 1668 in Autumn a great part of Asia and some parts of Europe were infested with extraordinary Earthquakes The Cities of Constantinople and Adrianople felt its sad Effects but not with that violence and continuance as in other Places In some parts of Persia it continued for above fourscore days Torqueto and Bolio two considerable Cities were by its great violence laid even to the ground and all or most of the Inhabitants buried in the Ruins above six thousand Persons perished in the first of them and above eighteen hundred in the latter And in all the adjacent Cities it raged with extraordinary
a mile in breadth which I saw and that which did augment my admiration was to see in the Sea this matter like ragged Rocks burning in four fathom Water two fathom higher than the Sea it self some parts liquid and moving and throwing off not without great violence the stones about it which like a crust of a vast bigness and red hot fell into the Sea every moment in some place or other causing a great and horrible noise smoak and hissing in the Sea and thus more and more coming after it making a firm foundation in the Sea it self I stayed there from nine a Clock on Saturday morning to seven next morning and this Mountain of Fire and Stones with Cinders had advanced into the Sea twenty yards at least in several places in the middle of this Fire which burn'd in the Sea it hath formed a passage like to a River with its Banks on each side very steep and craggy and in this Channel moves the greatest quantity of this Fire which is the most liquid with stones of the same composition and Cinders all red hot swimming upon the Fire of a great magnitude From this River of Fire under the great Masse of the Stones which are generally three fathom high all over the Country where it burns and in other places much more there are secret Conduits or Rivulets of this liquid matter which Communicate Fire and Heat into all parts more or less and melts the Stones and Cinders by fits in those places where it toucheth them over and over again where it meets with Rocks or Houses of the same matter as many are they melt and go away with the Fire where they find other compositions they turn them to lime or ashes as I am informed The composition of this Fire Stones and Cinders are Sulphur Nitre Quick-silver Sal-Armoniac Lead Iron Brass and all other Mettals It moves not regularly nor constantly down hill in some places it hath made the Valleys Hills and the Hills that were not high are now Valleys When it was night I went upon two Towers in divers places and could plainly see at ten miles distance as we judged the Fire to begin to run from the Mountain in a direct line the flame to ascend as high and as big as one of the highest and greatest Steeples in Your Majesties Kingdoms and to throw up great Stones into the Air I could discern the River of Fire to descend the Mountain of a terrible fiery or red colour and stones of a paler Red to swim thereon and to be some as big as an ordinary Table We could see this fire to move in several other places and all the Country covered with Fire ascending with great Flames in many places smoaking like to a violent furnace of Iron melted making a noise with the great pieces that fell especially those which fell into the Sea A Cavalier of Malta who lives there and attended me told me that the river was as liquid where it issues out of the Mountain as water and came out like a Torrent with great violence and is five or six fathom deep and as broad and that no stones do sink therein I assure Your Majesty no Pen can express how terrible it is nor can all the Art and Industry of the World quench or divert that which is burning in the Country In forty days time it hath destroyed the habitation of twenty seven thousand persons made two Hills of one a thousand paces high apiece and one is four Miles in compass Of twenty thousand persons which inhabited Catania three thousand did remain all their Goods are carried away the Cannons of Brass are removed out of the Castle some great Bells taken down the City-Gates Walled up next the Fire and preparation made all to abandon the City That night which I lay there it rained Ashes all over the City and ten Miles at Sea it troubled my Eyes This Fire in its progress met with a Lake of Four Miles in compass and it was not only satisfied to fill it up though it was four fathom deep but hath made of it a Mountain I send also to Your Sacred Majesty the following Account in Print which the Bishop gave me as it is collected out of divers Relations from Catania LIV. Mount Aetna or Monte Gibello a Mountain so Renowned throughout the World for its height and greatness but more for those Prodigious Flames Smoak and Ashes which it hath cast out from the top of it whilst the other parts are continually even in the midst of Summer covered with Snow has been for many Ages observed once or sometimes oftner in the space of about fifteen years to throw up more than ordinary Flames with much Smoak and Stones and great quantities of Ashes which though terrible to the Neighbouring Towns and Villages was yet wont in little time to abate of its fury and prove but seldom more injurious to the Country near it than by communicating largely its ashes which though for the present it did somewhat incommode them they had afterwards a considerable compensation in the product of their Lands which by this means was rendred more fruitful But on Friday the 18th of March 1669. the Sun was observed before its set-setting to appear of a pale and dead colour which being contrary to what it ever before appeared to us struck no small terror into the Inhabitants all Objects appearing also of the same colour with a paleness received from that of the Sun The same night happened in this City as well as the whole Countrey hereabouts a terrible and unusual Earthquake whose strong and unequal motions joyned with horrible Roarings from Monte Gibello exceedingly frighted the the Inhabitants but was so extraordinary violent in the Countrey adjacent that the People were forced to abandon their Houses and to fly into the Fields to avoid the danger threatned them from the falling of their Houses The Village of Nicolosi was of all others the most dreafully handled by this furious Earthquake the Houses and other Buildings being shaken all in pieces and buried in their own Ruins the poor People who had preserved their Lives by a timely flight with such little of their goods as their hasty fears would permit them to carry out with them continued a Night or two in the Fields beholding with grief and astonishment the ruin of their habitations but observing that by these violent concussions the Earth began to open in several places and to threaten them with inevitable ruin they fled though with much trouble and amazement to this City These shakings of the Earth being so frequent and violent that the the People went reeling and staggering with much difficulty supporting one another from falling insomuch as what with their want of sleep the pains they were forced to take in travelling and the great terrors imprinted on them by what they had seen and suffered they appeared at their arrival in this City as so many destracted People wholly
