402 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



neath the ruins, is indeed a frightful scene, upon which the mind 

 refuses to dwell. But where one earthquake assumes this fearful 

 condition, hundreds, if not thousands, pass away as mere harmless, or 

 nearly harmless, tremors. British earthquakes are by no means un- 

 common, as the following list will show, beginning with the earth- 

 quake recorded in a.d. 974, on the authority of Simon Dunelmensis. 

 Then follow in succession — 1043, stated in the ' Courrier Frarieais ' 

 of March 27th, 1843. 1048, in ' Eerum Anglicarum Scriptores,' fol. 

 51, felt in Worcester, Derby, and many other parts. 1076, on the 

 26th of March, recorded by Matthew of "Westminster, lib. ii. p. 6, 

 as throughout all England, accompanied by subterranean noise ; 

 and more shocks were felt on the 6th and 22nd of the following 

 April. In 1085, noticed by Lycosthenes. In 1089, Aug. 11th, at the 

 third hour of the night, by Simon Dunelmensis, who says houses 

 were seen to leap upwards and return to their positions, and that the 

 harvest was not got in until the end of November in that year. 

 1099, on the 3rd of November, by Roger de Hoveden, in Eerum 

 Anglic. Script, fol. 268. 1105, at Ely, noticed in the ' Gentleman's 

 Magazine ' for 1750. 1110, an earthquake lasting from moruing to 

 the third hour of the day, at Shrewsbury and Nottingham, is recorded 

 by Simon Dunelmensis, after the Shropshire Chronicle of Henry de 

 Knyghton, — the bed of the Trent is asserted to have been laid dry 

 for a mile in length, so that it could be passed with dry feet. 1112, 

 in partibus Britannise, Dom Bouquet, t. xii. p. 557 ; 1115, in Italy, 

 and said to have been felt in England. 1117, Dec. 10th, in the 

 middle of the night : Matthew of Westminster says the moon ap- 

 peared the colour of blood. 1119, Sept. 28th, at the third hour of 

 the day, in different parts of England, Simon Dunelmensis. 1133, 

 Aug. 4th, in the morning, a very violent earthquake, preceded by 

 very loud subterranean noises, is noted by Matthew of Westminster, 

 Matthew of Paris, Polydore Vergil, and Simon Dunelmensis. 1134, 

 on the coasts of England and the Netherlands, the sea rose suddenlv 

 with such violence as to inundate the country, and retired to its 

 usual level as suddenly : no land shock felt. 1142, at Lincoln, three 

 shocks on the same day, Simon Dunelmensis. 1158, London and 

 other places. Thames dried up so that persons could pass ; very 

 violent in Syria, — recorded in Gervais' Chronicle. 1165, at Ely and 

 in Norfolk and Suffolk; Matthew of Westminster says persons were 

 thrown down, and the bells made to ring, 1179, near Arlington, 

 Durham, ground swelled up and sank again with great noises, — pos- 



