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men of Diftinclion in the Parilh, who are the prcfent 
Church-wardens. 
Monday , the 5th of this inftant February , about 
3 o’ Clock in the Afternoon, a very great and black 
Cloud pafs’d over the Hill on which ‘Danbury 
(lands, and broke into a violent Storm of Thunder, 
Lightning, and Rain. No immediate Damage was 
apprehended that Night ; but, between four and five o’ 
Clock next Morning, fome Perfons perceiv’d the Ball 
on the Top of the Spire (which was of Wood, and on 
which the Weather -cock ftood) to be on Fire, they 
immediately alarm’d the Neighbourhood, and, by 
the Help of a large Fire-Engine, fetch’d from Chelms- 
ford, they got the Mafiery of the Fire by about 1 1 
o’ Clock at Noon; tho’ it broke out twice after- 
wards. It burnt downwards with great Fury, and 
has intirely confum’d ir Feet of the Spire, and da- 
maged 8 Feet more, as likewife the Beams on which 
the Spire was fixed. Some of the burnt Tim- 
bers and melted Lead have hurt the Roof of the 
Chancel, but not very confiderably. 
The great Height of the Situation of this Church 
probably expofes it to Accidents of this Nature ; for 
JValfingham relates, c that, on Corpus Chrifli Day 
‘ anno 1402. the Devil enter’d this Church in the 
< Likenefs of a Friar-Minor, where he raged, to tho 
4 great Terror of the Parifhioncrs, and at the fame 
< time, by the Violence of Thunder and a Tempeft, 
* the whole Body of the Church was broken.’ 
This Devil, or Friar, was, I conclude, no more 
than a Flafh of fome fiery Meteor, which the fruit- 
ful Fancy of thofe Times could immediately doath 
with the firft Habit tint occurr’d to them. 
With 