insensible of what they did This dreadful convulsion of the Earth was immediately followed on Monday March 11. about Ten at Night by Three Terrible Eruptions much about the same time and a little distance one from the other These said Eruptions were observed to be on the side of Monte Gibello about two Miles beyond the Mountain called Montpileri from whence with a terrible noise it threw up its flames with much fury and violence about a hundred yards in height its noise not roaring only inwards from the belly of the Mountain as before but violently cracking like peals of Ordinance or Thunder from the side of it throwing out vast stones some of them 300 pound weight which being as it were shot through the Air fell several miles distant from the place whilst the whole Air was filled with Smoak burning Cinders and Ashes which fell like a fiery rain upon the Countrey In the mean time issued from the side of this Prodigious Mountain a vast Torrent of Melted and Burning Matter which like an Innundation Drowned as in a Flood of Fire the Countrey on this side of it This Burning River ran down upon the Mountain Mentpileri which opposing its direct course it divided it self into two streams which encompassed the said Mountain one of them taking its way by La Guardia the Convent of St. Ann and Malpasso the other by the Towns of Montpileri and Falicchi which in few hours were wholly destroyed and lost not so much as any sign of them remaining with several lesser Villages and Farmes and with them the famous Image of the bessed Lady of the Annunciata which though highly Reverenced throughout the whole Island esteemed the wonder of Sicily and the whole World and to which the People with much Devotion resorted in Pilgrimage from the remotest parts was also swallowed up and consumed by this dreadful Torrent This Fiery and Burning Deluge immediately spread it self to above six Mile in breath seeming to be somewhat of the colour of melted and burning Glass but as it cools becomes hard and Rocky and every where in its passage leaves Hills and Pyramids of that matter behind it At the same time Monte Gibello from its top raged with dreadful Flames which with its noise and Concussions of the Earth which still continued added not a little to the Terror of the People who ran with Cries and Lamentations about the City and Country expecting nothing but to be swallowed up or consumed by Fire having no other apprehensions but of Death and a General Conflagration The two Torrents of Fire came forward destroying all things in their way and by Wednesday March 13th had on the West side branched it self into several Streams and over-ran Campo Rotundo St. Pietro and Mostorbianco with La Potielli and Sr. Antonino and on the East-part rain'd the lower part of Mascalucia and Le Placchi taking its way towards this City On Thursday the 14th the Wind came Eastwards on which fell abundance of Rain which abated not the Progress of the Fire which on the East-side had from Mascalucia made its way to St. Giovanni di Galermo the lower part whereof it destroyed and passing on seemed to threaten this City on one side as did that on the West-side the other As the Fire approached the Religious every where appeared with much Devotion carrying in Procession their Reliques especally those of St. Agatha the famous Martyr of Catania in which they reposed no small confidence followed by great multitudes of People some of them mortifying themselves with Whips and other signs of Penance with great Complaints and Cryes expressing their dreadful expectation of the Events of those Prodigious fiery Inundations Whilst the People were thus busied in their Devotions and astonisht by their Fears News was brought to the Magistrates of the City that a considerable number of Thiefs and Robbers had taken the opportunity of this general destraction to make a Prey of the already distressed People and that they had murdered several of them for their Goods and that it was to be fear'd that the City of Catania it self might run some danger from the great numbers of them which were about the Country and from thence took their opportunities to get into the Town Whereupon Consultation being had for the prevention of farther mischief from them the Commander of the Castle was ordered with a considerable number of Horse and a Party of Spaniards to secure the Countrey and City against these Robbers who immediately sent out several Parties with his Provost-Marshal with Order to seize upon all suspected Persons and such as were not able to give a good account of themselves And for such as were taken in the Fact Robbing to Execute them by Martial-Law without any farther Tryal and accordingly caused three pair of Gallowes to be set up for their speedy Execution one before the Gate Di Aci a second in the Market-place and a third before the Gate Della Decima setting strong Guards upon the Gates of the City and causing all suspected Houses to be searched an Account to be given in of all Lodgers and such Persons to be secured as could any ways fall under a Suspition The poor People out of the Countrey being by this Prodigious Calamity stript out of all their Estates and reduced to great extremity fled most of them for refuge and relief to this City with great Lamentations moving the Charity of the Magistrates who were readily inclined to give them the best assistance they were able and the Citizens moved by their Complaints and Sufferings freely open'd their Doors filling their Houses with as many of those distressed People as they could possibly receive the Bishop and all Persons of Quality and Estate contributing largely for their support till better Order could be taken for the disposing of them The City of Messina also and several other Cities informed of this extraordinary Calamity sent hither large Supplies of Provisions offering their best assistance to this place in case of extremity All the Elements seemed at this time to make War upon us and to conspire together for the punishment of the Inhabitants The Air was continually darkned with Clouds and Smoak agitated by great and violent Winds and oftentimes showred down great Rains insomuch as the Sun from the beginning of these Eruptions very seldom appeared to us and when it did with extraordinary paleness for a little time only and as it were abhorring so dreadful a Spectacle soon hid its face again under a thick Cloud The Sea ran much higher than it was wont to do and by its extraordinary Roaring and in some places overflowing its Banks added not a little to our Consternation The Land every where infested with Thieves insomuch that till by the extraordinary care taken by the Magistrates and Officers severe execution was done upon such as were apprehended in the Fact no person was able to stir abroad without danger of his Life whilst the Fire by this prodigious overflowing of
the Mountain threatned to take possession of all On Friday the 15th the stream of fiery Matter which destroyed the lower part of St. Giovanni di Galermo divided it self into two parts one of its branches taking its way toward Mosterbianco the other threatning the City of Catania but this last was observed to move with more slowness than before having in 24 hours time scarcely gained 20 paces On the 18th being Monday the Torrents being still seen to draw nearer and nearer to this City the Senate with Monsegnior Cambuchi the Bishop of this place followed by all the Clergy Secular and Regular and an infinite number of People went in a solemn Procession out of this City to Monte de St. Sofia carrying out with greatest Devotion their choicest Relicks and upon an Altar erected in view of the Mountain exposed them where they celebrated Mass and used the Exorcismes accustomed upon such extraordinary occasions all which time the Mountain ceased not as before with excessive roaring to throw up its Smoak and Flames with extraordinary violence and and abundance of great stones which were carried through the Air some of them falling within their view