MESS 
rally concluded that fuch a feafonable fupply muft un¬ 
doubtedly be a prefent from the Virgin, who, being pleafed 
with the zeal of her MefTenian votaries, and defirous to 
prevent the concourle of ftrangers who attended the fef- 
tival from diminifhing, had interpofed in this miraculous 
manner to fave them from the diftrefles of famine. A 
new feftival was celebrated in gratitude to their generous 
benefadtrefs. Three fmall vefl'els of filver were made, and 
dedicated to the Virgin in memory of the event; and thefe 
are at prefent ufed as lamps in the cathedral. The fenate 
likewife decreed, that the clergy Ihould pay annually a 
fmall tax, to be laid out in conftrudting a fmall galley to 
fwim on the fountain, and in defraying the expenfes of 
the fireworks. The profits of the clergy are fo confider- 
able on the occafion of the feftival, that they may be fup- 
pofed to pay the tax with great cheerfulnefs. 
Between Medina and the tower of Faro there ftands a 
fmall church called the Madona of the Grotto. It was 
anciently a temple of a round ftrudure, and ornamented 
with columns like the temple of the fun at Rome. Mo¬ 
dern columns now fupply the place that was occupied by 
the ancient. There are large niches in the rock adjoin¬ 
ing to the temple, which are thought to be of equal anti¬ 
quity. Thefe contain no fculptured figures; but in pagan 
times they might pofiibly contain fome. 
Medina, being fttuated between Mount Etna and the 
Gulf of Charybdis, and being likewife at no great diftance 
from the volcanoes of Lipari and Stromboli, muft have 
been in all ages liable to fuller by earthquakes. Such ter¬ 
rible events, however, appear to have been more unfre¬ 
quent in ancient than in modern times, and have alarmed 
the prefent age oftener than any other. In the year 1693 
a fourth part of the cities of Sicily was deftroyed by an 
earthquake. Medina merel)' felt the fhock ; all its build¬ 
ings, however, fuftered. In the year 1742 it fuffered an¬ 
other equally violent. A plague which followed in 1743 
retarded the repairs neceftary after the earthquake. In 
the year 1780, this city continued, for more than fix 
months, to fuller from new earthquakes. 
The autumn of the year 1782was unufually cold and rainy. 
Fahrenheit’s thermometer was often as low as 56 degrees. 
The fucceeding winter was dry ; and the mercury never 
fell under 25 degrees: and, what is uncommon in that 
feafon, ftorms were now and then obferved to arife from 
the weft. The pilots in the channel obferved that the 
tides no longer rofe at the ufual periods, and the Gulf of 
Charybdis raged with extraordinary fury. On the 5th 
of February, 1783, the air was heavy and calm ; the Iky 
obfcured with thick clouds, and the atmofphere feemingly 
all in a flame. About half after twelve at noon, the 
earth began to (hake with a dreadful noife. The (hocks 
continually increafed, and became at length fo violent as 
to open the ground, and to overturn in two or three mi¬ 
nutes a confiderable part of the buildings. A long white 
cloud appeared to the north-weft ; and loon after another, 
very dark, in the fame quarter of the heavens. The lat¬ 
ter in a moment fpread over the whole horizon, and de¬ 
luged the city with rain and hail, accompanied with 
dreadful claps of thunder. The inhabitants fled in the 
utmoft terror to the fields and the (hips in the harbour. 
From mid-day till five in the afternoon the earthquake 
continued almoft without interruption. The (hocks then 
became fomewhat lefs frequent. The cries of the dying ; 
the flirieks of thole w’ho were half buried under the ruins ; 
the wild terror with which others, who were ftill able, at¬ 
tempted to make their efcape ; the defpair of fathers, 
mothers, and hulbands, bereft of thofe who were deareft 
to them ; then formed altogether a fcene of horror, fuch 
as can but feldom occur in the hiftory of the calamities 
of the human race. Amid that awful fcene, inftances of 
the moft heroic courage and the molt generous aft’eftion 
were difplayed. Mothers, regardlefs of their own fafety, 
ruflied into every danger to (hatch their children from 
death. Conjugal and filial affeblion prompted deeds not 
lefs defperate and heroic. But no fconer did the earth- 
; 1 N A. 191 
quake ceafe, than the poor Wretches who had efcaped be¬ 
gan to feel the influence of very different palfions. When- 
they returned to vifit the ruins, to feek out the fit nation 
of their fallen dwellings, to inquire into the fate cf their 
families, to procure food and colledl forhe remains of their 
former fortunes—fuch as found their circumftances the 
moft wretched became fuddenly animated with rase, 
W'hich nothing but wild delpair could infpire. The difi- 
tinftion of ranks and the order of fociety were difre- 
garded, and property eagerly violated. Murder, rapine, 
and lawlefs robbery, reigned among the fmoking ruins. 
