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A Pleasant and pitthy familiar
discourse, of the Earthquake
in Apiill last
To my Joouing fie; nde, M Immento.
S
lgnor ImmerilOy after as many gentle God into the Parlour, the Gentleman of the house,
morrowes, as your self, and your sweete somewhat straungely affrighted, and in a
Harte hsteth May it please your Maister manner all agast, and telleth vs, as well as his
shippe to dispense with a poore Oratour of Head and Tongue woulde giue him leaue, what
yours, for breaking one pnncipall graund Rule a woonderous violent motion, and shaking
of our olde muiolable Rules of Rhetonck, in there was of all things m his Hall sensibly
shewing himselfe somewhat too pleasurably and visibly seene, as well of his owne selfe, as
disposed in a sad matter (of purpose, to of many of his Seruauntes, and Neighbours
meete with A coople of shrewde withe new there I straite wayes begmriyng to thinke
marryed Gentlewomen, which were more In- somewhat more seriously of the matter Then
quisitiue, than Capible of Natures works) I will I pray you, good Syr, quoth I, send presently
report you a prettie conceited discourse, that one of your seruauntes farther into the Towne,
I hid with them no longer agoe, than yester to enqu're, if the like hath happened there, as
night, in a Gentlcmans house, here in Essex most likely is, and then must it needes be
Where being in the company of certame cur some Earthquake Whereat the good fearefull
teous Gentlemen, and those two Gentlewomen, Gentleman being a little recomforted, (as mis­
it was my chaunce to be well occupied, I war doubting, and dreading before, I knowe not
rant you, at Cardes, (which I dare saye I what m his owne House, as many others did)
scarcely handled a whole tweluemoonth before) and immediately dispatching his man into the
at that very instant, that the Earth vnder vs Towne, wee had by and by certayne woord,
quaked, and the house shaked aboue bestdes that it was generall ouer all the Towne, and
the moouing, and ratling of the Table, and within lesse than a quarter of an howre after,
fourmes, where wee sat Wherevpon, the two that the very like behappened the next Towne
Gentlewomen haumg continually beene wrang too, being a farre greater and goodlver Towne
ling with all the rest, and especially with my The Gentlewoomens hartes nothing acquaynted
selfe, and euen at that same very moment, with anv such Accidentes, were maruellously
nuking a great loude noyse, and much a doo daunted and they, that immediately before
Good Lorde, quoth I, is it not woonderful were so eagerly, and greedily praying on vs,
straunge that the delicate voyces of two so began nowe forsooth, very demurely, and
propper fine Gentlewoomen, shoulde make such deuoutely to pray vnto God, and the one
a suddaync terrible Earthquake ? Imagining in especially, that was euen nowe m the House
good favth, nothing in the worlde lesse, than toppe, I beseeche you hartily quoth shee, let
that it shoulde be any Farthquake in deede, vs leaue off playing, and fall a praying By
and imputing that shaking to the suddayne my truely, I was neuer so scared in my lyfe,
sturring, and remooumg of some cumberous Me thmkes it nmruellous straunge What good
thing or other, in the vpper Chamber ouer our Partener? Cannot you pray to your selfe,
Heades which onely in effect most of vs quoth one of the Gentlemen, but all the House
noted, scarcely perceyuing the rest, beemg so must heare you, and ring All in to our Ladyes
closely and eagerly set at our game, and some Matttns ? I see woomen are euery way vehe
of vs taking on, as they did But beholde, all ment, and affectionate Your selfe was liker
on the suddayne there commeth stumbling euen nowe, to make a fraye, than to pray and