though at ten miles distance from the Eruption the Ashes which proceeded from thence were scattered in great abundance as well on this City as on the Country adjacent every where in the Fields with Cinders and the heat of the said Ashes destroying the Grass which obliged the People to drive away their Cattel to a farther distance which would otherwise have perished for want of food These streams of ruin daily crept nearer and nearer to this City but by uneven and irregular motions according as it was more or less supplyed from its fountain but on We dnesday the twentieth we perceived that that branch of it which seemed most to threaten this City from St. Giovanni di Galermo was wholly extinguisht and the other which bent its course toward Mosterbianco ran but slowly and gave us some hopes that its fury was also near spent but the other Torrent which had before overflown Mosterbianco continued its motion with as much violence as ever being in breath above a Musquet shot over but in probability could not easily overflow to the Westward which was defended by its Rocky scituation another branch which ran by Santo Pietro was observed to be much larger than the rest and its stream more quick and active but meeting with some opposition in its way it made some stop only sending out a Rivulet toward the Eastwards about three or four yards wide of its most subtle or active matter which directed its course towards a small Village about a Furlong distant from its main stream another Branch threatned Campo Rotundo but bent its course Westwards towards the Farm of Valcorrente where its Fiery body was scattered into several deep and rocky places without any considerable damage About this time we had hopes that the violence of this Eruption had been over the Mountain not throwing out its flames with that violence as before and its noise and roaring in a great measure ceased Those who at nearest distance took a view of the Mountain informed that the top of it was fallen in and the Mountain supposed to want near a Mile of its former heighth that the largest of the Mouths from whence these fiery streams were vented was about half a mile in compass but the view of this dreadful Inundation carried so much terror in it as they were not able to express from all these Mouths were vomited Rivers of a thick and fiery substance of stone and metals melted whose depth was various according to the several places it filled in its passage in some places four in others eight twelve or fifteen yards and upwards its breadth in some places six miles in others much more its flame like that of Brimstone and its motion like that of Quicksilver advancing ordinarily very slowly unless where it was provoked by the addition of a fresh Torrent or some considerable descent Wheresoever it passed it left large heaps of its congealed matter with which it covered and burnt the Earth melting the Walls of Cistles and Houses throwing down and consuming all before it nothing being yet found able to resist its force nor any thing able to quench its burning water being observed rather to add to its fury wheresoever it has passed it has left its dreadful marks behind it levelling some hills and raising others so much changing the scituation that not the least trace of any Place or Town remains nothing being to be seen but confused heaps of ragged stone which yielding a noisome fume strikes terror and astonishment into all that behold it On Friday the 22. the Mountain again roared with much loudness and threw up from its Mouth a vast quantity of matter which formed two large hills higher and larger than that of Menpileri with a large bank of the same matter to the Eastward sending down a violent stream of its liquid matter towards Malpasso much enlarging the former Current and passing thence to Campo Rotundo and Santo Pietro compleated the ruines of those Towns driving furiously towards Mosterbianco the other stream by Santo Giovanni de Galermo being wholly diverted and extinguisht From this time till the 25th the Mountain continued silent but then it burst out again with more force than ever before its noise much louder like Peales of Ordnance and so forcible and lasting as for twenty four hours it caused a shaking and trembling in our Buildings the Air so filled with Smoak and Ashes as darkned the Face of the Sky The Birds and Fowl about this time either through want of Food or illness of Air which was corrupted with the noisome smells arising from these Burnings were observed to lye dead in all places On the 28th the Grand Current was advanced near the City as far as the old Capuchins which struck so great a Terror into the People that most of them left the City only some Officers remaining with such persons as were under their command who have secured and sent away the Magazine and all the Artillery from the Castle LV. A Latter Relation from Catania of April 27. gives this further Account The dreadful Inundation from Monte Gibello having destroyed many Castles and Towns with an infinite loss and utter ruin to the Inhabitants arrived lately with a renewed Force at Mostor-bianco which it has wholly ruin'd from thence passing on to Albanelli in four days space destroyed all the Gardens and Vineyards with sixty three thousand Vines On Wednesday April 16. With an Impetuous Fiery Torrent it came towards Sardanello where all the remainder of the Inhabitants of this City were Spectators of it which resembled a River of melted and burning Brass about ten Ells wide running with swiftness to the Arch of Marcus Marcellus a famous Piece of Antiquity and passing under it ruin'd about six Ells of it which was the breadth of the Current in that place from
Monsieure Garsin another Minister of the said Church of Orthez declares what follows I whose Name is hereunder written heretofore Pastor of the Reformed Church of Orthez in in Bearne Do certifie to all those whom it may concern that my Brother-in-Law De Roux a Lawyer told me that between the hours of Eleven and Twelve at night being on the backside of his House in the City of Orthez he heard the Singing of Psalms above him and then a little after he heard the same Singing come from a place at a greater distance After which he was fully convinced of the truth of this Singing of Psalms so much discourst of all the World over Moreover he thought sometimes during the whole night when his Gout hindred him from sleeping that he he heard the same Singing after a manner less distinct and unintelligible I am informed by Monsieur Clarier a Lawyer of the same City of Orthez that the Curate of the place and a certain Priest called Dusan and Monsieur Lichigarai another Lawyer as also a Brother of the Curate called Monsieure De la Roque sent to search out a certain Popish Damosel to know of her if it were true that she had said that she had heard this Singing of Psalms and that she told them Yea. And having demanded of her how she knew it was the Singing of Psalms she replyed That she had heard the same Singing in the Church of those of the Reformed Religion And being askt how she came to hear Singing there answered She had been once there at Baptism But that going to a certain Fountain she had often heard this Singing as she passed by the Church at the hours of Preaching and Prayer After this Monsieur Clarier told me that the Curate and others strictly forbad her to say any more that she had heard the said Singing of Psalms Given at Amsterdam Septemb. 23. 