ly blocked up with the fallen houses to the height of their second stories, I turned back to the other end which led into the main street (the common thoroughfare to the palace), and having helped the woman over a vast heap of ruins, with no small hazard to my own life, Just as we were going into this street, as there was one part I could not climb over without the assistance of my hands, as well as feet, I desired her to let go her hold, which she did, remaining two or three feet behind me, at which instant there fell a vast stone, from a tottering wall, and crushed both her and the child in pieces. So dismal a spectacle at any other time would have affected me in the highest degree; but the dread I was in of sharing the same fate myself, and the many instances of the same kind which presented themselves all around, were too shocking to make me dwell a moment on this single object. I had now a long narrow street to pass, with the houses on each side four or five stories high, all very old, the greater part already thrown down, or continually falling, and threatening the passengers with inevitable death at every step, numbers of whom lay killed before me, or, what I thought far more deplorable, so bruised and wounded, that they could not stir to help themselves. For my own part, as destruction to me appeared unavoidable, I only wished I might be made an end of at once, and not have my limbs broken, in which case, I could expect nothing else but to be left upon the spot, lingering in misery, like these poor unhappy wretches, without receiving the least succour from any person. As As self-preservation, however, is the first law of nature, these sad thoughts did not so far prevail, as to make me totally despair. I proceeded on as fast as I conveniently could, though with the utmost caution, and having at length got clear of this horrid passage, I found myself safe and unhurt in the large open space before St. Paul's church, which had been thrown down a few minutes before, and buried a great part of the congregation. Here I stood some time, considering what I should do, and not thinking myself safe in this situation, I came to the resolution of climbing over the ruins of the west end of the church, in order to get to the river side, that I might be removed, as far as possible, from the -tottering houses, in case of a second shock. This, with some difficulty, I accomplished; and here I found a prodigious concourse of people of both sexes, and of all ranks and conditions, amongst whom I observed some of the principal canons of the patriarchal church, in their purple robes and rockets, as these all go in the habit of bishops; several priests who had run from the altars in their sacerdotal vestments in the midst of their celebrating mass; ladies half dressed, and some without shoes; all these, whom their mutual dangers had there assembled as to a place of safety, were on their knees at prayers, with the terrors of death in their countenances, every one striking his breast, and crying out, incessantly, Miserecordia men Dios! Amongst this crowd, I could not avoid taking notice of an old venerable priest, in a stole and surplice, who, I apprehend, had escaped from St. Paul's. He was continually moving to and tro among the people, exhorting them to repent ance, ance, and endeavouring to comfort them. He told them, with a flood of tears, that God was grievously provoked at their sins, but that if they would call upon the Blessed Virgin, she would intercede for them. Every one now flocked around him, earnestly begging his bene diction; and happy did that man think himself, who could get near enough to touch but the hem of his garment. Several I observed had little wooden crucifixes, and images of saints, in their hands, which they offered me to kiss; and one poor Irishman, I remember, held out a St. Antonio to me for this purpose; and when I gently put his arm aside, as giving him to understand, that I desired to be excused this piece of devotion, he asked me, with some indignation, "Whether I thought there was a God?" I verily believe many of the poor bigoted creatures, who saved these useless pieces of wood, left their children to perish. However, you must not imagine, that I have now the least inclination to mock at their superstitions, I sincerely pity them; and must own, that a more affecting spectacle was never seen. Their tears, their bitter sighs and lamentations, would have touched the most flinty hearts. I knelt down amongst them, and prayed as fervently as the rest, though to a much properer object, the only Being who could hear my prayers, to afford me any succour. In the midst of our devotions, the second great shock came on, little less violent than the first; and completed the ruin of those buildings which had been already much shattered. The consternation now became so universal, that the shrieks and cries of Miserecordia could be dis tinctly tinctly heard from the top of St. Catherine's hill, at a considerable distance off, whither a vast number of people had likewise retreated; at the same time we could hear the fall of the parish church there, whereby many persons were killed on the spot, and others mortally wounded. You may judge of the force of this shock, when I inform you, it was so violent, that I could scarce keep on my knees, but it was attended with some circumstances still more dreadful than the former. On a sudden, I heard a general outcry, "The sea is coming in, we shall be all lost." Upon this, turning my eyes towards the river, which in that place is near four miles broad, I could perceive it heaving and swelling in a most unaccountable manner, as no wind was stirring; and in an instant there appeared, at some small distance, "a large body of water rising as it were like a mountain. It came on foaming and roar ing, and rushing towards the shore with such impetuosity, that we all immediately ran for our lives, as fast as possible; many were actually swept away, and the rest above their waist in water, at a good distance from the banks. For my own part, I had the narrowest escape possible, and should certainly have been lost, had. I not grasped a large beam that lay on the ground, till the water returned to its channel, which it did almost at the same instant, with equal rapidity. As there now appeared at least as much danger from the sea as the land, and I scarcely knew whither to retire for safety; but I took a sudden resolution of returning back with my clothes all dropping to the area of St. Paul's. Here I stood some time, and observed the ships. tumbling and tossing about, as in a violent storm; storm; some had broken their cables, and were carried to the other side of the Tagus; others were whirled round with incredible swiftness; several large boats were turned keel upwards, and all this without any wind. It was at the time of which I am now speaking that the fine new quay, built entirely of rough marble, at an immense expense, was entirely swallowed up, with all the people on it, who had fled thither for safety, and had reason to think themselves out of danger in such a place. At the same time, a great number of boats and small vessels, anchored near it (all likewise full of people, who had retired thither for the same purpose), were all swallowed up, as in a whirlpool, and never more appeared. This last dreadful incident I did not see with my own eyes, as it passed three or four stones throws from the spot where I then was, but I had the account as here given from several masters of ships, who were anchored within two or three hundred yards of the quay, and saw the whole catastrophe. One of them in particular inform ed me, that when the second shock came on, he could perceive the whole city waving backwards and forwards, like the sea when the wind first begins to rise; that the agitation of the earth was so great, even under the river, that it threw up his large anchor from the mooring, which swam, as he term.ed it, on the surface of the water? that immediately upon this extraordinary concussion, the river rose at once nearly twenty feet, and in a moment subsided; at which instant he saw the quay, with the whole concourse of people upon it, sink down, and at the same time every one of the boats and vessels that were Lear |