34 



A HISTORY OF 



tion of human calamities with the account of 

 the dreadful earthquake at Calabria, in 

 1638. It is related by the celebrated Fa- 

 ther Kircher, as it happened while he was 

 on his journey to visit Mount ^Etna. and 

 the rest of the wonders that lie towards 

 the south of Italy. I need scarcely inform 

 the reader, that Kircher is considered, by 

 scholars, as one of the greatest prodigies of 

 learning. 



"Having hired a boat, in company with 

 four more, two friars of the order of St. Fran- 

 cis, and two seculars, we launched, on the 

 twenty-fourth of March, from the harbour of 

 Messina, in Sicily, and arrived the same day 

 at the promontory of Pelorus. Our destina- 

 tion was for the city of Euphaemia, in Calabria, 

 where we had some business to transact, and 

 where we designed to tarry for some time. 

 However, Providence seemed willing to cross 

 our design; for we were obliged to continue 

 for three days at Pelorus, upon account of 

 the weather ; and though we often put out to 

 sea, yet we were as often driven back. At 

 length, however, wearied with the delay, we 

 resolved to prosecute our voyage ; and, al- 

 though the sea seemed more than usually 

 agitated, yet we ventured forward. The 

 gulf of Charybdis, which we approached, 

 seemed whirled round in such a manner, as 

 to form a vast hollow, verging to a point in 

 the centre. Proceeding onward, and turning 

 my eyes to ^Etna, I saw it cast forth large 

 volumes of smoke, of mountainous sizes, which 

 entirely covered the whole island, and blotted 

 out the very shores from my view. This, to- 

 gether with the dreadful noise, and the sul- 

 phureous stench, which was strongly per- 

 ceived, filled me with apprehensions that 

 some more dreadful calamity was impending. 

 The sea itself seemed to wear a very unusual 

 appearance ; those who have seen a lake in 

 a violent shower of rain covered all over with 

 bubbles, will conceive some idea of its agita- 

 tions. My surprise was still increased by the 

 calmness and serenity of the weather; not a 

 breeze, not a cloud, which might be suppos- 

 ed to put all nature thus into motion. I 

 therefore warned my companions that an 

 earthquake was approaching ; and, after some 

 time, making for the shore with all possible 

 diligence, we landed at Tropae, happy and 



thankful for having escaped the threatening 

 dangers of the sea. 



" But our triumphs at land were of short 

 duration ; for we had scarcely arrived at the 

 Jesuits'College in thatcity, when our ears were 

 stunned with a horrid sound, resembling that 

 of an infinite number of chariots driven fierce- 

 ly forward, the wheels rattling, and the thongs 

 cracking. Soon after this, a most dreadful 

 earthquake ensued, so that the whole tract 

 upon which we stood seemed to vibrate, as 

 if we were in the scale of a balance that con- 

 tinued wavering. This motion, however, soon 

 grew more violent; and being no longer able 

 to keep my legs, I was thrown prostrate upon 

 the ground. In the mean time, the universal 

 ruin round me redoubled my amazement. 

 The crash of falling houses, the tottering of 

 towers, and the groans of the dying, all con- 

 tributed to raise my terror and despair. On 

 every side of me I saw nothing but a scene 

 of ruin, and danger threatening wherever I 

 should fly. I commended myself to God, as my 

 last great refuge. At that hour, Ohow vain was 

 every sublunary happiness ! wealth, honour, 

 empire? wisdom, all mere useless sounds, and 

 as empty as the bubbles in the deep. Just 

 standing on the threshold of eternity, nothing 

 but God was my pleasure; and the nearer I ap- 

 proached, I only loved him the more. After 

 some time, however, finding that I remained 

 unhurt amidst the general concussion, I re- 

 solved to venture for safety, and running as- 

 fast as I could, reached the shore, but al- 

 most terrified out of my reason. I did not 

 search long here till I found the boat in which 

 I had landed, and my companions also, whose 

 terrors were even greater than mine. Our 

 meeting was not of that kind where every one 

 is desirous of telling his own happy escape ; 

 it was all silence, and a gloomy dread of im- 

 pending terrors. 



" Leaving this seat of desolation, we pro- 

 secuted our voyage along the coast, and the 

 next day came to Rochetta, where we landed, 

 although the earth still continued in violent 

 agitations. But we were scarcely arrived at 

 our inn, when we were once more obliged to 

 return to the boat, and i about half an hour 

 we saw the greatest part of the town, and the inn 

 at which we had set up, dashed to the ground, 

 and burying all i<e inhabitants beneath its ruins. 