1689. Signed Garsin Minister One Peter Mauperg of the said City of Orthez Signed the following Certificate I whose Name is underwritten certifie to all whom it may concern that in the year 1685. about the Months of August or September I heard in the Air the Singing of Psalms with different Voices and very melodious and this at two several times The first time before the House of Poye where I was lying upon a Bank half asleep I was awakened by this Singing of Psalms which continued almost half an hour Afterward I went into the House of Monsieur de Poye a Merchant-Draper with whom I wrought in that Imployment Having told this to Mademoiselle du Poye and her Daughters they were much offended at me that I had not given them notice of it at the time I heard the same Singing The second time I and many others about an hour after midnight having gone on purpose to a place most high and raised in the City named the Posterle I heard many Voices in the Air sometimes on one side and sometimes on the other Withdrawing my self a little I found Mademoiselle des Pagnon an eminent Merchants Wife accompanied with many other Women of the Neighbourhood I asked them from whence they came They told me from the bank of the River Le Gaur which passes by this City near the New Mill. I asked if they had heard the Singing of Psalms they replyed yea and that it seemed to come from the place called Posterle I told them I came frome thence and had heard those Voices in the Air which seemed to me to go from one side of the New Mill and we all agreed that they were in the Air and that they never had heard voices so pleasant and charming My Father who had changed his Religion about two years before accompanied with a Papist called Marshal Maresque inquired of those Women the truth of it they replied yes and I heard it too said my Father the Marshal added That he had never heard better singing Let men say what they will for my part said he I am persuaded that it is a true singing of Psalms They heard it in another place called De Part near to Orthez I also add that I heard a Prohibition published to all sorts of Persons at the sound of a Trumpet by the Crier of the City called Mouleres forbidding any to go out at night to hear the finging of Psalms under the penalty of Imprisonment In witness whereof I have Signed the present Certificate as it was desired of me Given Nov. 22. 1686. Signed Peter Mauperg of Orthez in Bearne aged 23 years One Monsieur Bergerit hath declared under his Signet this which follows About the Month of September last 1685. being in my Mothers House she told me that the Evening before they had heard singing of Psalms in the Air. I believed nothing thereof but went away to Bed because I was weary this was about eight at night about half an hour after some of the Neighbours came to inquire whether I was so great a Fool to sing Psalms considering the strict Prohibition against it and at the same instant my Mother came to tell me that Psalms were sung in the Air. I awaking heard this singing and thought it had been in the Garden belong to the House I arose and went into the street Moncade at Orthez where all the Neighbourhood were come together and we heard the singing of Psalms repeated two or three several times Signed Bergerit 1686. John de la Bordette hath declared under his Signet that which follows About September last 1685. being in my own house at Orthez and having heard that Psalms were sung I went into the street about eight in the Evening and heard in the Air Voices which formed a Vocal Musick perfectly like the singing of Psalms but was not able to distinguish what Psalm it was and many Persons of the Neighbourhood were Witnesses of the same Another time about ten as Night I with several other Persons heard the same singing among the Vines Signed John de la Bordette Madamoiselle Deformalagues hath declared under Signet in these words I underwritten do declare in the presence of God that being at Orthez in Bearn the place of my Habitation I heard clearly at three several times in October 1685. this which follows On a Friday in that month about eight or nine at night being in my Chamber some Neighbours called me with earnestness saying that I must hasten to hear the Angels singing Psalms I hastily went out of the house and going to the street St. Gill I there found a great number of People who had ran from all parts to hear this Heavenly Musick And at that instant my Ears were entertained with a melody so ravishing that I never heard any thing like it I could very well discern it to be in the Air and Tune of our Psalms which were sung admirably well I heard many Persons say they could plainly and distinctly hear the first verse of the 42 Psalm Like as the Hart doth breath and bray The Well Springs to obtain
are hil'd break all in pieces which never happened till since this late Earthquake The rest of the Springs are also become much clearer and better This will be a subject for those to exercise their Pens who make it their business to dive into the secrets of Nature This Earthquake went not beyond 52 Degrees and 40 Minutes of Northern Latitude How far it reached South and East is not yet certainly known It has been traced beyond Paris to the 48 degree of North Latitude and beyond the Rhyne on the East to Franckfort so that 260 Miles square were shaken by it The time of its happening here and beyond the Seat seem to vary some minutes but that may easily be accounted for by the difference of Meridians So that the inflamed Damp saith Mr. Ray which caused this Earthquake was lodged sleep in the Earth the Caverns that contained it passing under the bottom of the Sea The same year 1692. Oct. 15. about three a Clock in the Morning they felt an Earthquake at Bale and Schaffouse in Switzerland which was very violent as to the motion but did no harm at all LXVI I have already given an Account of divers Earthquakes and Irruptions of the dreadful Burning Mount Aetna in Sicily for many years past but that which lately happened in this unfortunate Island is of so astonishing a Nature that it may be more easily imagined than exprest and which can hardly be parallel'd in any former Age Both for the suddenness of it and the mighry defolations it did produce This tremendous Eauthquake a greater than which we read not of either in Ancient or modern History Was upon Jan. 7. 1692 At which time about ten at night Mount Aetna began to roar in a most horrible manner which usually presages some dismal Calamity to ensue It s loud bellowings continued for two days and then began to cease and fall lower and about an hour after the People of Catania which was nearest to the Mountain felt a trembling under them for near three Minutes during which no noise was heard from Mount Aetna so that it only affrighted the Inhabitants but within a Minute after the Roaring of the Mountain was redoubled with infinite terror and the top thereof appeared all in Flames and the West Wind carried away a great quantity of burnt Ashes This trembling of the 9th was felt in the Cities of Mineo Palaonia Ragosa Licodia and most of the South parts of Sicily at the same instant with that of Catania But the most tremendous shake of all happened on Jan. 11. which affected the whole Island in a more or less degree even from Messina North to Cape Coio the farthest Southern point of Sicily and though it continued but Six Minutes yet made horrible Ravage throughout the whole Countrey Under which dimal Calamity the Ancient City of Catania pleasantly Seated and full of Inhabitants of Quality with an University and about 24000. People in a Minute was sunk out of sight with a noise as loud as if thousands of Cannons had been discharged at once and some Moments after to the East where the City stood a little Mountain advanced it self