C*34) 
thing but a very thick Cloud of Duft in the Air. This 
was the Scene of their Calamity. For of the magnifi- 
cent Catania there is not the leaft Foot ftep to be feen. 
All its Edifices are levell'd with the Ground, except the 
Chappel of St. Agatha, the Rotunda, the Caftle of Vr- 
fino ) the Walls that encompafs'd it, and a few mean Hou- 
fes. There was a very great Deftrudtion of the Inha- 
bitants buried in the Ruines of the Bilhop's Palace ; the 
Steeple and Dome, where mod of the City, frighrned 
with Friday's Earthquake, were got together to carry 
the Reliques of St. Agatha in Proceffion. Many of the 
Nobility were faved under the Chappel of the Saint, 
and fome of the Clergy. The. number of the Dead was 
about 15000 ; for though the People had ftaid in the 
Fields all the Saturday, yet the Solemnity obliged them 
to be in the City on the Sunday to pay their Devotions, 
at the Proceffion. Of the Benedictines about 2 5 were 
killed in the Quire, of the Jefuits 21, of the Conventu- 
als it, the number of the Dominicans is not known; the 
Carmelites were all buried except one as they went in 
Proceflion ; and fo were the greater part of the other 
feeligious Orders, and of the Nuns few were faved. 
This was the Tragedy of Catania, which was accom- 
panied with dreadful Lightnings and Thunder from Hea- 
ven,with Deluges of Ram ; and in the Ruines were heard 
nothing but Cries, Schrieches and dying Groans. On 
the Heaps of Stones we may now write, Here was Ca- 
tania. 
Lentini, a very ancient City, honoured with the Births 
of many Illuftrious Perfons ; amongft the reft, that Fa- 
ther of Eloquence, Geor^r^emUn^o^2t J b3ng time an 
Epifcopal See, &c/Mt that Shock on the 9th with fuoh 
Violence, as threw down and ruined the greater part of 
its Buildings ; amongft which was the ancient Convent 
of Minorites^ famous for being the Dwelling-place of 
St. Anthony of Padua; the Royal Convent, fo called from 
