EAR 
surge, and tremendous was the alarm giveii 
over all the surrounding hills, where the re- 
mainder of the inliabitants were dispersed 
for safety. No cries, no lamentation, were 
heard from those that were thus hurried otf; 
they had no power or time to utter any.”^ — • 
‘‘ The same instant (says Mr. S.) was fatal 
to the whole province, and tlie devastation 
caused by the repeated shocks was much 
more temble in many places than at Scylla ; 
they raged with fiuy from Cape Spartivento 
to Amantea, above the gulph of St. Eufemia, 
and also affected that part of Sicily which 
lies opposite to the southern extremity of 
Italy. Those of the 5th and 7th of February, 
and of the 28th of March, 1783, were tlie 
most violent, and completed the destruction 
of every building throughout the above- 
mentioned space. Not one stone was left 
upon another south of the narrow isthmus 
of Squillace; and what is more disastrous, a 
very large proportion of the inhabitants was 
killed by the falling of their houses : near 
40,000 lives were lost. Some persons were 
dug out alive, after remaining a surprising 
length of time buried in the rubbish. Mes- 
sina became a mass of ruins ; its beautiful 
Palazzata was thrown in upon the town ; its 
quay cracked into ditches full of water. 
Reggio almost destroyed. Tropea greatly 
damaged. Every other place I visited in 
tlie province levelled to the ground. 
“ Before and during the concussion the 
clouds gathered, and then hung immoveable 
and heavy over the earth. At Palmi the 
atmosphere wore so fiery an aspect, that 
many people thought part of the town was 
burning. It was afterwards remembered 
tliat an unusual heat had affected the skin 
of several persons just before tlie shock; 
the rivers assumed a muddy, ash-coloured 
tinee, and a sulphureous smell was almost 
general. A frigate passing between Cala- 
bria and Lipari felt so severe a shock, that 
the steersman was thrown from the helm, 
and the cannons were raised up on their 
carriages, while all around the sea exhaled 
a strong smell of brimstone. Stupendous 
alterations were occasioned in the face of 
the country : rivers choaked up by the fal- 
ling in of the hills were converted into 
lakes ; whole acres of ground, with houses 
and trees upon them, were broken off from 
the plains, and washed many furlongs down 
the deep hollows which the course of the 
rivers had worn ; there, to the astonishment 
and terror of beholders, they found a new 
foundation to fix upon, either in an upright 
or an inclining position. In short, every 
EAS 
species of phenomenon incident to these 
destructive commotions of the earth was to 
be seen in its utmost extent and variety in 
this ruinated country.” 
EASEL pieces, a denomination given by 
paintei's to such pieces as are contained in 
frames, in contradistinction from those 
painted on ceilings, &c. 
EASEMENT, a service on convenience, 
which one neighbour has of another by 
grant, or prescription, as a way through 
his ground, a sink, or the like. 
EASING, in the sea-language, signifies 
the slackening a rope, or the like : thus, to 
ease the bow-line or sheet, is to let them 
go slacker ; to ease the helm, is to let the 
ship go more large, more before the wind, 
or more larboard. 
EAST, one of the four cardinal points of 
the world ; being that point of the horizon, 
where the sun is seen to rise when in the 
equinoctial. 
EASTER, a festival of the Christian 
church, observed in memory of our Sa- 
viour’s resurrection. 
In the primitive ages of the church, there 
were very great disputes about the parti- 
cular time when this festival was to be 
kept. The Asiatic churches kept their 
Easter upon the very same day the Jews ob- 
served their passover ; and others, on the 
first Sunday after the first full moon in the 
new year. This controversy was deter- 
mined in the council of Nice, when it was 
ordained that Easter should be kept upon 
one and the same day, which should always 
be a Sunday, in all Christian churches 
throughout the world. 
But though the Christian Churches dif- 
fered as to the time of celebrating Easter, 
yet they all agreed in shewing particular re- 
spect and honour to this festival : hence, in 
ancient writers, it is distinguished by the 
name of dominica gaudii, i. e. Smiday of 
joy. On this day prisoners and slaves were 
set free, and the poor liberally provided 
for. The eve, or vigil, of this festival was 
celebrated with more than ordinary pomp, 
which continued till midnight, it being a 
tradition of the church that our Saviour 
rose a little after midnight ; but in the east, 
the vigil lasted till cock-crowing. 
It was in conformity to the custom of the 
Jews, in celebrating their passover on the 
fourteenth day of the first month, that the 
primitive fathers ordered, that the four- 
teenth day of the moon, from the calendar 
new moon, which immediately follows the 