several times a considerable height above the surface of the adjacent ground but soon after became likewise iuvisible The dismal bellowing of Mount Aetna was louder both before and after and appeared more than ever in Flames Yet a few Minutes after Catania was swallowed up there was neither Flames visible nor for five or six hours any Roarings to be heard After which it began to rage and throw out more Black and Smoaky Flashes than at any time before These particulars were observed by some Fishermen who happened at that time to be in their Boats in the Bay to the South and within three Miles of the City who expected every moment to have been swallowed up by the wonderful Agitation of the Waves But upon the sinking of the imaginary Mountain aforementioned the Sea became instantly Calm It is computed that not above 2000. of the Inhabitants of this City escaped and those of the Gentry who by the shake of the 9th instant and the hideous roaring of Mount Aetna the 11th in the morning which is the usual presage of some dismal Tragedy were frighted away all the rest of the People perishing in this lamentable ruin In the place where Catania stood some heaps of rubbish and a great Lake of Water appear at a distance Some Letters add That just as the Earthquake in Catania began to be perceived the Sea retired about two Miles from the Shoar which put the People into such a terrible fright that every one betook himself to what he thought might best secure him from this dreadful Scourge of Heaven Away they flew to the Cathedral where one of the Cannous carryed about the Reliques of St Agatha the Patroness of that City but neither the Reliques nor the Prayers of the Patroness could prevent the impending stroke for the whole City was destroyed in a moment after and all the People therein Under the same dismal Calamity fell the Ancient City of Syracuse so famous in History that it was formerly reckoned one of the greatest in the World having for many Centuries been the Metropolis of a Renowned Republick and still retained some marks of its prestine Grandeur seated in a Rich and pleasant Soil with a strong Castle and about 16000. Inhabitants By the Earthquake of the 9th many principal Houses and most part of the Castle were torn in divers places and the next night it was again shaken with so terrible a storm of Wind that the great Bell in one of the Churches made a noise by the violent Motion of the Steeple Many were killed by the Tempest and the rest fled out of the City for safety in the Night and so escaped the horrible devastation of the 11th wherein two thirds of the buildings were thrown down and above 7000. People buried in the Rubbish a great number were digged out of the Ruins but so bruised that there was little hope of their Recovery The Chief Magistrates and People of Condition fled for security into the great Church but there met with Death by the fall of the Stone-Roof and Steeple at once Neither did Noto though built upon a very high Bock almost inaccessible on all sides but one narrow way and a City which formerly contended with Syracuse for dignity partake of a less dismal fate It has one of the largest and best Harbours in Sicily and is the Key of the Countrey on that side and though the hardness of the Rock whereon it stood seem'd to secure it yet the trembling of the 9th did very much affect it and on the 11th laid it in heaps in a minute all the Inhabitants except some few who fled from thence on the 9th were buried under the ruins of their own Houses being reckoned about 7000. a part of a Church and very little more remaining standing in the whole Town Augusta a City in a
Peni-insula on the East of Sicily with a large prospect to the Sea safe Harbours and considerable Trade was much damaged on the 9th instant and about 600 People kill'd by the downfal of the Houses The next day the shake was renewed which caused most of the Gentry to fly to the Castle for security but there being terrible Lightning a Magazine of Powder took Fire and about 1100 Persons who sought for safety were slain there in the destruction of the Castle which was blown up in the Air and the following day the rest of the Town and the remaining Inhabitants by another dreadful shake were utterly destroyed and buried in rubbish so that of 6000 People none were left alive Lentini the ancient Lecotium a Town of about 3000 Families was burnt to the ground on the 11th and nothing to be seen but several great heaps of Earth in the beautiful Lake upon which it stood the Water whereof is now become brackish and of a bituminous tast which was before very clear And great quantity of Fish are found dead on the shoar Calatgirmie a Town well built of Free-stone by the shake on the 11th had a fifth part of the buildings and two Monasteries demolished but of 7000 People 5000 made their escape Mineo was striken both the 9th and 11th of the former the Heavens were sealene without the least Cloud but on the latter there was a terrible storm of Lightning and Thounder for six hours together At both times several houses and a large Church were overthrown and it was judged about 4000 People perished The shake of the 11th did likewise greatly shatter the Cathedral Church of Monreal one of the most famous structures in the World The Dome above the high Altar falling â—â—â—…ied in pieces four curious Brass Pillars and many Images of Saints of rare workmanship Part of the Archbishops Palace was burnt with Lightning and some few of the Inhabitants were killed by the fall of Houses Parermo where the Viceroy of Sicily keeps his Court received some damage in its Cathedral and another Church was ruined which obliged the Viceroy his Family and the Archbishop to go aboard the Galleys in the Harbor where they expected death every moment from the violent motion of the Waves some part of the great Mole being shattered yet not above 100 People were killed in this famous City who lived in a Suburb built of Wood. The Town of Pasceni of about 200 Inhabitants was so entirely ruined that not one house or person was saved The spacious Valley adjoining which was formerly full of excellent Vines being turned into a new Lake whose Water is brackish and like Brimstone In Patuzolo a place of about 1000 people all were swallowed up Furla another Town of about the same number of Souls had the like fate and the Rocks adjacent which formerly were white as Marble are now black and as if burne with Fire and Gunpowder and the Fountains of fair Water are become muddy and tast of Brimstone Sciorti a bigger Town than the three last was totally demolished and the Inhabitants which were reckoned about 2000 so utterly destroy'd that none were left to tell the news No more than there were at Militello where of 6000 People no one is left to give tydings how or when its calamity happened The Countrey People who dwell in the Mountains about it affirm that for three days before they could not discern the Town by reason of a thick Fog which surrounded it but that on the 11th in the morning it was no more to be seen A great part of the Mountain on the North side is torn asunder and the one half overwhelmed the Town leaving a deep Gulph betwixt that and the other part of the Mountain Luechela had better fortune for of 2000 near half escaped having happily had warning by some former shakes and by the Earths swallowing up an old Castle which stood on a rising ground two miles from thence in a minutes time no sign of its station remaining but instead thereof a vast quantity of Waters issued out which in a little time made a large Lake Upon sight whereof half the Inhabitants of this Town fled