i88 3 .] 
Earthquakes and Electricity. 
699 
greatly ” (Exodus xix., 16 — 18). We thus see how the 
giving of the Old Law to the chosen people was ushered in 
by grand physical manifestations ; and the thunderstorm 
and earthquake which they included would appear to be in- 
timately combined in one common source. 
Now let us turn to a very different portion of the Holy 
Writ — to scenes of exquisite imagery foreshadowing by 
sign and metaphor the eve of a New Law and of a new 
order of things : — “ I saw the seven angels which stood be- 
fore God ; and to them were given seven trumpets. And 
another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden 
censer ; and there was given unto him much incense that 
he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the 
golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke 
of the incense which came with the prayers of the saints 
ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. And the 
angel took the censer and filled it with fire of the altar, and 
cast it into the earth ; and there were voices and thunder- 
ings and lightnings and an earthquake ” (Rev. viii., 3 — 5). 
Again, “ The seventh angel sounded, . . . and the temple 
of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his 
temple the ark of his testament ; and there were lightnings 
and voices and thunderings and an earthquake and great 
hail ” (Rev. xi., 19). And again, “ The seventh angel poured 
out his vial into the air ; and there came a great voice out 
of the temple of heaven from the throne, saying, It is done. 
And there were voices and thunders and lightnings ; and 
there was a great earthquake , such as was not since men 
were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake and so great ” 
(Rev. xvi., 17, 18). It seems impossible to doubt that the 
Inspirer of these three passages looked on lightnings and 
earthquakes as being branches of one and the same 
agency. 
Descending now to secular history we find the following 
remarkable extract from Pliny’s writings, quoted by Alex- 
ander Von Humboldt in his famous “ Cosmos ” : — “ Ventos 
in causa esse non dubium reor. Neque enim unquam in- 
tremiscunt terrae nisi sopito mari caeloque adeo tranquillo ut 
volutus avium non pendeant, subtradto omni spiritu qui 
vehit ; nec unquam nisi post ventos conditos scilicet in venas 
et cavernas ejus occultu afflatu. Neque aliud est in terra 
tremor quam in nube tonitrum ; nec hiatus aliud quam cum 
fulmen erumpit, incluso spiritu ludtante et ad libertatem 
esire nitente.” — (Humb., I., 193 ; Plin., II., 79.) In this 
last sentence the co-ordination of thunderstorms and earth- 
quakes is clearly recognised. And whilst in ignorance of 
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