The fucceeding day fcarcely alleviated the diftrefs of this- 
difmal night: the few wretches who ftill furvived, found 
themfelves deftitute of every neceftary. At length order 
was in fome degree re-eftablilhed ; and in two days after 
every perfon was fupplied at leall with fome fmall por¬ 
tion of the neceflaries for fubfiltence. But none as yet 
thought of returning to take up their abode among the 
ruins. The common people fixed their refidence on the 
plain of Porto Salvo, near the town of Salleo ; the nobles,- 
magiftrates, and' merchants, on another plain, on the 
other fide of the ftream Porto de Legno ; and the foldiers 
at Terra Nuova. Some violent Ihocks, which were again' 
felt on the 7th of February and the 28th of March, almolh 
completed t-he deftrudlion of the city. The corn-maga¬ 
zines, however, efcaped without damage ; and the public 
ovens and the aquedudls were but little injured. From 
thefe fails it may perhaps be inferred, that, had not the 
houfes of Medina been, in general, hallily built at the firft, 
and afterwards carelefsly repaired, fewer of them would 
have been overthrown by the earthquake. 
The neighbouring villages, having differed but little, 
were the firft to relieve the remaining inhabitants of 
Medina in their diftrefs. Maltefe galleys for fome days 
fupplied neceflaries to the poor and the lick with a gene- 
roiity which merits the higheft praife. They brought 
furgeons and whatever was needful for the cure of the 
wounded. The lupplies lent by the king of France were 
refufed, for what reafon we know not. What money was 
needed for the l’upport of the people was taken from the 
treafury of the city of Medina ; for what the king of 
Naples fent was feized and fpent by the garrifon. 
This earthquake was not of a momentary duration, like 
that by which Lilbon was deftroyed, and likeniany others; 
for more than fixty days, from the 5th of February to the 
beginning of April, Medina continued to be lhaken,.and 
in that time felt more than two-hundred Ihocks ; and 
even after that period the alarm was again and again re¬ 
newed. The chief damage which the. public- buildings 
within the city fuftered was the fall of the dome of the 
church of Purgatory. Only the walls were left (landing; 
and even thefe had fuffered ’ confiderably. One half of 
the fteeple of the cathedral was beaten to the ground. 
The magazines of Porto Franco were likewife very much 
(battered. The fort of St. Salvator, being built on an ar¬ 
tificial foundation, the- fide next the lea is there fallen 
down 5 but on the other fide, where it is founded on a 
rock, it has flood unmoved by all the Ihocks of the earth¬ 
quake. ' 
The difaftrous year of this earthquake was fcarcely con¬ 
cluded, the chalrns which it had opened in the ground 
were ftill yawning, and the poor inhabitants of the adja¬ 
cent country ftill trembled with terror, when the ele¬ 
ments again renewed their fury to ravage this miferable 
land. On Tuefday the 6lh of January, 1784, about fun- 
rife, the wind began to blow loftly from the north-eaft.-. 
The lea gradually (welled, rofe beyond its bed with rapid 
impetuofity, overflowed the quay of Medina, and lalhed 
with its billow's the ruins of the Palazzata. It loofened 
and difplaced many of the ftones of the mole-, lpread over 
the whole ftreet, and attacked the pedeftals of the llatues 
which had been (pared by the earthquake, and drill flood 
firm among the ruins. The fame furious wind which 
(welled the fea in fo extraordinary a manner, ravaged the 
whole coaft from Medina all the way to Syracule. See 
Calabria, 
