[ 6 42 ] 
more affected with what feems great, in our own 
Apprehenfions ; but an Omnipotent Power 
admits of no Diftinttionsj and whilft prodigi- 
ous Effects are produc’d from Caufcs impercep- 
tible, it rightly claims our ferious Attention, as 
well as Wonder i nor need we lofe Sight of the 
theological Purpofe of thefe amazing Alarms, 
whilft we endeavour to find out the Philofophy of 
them. 
Permit me, then, to throw in my Thoughts on 
the Caufe of Earthquakes. I did not enter into the 
common Notion of Struggles between fubterrancous 
Winds, or Fires, Vapours, or Waters, that heav’d 
up the Ground, Eke animal Convulfionss but I 
always thought it was an electrical Shock, exa&ly 
of the fame Nature as thofc, now become very fa- 
miliar, in electrical Experiments. 
When we reflect on the unufual Winter now 
paft, beyond what occurs to any one’s Memory, 
that it has been dry and warm to an extraordinary 
Degree, the Wind generally South and South-Weft, 
and that without Rain, we may, with much Rca- 
fon imagine, that the Earth has been in a State of 
Ele&ricity, ready for that particular Vibration 
wherein Electricity confifts. 
And that it has been fo, we may further con- 
clude from the extraordinary For wardnefs of Vege- 
tation, from the Frequency of the Northern Lights, 
and cfpecially of that called Aurora aujiralis , which 
are with us infrequent, and twice repeated, juft be- 
fore the Earthquakes (being of fuch Colours as we 
had never feen before), and removed Southward, 
quite contrary to thofe common with us. 
Add 