from thence and the rest with all the buildings were utterly destroy'd Palonia another small Town received much damage by the fall of a Church one of the beautifullest in Sicily which was shattered to pieces on the 11th and the Dome falling crushed to Death 300 Persons and the Priest that was saying Mass most of the remaining Inhabitants got into the Fields and many other Houses did not fall so that the loss was not so great as in other places Buchino another large Village also escaped without much slaughter of People though most of the Houses fell at Seodia a Village about the same bigness 150 people were kill'd by the fall of the Church and the buildings much shaken Likewise a Lake about a mile thence which was two miles about and very deep was on the 11th wholly swallowed up by the opening of the Earth in the middle of it and the Channel left dry Land which still continues Chirramonte another Village was utterly overthrown and 3 or 400 hundred of the Inhabitants buried in the ruins Monterusso was shaken but 200 people flying to the Castle for security were with that buried in the ground and a Pool of faltish Water arose in the place Vizzini a fine Town built on the side of a Hill of the hardest stones like marble which seemed to ensure it from such accidents yet felt some shakes on the 9th which affrighted the Chief Inhabitants so that they lived in Tents in the Fields but hearing no more the next day they returned home on the 11th in the morning and in a few hours the Town and themselves consisting of about 3500 Souls were swallowed up in the Earth Modica a large Village was the only place that was utterly ruined by the shake of the 9th and that so very suddenly that of about 1400 People not one was left alive A River about two miles from thence was overwhelmed by the fall of a Mountain but afterwards found a new passage underneath it as hath likewise happened to divers other Rivers in Sicily the Earth being thrown over them like a Bridge or Vault Bisenti another Village lost 200 Persons and some few houses were snaken down A little Town called Francofome built most of Timber though not much damaged by the Earthquakes yet a dreadful storm of Thunder and Lightning for three days together burnt down the spire of the Church Steeple which was of Wood covered with Lead The Nunnery of the Carmelites was almost ruined so suddenly that five Nuns were smothered in Bed But not above 12 or 14 Houses more burnt The Town of Carlontoni was shaken on the 9th and some Houses and People were destroyed which so alarmed the Bishop and Magistrates that they persuaded the Inhabitants to go into the Fields About four a Clock next day most of them
with the best things they could carry away deserted the Town and the Morning after the whole Town was overturned in a momens and of 4000. People not above 800. were killed by reason of their happy removal Ragusa a renowned City for Scituation Buildings and all other Humane Delights had a great share in this common Calamity On Jan. 8. it had several shakes with a terrible storm of Thunder and Lightning but on the 11th the Town House a stately Building with two Churches and divers Houses were destroyed One of the best Streets in the Town inhabited by Rich Merchants and Tradesmen sunk into the Earth in a moment leaving a mighty Chasma or Gaping in the place One of the Churches sunk also but the other fell down the modestest Calculations reckon eight thousand People slain most of them of principal Quality Within this Gap the tops of some Houses are visible from whence proceeds a Noxious Sulphury smell In Scodia only the Bishops Palace newly built was overturned and 24. Persons were buried in the Rubbish the Bishop himself being absent the rest of the Town escaping Specasurno another considerable Town was shaken the 9th whereby the Convent of the Capuchint was destroyed All the next day so horrible a storm of Thunder and Lightning happened as is not to be exprest or imagined whereby the Town-House a very fine structure and some other Buildings were ruined which frighted a few of the Inhabitants into the Flields but the next morning in one Minute the whole Town was laid in vast heaps of Rubbish and the Fresh-water Lake a Mile off was made almost dry Land the remaining Water being Black and Brackish the Fish wherewith it abounded lying all dead on the Shoar The Inhabitants that perisht were accounted at least 3500. and about 300 saved themselves by going away the day before The Town of Scichilo suffered 20. shakes successively on the 8th each greater than the other and on the 11th in less than two Minutes was wholly brought to desolation and vanisht out of sight a stinking Pool of Water succeeding wherein the Cathedral of St. Stephen and part of St. Salvator Steeple appears above Water It was judged to contain about six or seven Thousand People of which it is thought not one made their escape An old strong Castle at the East-side of the Town likewise fell and thirty People perisht therein At Cafamero a Village of 200. Houses the People were so affrighted at the shake three days before successively that on the 11th most of them fled to the Church to beg the asistance of St. Katherine of Sienna in a Chappel held venerable among them but there they met with death altogether the Roof of Lead falling and crushing 200 of them in the Church and about 20. more were killed in the Village In Cafamero only the Timber Houses suffered and about an hundred Inhabitants were destroyed the rest flying into the Fields In the little Town of Giamontano about 400. Persons perished in that Quarter of the Town next the River the other part escaped In the Tower of Livodia all the Timber Houses and three hundred of the Inhabitants were destroyed the Cathedral was burnt down by Lightning and likewise the famous Pine-Trees on an Hill near ajoyning The large Town of Jaâ—â— was so shaken that by the fall of Houses and two Churches in the time of Mass above 2000. People perished The Village of La Motta famous for the Summer Houses of the Citizens of Palermo was wholly overthrown a pond of water now filling up the the place and about 200 People were thought to be lost Lastly Mâ—ssina a great and famous City for Buildings Trade and Riches was so sensibly shaken on the 9th that above half the Inhabitants abandoned it and retired into the Fields The rest imployed themselves in Prayers and Vows and the Churches were filled with multitudes of all Ages Fourty Eight hours Prayers were Ordered and many Relicks were carried in Procession through the Streets On the 11th Twenty Six Palaces and many Timber Houses were overturned and the whole City so fearfully shaken that every one expected present Death and the Archbishop and the other Priests having given the People Absolution they all endeavoured to avoid the present peril by flying into the Fields where yet they suffered much by the horrible Thunder Lightning and Rain which continued three days together so that they were obliged to set up Tents for security So that few were killed but most of the Churches much damaged Neither was there security from this terrible Visitation of God even upon the VVater several small Ships and vessels being cast away all along the Coast by the fury of the VVaves the Tydes being three foot higher in most parts than was ever known before The damage and loss in this terrible sudden and surprizing Desolation in Money Goods Houses and Lands is unaccountable The least that has been computed amounts to the value of six Millions of Ducates and an 100 years will scarce repair the damage But the greatest loss was of People of whom there perisht