402 
THE GEOLOGIST, 
iieath 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 Avith the earth- 
quake recorded in a.d. 974, on the authority of Simon Dunelmensis. 
Then follow in succession — 1043, stated in the ' Courrier Trancais ' 
of March 27th, 1843. 1048, in ' Eerum Anglicarum Scriptores,' fol. 
51, felt in AA'orcester, 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 ^^Tovember in that year. 
1099, on the 3rd of November, by Eoger de Hoveden, in Eerura 
Anglic. Script, fol. 268. 1105, at Ely, noticed in the ' Gentleman's 
Magazine' for 1750. 1110, an earthquake lasting from morning to 
the third hour of the day, at Shrewsbury and JS'ottingham, 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 
i'or a mile in length, so that it could be passed with dry feet. 1112, 
in partibus Britaunise, 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 suddenly 
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, 
Durli.un, ground swelled up and sank again with great noises. — pos- 
