HERTFORDSHIRE EARTHQUAKES. 143 



ISth December, 1250. 



The first Hertfordshire earthquake of which we have any 

 record has been mentioned by at least fourteen authors, but 

 all seem to have derived their information from Matthew Paris, 

 the first edition of whose justly -esteemed ' Historia Major ' was 

 printed in 1571. This earthquake is of special interest to us as 

 it was felt at St. Albans and in its neighbourhood, extending so 

 far as the Chiltern Hills, and it appears to have been a purely 

 local one. There is no record of an earthquake on the same day 

 nor even in the same year anywhere else in England, or in any 

 other country. The account of the Latin chronicler, who was 

 a Benedictine Monk of St. Albans, is thus translated by the 

 Eev. Dr. Giles : — 



" Of an Earthquake in Chiltern, in England. 



" In the same year [1250], on the day of St. Lucia [Dec. 13], 

 about the third hour of the day, an earthquake occurred at 

 St. Alban's and the adjacent districts, which are called Chiltern, 

 where from time immemorial no such an event had been seen or 

 heard of ; for the laud there is solid and chalky, not hollow 

 or watery, nor near the sea ; wherefore such an occurrence was 

 unusual and unnatural, and more to be wondered at. This 

 earthquake, if it had been as destructive in its effects as it was 

 unusual and wonderful, would have shaken all buildings to 

 pieces : it came on with a trembling motion, and attended by 

 a sound as if it were dreadful subterranean thunder. A remark- 

 able circumstance took place during the earthquake, which was 

 this : the pigeons, jackdaws, sparrows, and other birds which 

 were perched on the houses and on the branches of the trees, 

 were seized with fright, as though a hawk were hovering over 

 them, and suddenly expanding their wings, took to flight, as 

 if they were mad, and flew backwards and forwards in confusion, 

 exciting fear and dread in those who saw the occurrence ; but, 

 after the trembling motion of the earth and the rumbling noise 

 had ceased, they returned to their usual nests, which had been 

 disturbed by the earthquake. This earthquake, indeed, struck 

 terror into the hearts of all, which I think to be more than 

 amazement or fear, and it was believed to be indication of future 

 events. In this year, the laud as well as the sea was affected 

 by unusual and dreadful commotions, which, according to the 

 threatening words of the Gospel, — ' there shall be earthquakes in 

 divers places,' threateningly foretold that the end of the world 

 was at hand." 



Matthew Paris died at St. Albans in the year 1259, and 

 doubtless was an eye-witness of this occurrence. Some years 

 before his work was printed, a condensed account of this earth- 

 quake appeared in the ' Flores Historiarum,' usually attributed 

 to Matthew of Westminster, but considered by Sir Frederick 

 Madden to have been in great part written by Paris as an 

 abridgment of his ' Historia Major,' the earlier portion of which, 