by this dreadful Judgment at least an Hundred and Twenty Thousand Souls besides a multitude maimed and wounded by the fall of buildings which died afterward and may be reckoned Twenty Thousand more In short amore Astonishing a more Universal and more Swift Destruction was never known And Sicily that was one of the most Beautiful Rich and Fruitful Islands in the World is now an heap of Rubbish and a continued Desolation LXVII I have before menrioned some of the Natural Causes of Earthquakes and the Philosophers of Italy are apt to assign the Causes of this astonishing Calamity to proceed from the unseasonable Summer preceeding and that the many great Rains and Heats which often succeeded each other in Sicily the last year might occasion great store of vapours to enter into the Bowels of the Earth which afterward dilating themselves for want of room forced their way into the Air with the destruction of all that opposed them But these are only the guesses of short-sighted Men for the hand of Heaven seemed visible in this terrible Devastation And as I have before related some of the Presages that usually preceed such sweeping Judgments so the Prognosticks which ushered in this horrible desolation and of which there were a Multitude of Witnesses may be judged intimations and Effects of the Divine Vengeance these following being very remarkable That in June the Summer before Mount Aetna's Roarings and Noise was extraordinary dreadful which is always reckened the forerunner of some Irruption either of the Mount it self or some part thereabout And May 15. preceeeding two hours before Sunset the Sky being Clear the Heavens suddenly appeared all in Flames without either Lightning or Thunder which continued about a quarter of an hour And at the same time two Rainbows were seen in the Air directly above the City pointing as usually toward the Earth and a third with the points upward toward
Heaven being all three extream bright and that which occasioned astonishment in the Spectators and made it really Supernatural was that during the whole time of the appearance of the Rainbows not the least Cloud was visible in any part of the Horizon In July following in one of the Churches of Carania Father Baletti a Person much Reverenced by the Common People lay buried whose Tomb was much adored and daily Prayers and Offerings made at his Shrine It happened that one merning when the Doors of the Church were opened the Image of this Saint which was erected on his Tomb was fallen flat on the ground It was thought at first to be a common accident but being again set up in its place for seven or eight nights together it was found constantly fallen on the ground and at last was sorted to be said flat upon the Tomb where it continned till the ruin of the Church and City together The People were taught to believe that about an hundred twenty years since a Flood of Brimstone and Fire breaking out of Mount Aetna and approaching with great fury and the destruction of all in its passage toward the Gates of Catania the Citizens expecting nothing but immediate Ruin from it this Holy Man by his Prayers and Exorcisms put a stop thereto in the presence of all the People and thereby prevented the approaching desolation Again in February before about Sunset the Counntrey People about Alari a small village within three Miles of Catania verily thought they saw that Village all in Flames which shewed at first but little yet in a quarter of an hour all the Houses seemed on a light Fire which appearance continued about six minutes and then seemed to decay for want of Fuel The People that saw it ran with all speed thither to help to quench it and all along the Road they imagined it increased but being come thither they found all but an Apparition or rather Prognostick of the Calamity that some Months after befel the place LXVIII This terrible Earthquake communicated it self to the Island of Malta on the one side and to Calabria on the other All the account we have of the Desolations in the former is in a Letter dated from thence Jan. 16. 1692. published by Authority They began to perceive it on the ninth and next day they felt five or six shakes and on the 11th about 3 afternoon it was so violent and lasted so long that the Inhabitants believed the whole City would have been instantly destroyed the Bells of the Metropolis of the Island rung the Roof of the Church of our Lady de Pelay was thrown down with part of that of St. Laurence The Church and Colledge of the Jesuits also suffered very much but the Cathedral and the Church of la Gusmane received the greatest damage and are so ruined that they can hardly be repaired The rest of the Churches and most of the Houses are extreamly shattered and deferted by the Inhabitants The Great Master of the Order was then abroad a hunting with a great number of other Persons who were all in danger to have been buried in the Gulph that was made in the midst of a Rock almost under their feet It is reckoned that the losses occasioned by this Earthquake in the Isle of Malta amount to two hundred thousand Crowns The Grand Master having understood what had happened in Sicily and that their principal Cities from whence they had their sustenance were ruined he instantly dispatcht away several Galleys laden with Corn to relieve those wretched People but arriving at the Port of Syracuse there were such mighty Thunders and Lightnings that they could not enter in They went back to Sea and staid for better weather and then made a second attempt but there arose so violent a Wind that they were forced to return for fear of being caft away LXIX The Monthly Mercury gives an account that toward the end of September 1693. Another great Earthquake happened at Catania and the Parts adjoining but the damage that ensued was very small Nevertheless it was observed that during the most violent shakes the top of Mount Aetna was considerably sunk The Duke of Canastra Vicar General who was then about Catanea sent certain Persons to view the Mount who perceived that the top was fallen in above 600 foot within the compass of about 2000 feet and that all the Earth was tumbled down into the gaping Chasm which was about six miles in circumference At the same time all the Fountains of Taurmina and parts adjacent dried up and the Earth opened at the foot of an Hill which is about a mile distant and out of it issued forth five or six Torrents of Sulphurous Waters of different colours These new Accidents have put the trembling Inhabitants of Sicily into fresh Consternations of some impending mischief ready again to overwhelm them LXX I shall conclude these Relations with some natural Reflections of an ingenous Author These two or three years past saith he have been general for Earthquakes they have been felt all over Europe as well as in America Some have been of opinion that the Earth was a great Animal and that the shivering of some Ague Fit was the Cause of his trembling The greatest part of the Heathen Philosophers accused the Stars of these disorders But to speak one word of the Causes of them I say there are two which are Natural the subteraneal Fires and Winds are the first cause The Bowels of the Earth are full of Mines of Coal Sulphur and Salt Petre and when it happens that one Stone falling upon another strikes Fire by Collision those combustible matters being kindled and the Winds blowing up the flame they cause most terrible overturnings of the Earth unless they find Outlets as in Aetna Vesuvius and other Mountains of the same Nature The second natural cause proceeds from the Water that is under the Earth which undermining the Foundations that support the subterraneal Vaults which extend themselves for several Leagues together in divers parts these Vaults deprived of their usual support overpressed by their own weight sink down and all of a sudden impetuously pushing forward the Air and the Water enclosed in the Earth give the upper part such violent and hoistrous jolts as quickly overturn the weaker structures of human Art which must of necessity give way to those more than Gygantick Impetuosities that rend and shatter the more solid frame of Nature it self And of this there is no question to be made considering what so many Authors have written of the vast Regions that are under the Earth they say that there is in the Island of Malta a Hill within the Concavities whereof inhabits a famous Plantation of People that have no other day but what they see through the Clefts of the Rocks this place is called Gaar Kebir or the Great Cavern In the Territory of Viterbo in Tuscany there is a large subterraneal Burrough called Meonia over which there
are Meadows through which you shall see the smoak of that Bâ—rrough arise But all this is nothing in comparison of what Martin Martinius relates in his Chymical Atlas He reports that there is a Mountain in China which is full of great Concavities in several places which are as it were bored through and serve as Roads from one Province to another That there are within this Mountain Lakes Rivers Fish Meadows and Animals of several sorts and that it would require half a years time to survey and describe all these Caverns LXXI To close all with some Moral and Divine Reflections Who doth not start at the thought of such tremblings of the Earth as we have already given large accounts of In what condition can a man be safe saith Seneca speaking of Earthquakes when the World it self is shaken and the only thing that passes for fixt and immoveable in the Universe trembles and deceives us Whither shall we fly for security if wheresoever we are the danger be still under our feet Upon the cracking of an House every man takes himself to flight and leaves all to save his life but what retreat is there where that which should support fails us when the soundations not only of Cities but even of the World it self opens and wavers what help or what comfort where fear it self can never carry us off An Enemy may be kept at a distance with a Wall a Castle may put a stop to an Army a Port may protect us from the fury of a Tempest Fire it self doth not follow him that runs away from it a Vault may defend us against Thunder and we may quit the place in a Pestilence there is some Remedy in all these evils Or however no man ever knew a whole Nation destroy'd by Lightning A Plague may unpeople a Town but it will not carry it away there is no Evil of such an extent so inevitable so greedy so publickly Calamitous as an Earthquake For it does not only devour Houses and single Towns but ruins whole Countreys and Nations either overturning or swallowing them up without so much as leaving any Footstep or Mark of what they were Some People have a greater horror for this Death than any other To be taken away alive out of the number of the living As if all Mortals by what means soever were not to come to the same end death and it is not to be regarded whether I am crushed to death by one Stone or by a whole Mountain Whether I perish by the fall of an House or fall under the burthen of the whole Earth whether I be swallowed up alone or with a thousand more for Company We should therefore arm our selves against that blow which can neither be avoided nor foreseen It is not the abandoning those places that we find infested with Earthquakes which will secure us for there is no Place can be warrant against them What if the Earth be not moved It is moveable for the whole body of it lies under the same Law and exposed to danger only some at one time and some at another As it is in great Cities where all the Houses are subject to ruintho ' they do not all fall together So in the body of the Earth now this part fails and then that Tyre was formerly subject to Earthquakes In Asia 12 Cities were swallowed up in one night Achaia and Maccdonia have had their turns and now Compagnia The Fate goes round and strikes at last where it hath a great while passed by It falls out oftner 't is true in some places than in others but no place is totally free and exempt And it is not only men but Cities Coasts nay the shores and the very Sea it self that suffers under the dominion of Fate And yet we are so vain as to promise our selves some kind of assurance in the goods of Fortune never considering that the very ground we stand upon is unstable and it is not the frailty of this or that Place but the quality of every spot of it for not one inch of it is so compacted as not to admit many causes of its Resolution And though the Earth remain entire the parts of it may yet be broken Thus the three Heathen Philosophers strove to sortifie themselves against these calamities which they judged inevitable not considering them as punishments of their sins and enormities inflicted upon them by Divine Justice Hear now what Christians who are instructed in a better School say of them How astonishing saith a worthy Person of our Nation are the fearful Effects which Earthquakes have had produced in all Ages as we may find them in Histories and Philosophical Discourses where you may read of Rocks torn in pieces Mountains not cast down only but removed Hills raised not out of Valleys only but out of Seas Fires breaking out of Waters Stones and Cinders belched up Rivers Changed Seas Dislodged Earth opening Towns Swallowed up and many other such hideous Events Of which kind our own Memories can furnish us with many at home although these colder Climates are more rarely infested with such frightful Accidents And of all the Animadversions that Divine Justice gives men there is none more horrid or less Evitable than this of Earthquakes For what assurance can we hope for here below if the Earth quake under our feet where can we think to escape danger if the most solid thing of all the World do shake If that which sustains all other things above us threaten us with sinking under our feet What Sanctuary shall we find to defend us from an Evil that doth incompass us round And whither can we withdraw if the Gulphs which open themselves shut up our passages on all sides With what horror are Men struck when they hear the Earth groan When her trembling succeeds her complaints when Houses are loosned from their Foundations when the Roofs fall upon their heads Heads and their Pavement sinks under their Feet VVhat hope is there to be had in so general a disorder when fear cannot be fenced by flight In other Cases there is some outlet whereby to escape an Evil. An Enemy is beaten from the Bulwark he had possess'd himself of Earth-works are opposed to the Thundring Cannon VVinds which raise Tempest deliver us from them and after having a long time tossed us to and fro they cast us on the Shore Houses serve us for Sanctuaries against the injuries of the Air and VVeather If a Man will resign his goods to the Fiâ—â— he may save his Person Thunder hurts not those who hide themselves in Caverns VVhen the Pestilence infects whole Cities we may shun the Contagion by going into the Countrey And if it dispeople Towns it doth not throw down Houses But an Earthquake incloses what it overthrows and wages VVar not with some few Houses only but whole Provinces and sometimes leaves nothing behind it to inform postery of its Outrages More Insolent than Fire which sparâ—â—… Rocks More Greeâ—y