Convent of Madre de Deos and thence to the house of his friend Mr. Hake.

About 3 O'Clock as I suppose, we began to hear a most dreadful Rumbling Noise under Ground, which seem'd to me to proceed from the Ruins of the Palace, as if the Earth had open'd there & the River was rushing in & forcing great Stones along with it. The cause of it however I could not learn, but it continu'd when I came away.

The black boy' returned with the satisfactory news that he had secured a place in a boat, and carried the writer on his back into a large boat full of people and laid him upon a board in the centre of it. A priest came along and trod upon his lame leg, causing him intense agony, but the coolness of the water revived him. He had much trouble with the watermen, who refused to convey him to his destination, stopping at the Riberia or Fish Market, and again at the Horse Guards at the end of the city. They called him' an Heretick and his Blacks Devils.'

At length, after divers adventures which it would be tedious to narrate, Mr. Chace arrived at the house of his friend Mr. Hake, who received him with joy as one returned from the grave. They carried him into a sort of tent made with carpets, under a vine walk, where three beds were placed. The King's farrier, who was a famous bone-setter, was sent for, and examined his wounds, finding that the arm only was broken; but they did not discover the dislocation of the shoulder, which caused him much agony. However, his condition was far better than he expected. But there were many dangers. Bands of starving people were clamouring for bread, threatening to burst in upon them, so that they were obliged to eat their victuals by stealth. Terrible reports of murders and robberies reached their ears, and all government had ceased to exist. However, at length Mr. Hake and his family with Mr. Chace were conveyed on board the good ship Tagus (Captain John Allen) on November 29, and set sail for England.

Thus far have I endeavour'd to describe most minutely every Accident that happen'd to me, as likewise the Hopes & Fears occasioned by them whether Deprefs'd or Magnified by my debilitated state of Body. I know not therefore, only can say that after I got into the Street the General Difstres painted upon every ghastly countenance made but little reflection necefsary to suppose the nearest Relations would be unable to afsist each other; & from the short examination I had made of myself, thought it was of little consequence to me therefore at once resolv'd, Silently, without a

Murmur, to resign myself to the Will of the Supreme Governor of all Things, humbly hoping by my Patience in Suffering what he was pleas'd to Inflict, to make some Atonement for my Faults: nor indeed could the vehement noisy supplications of the Disabled tend to anything else at such a Time as that, except only to increase the general Horror. How great then must be my Thankfulness to Divine Providence for raising me up afsistance (not only unask'd, but even unhop'd) amongst people almost Strangers to me, especially Mr. Jorg (with whom I had but a slight acquaintance) who like a Guardian Angel appear'd always to afsist me in the utmost Extremities.

all

Sometime afterwards, I learnt that no part of our House fell except the Urada, where I was, nor were any of the Family kill'd, only the House-keeper & one man servant were much hurt by the falling of the Urada upon them as they were going out of the House. The Cieling of the upper Story was however so much shatter'd that they were afraid to venture into any of the Rooms. It is universally agreed that all the mischief proceeded from the 3 first Shocks di the Earthquake, which were attended with a tumbling sort of Motion like the Waves of the Sea, that it was Amazing the Houses resisted so long as they did. No Place, or Time, could have been more unlucky for the miserable People; the City was full of narrow Streets, the Houses strong Built & High, which falling fill'd up the Pafsages. The Day of All Saints, with them a great Holiday, when all the Altars in the Churches were lighted up with many Candles, just at the time when they were the fullest of People; most of them fell immediately; the Streets were likewise throng'd with People going to & from their Churches, many of whom must have been destroy'd by the falling of the Tops of the Houses only, It would be impofsible to pretend to describe justly the universal Horror & Distrels that every where took place. Many sav❜d themselves by going upon the Water, whilst many found there the Death they hop'd to have avoided. Some were wonderfully preserved by getting to the Tops of their Houses, more (as much so) by retiring to the Bottoms of them, others again were unhurt imprison'd under the Ruins of theirs, others to be burnt alive, in short Death in every shape soon grew familiar to the Eye. The River is said in a most wonderful manner to have risen & fallen several Times successively; at one Time threatening to overflow these parts of the City, & directly afterwards leaving the ships almost aground in the middle of the River, shewing Rocks that had never been known before. The duration of the first Shock (which came without any

Whilst two Dutchmen in particular were said to have escaped by the Fire coming to the Ruins of their Houses, and Lighting them thro' Pafsages they would not otherwise have found out.'

be lost.'

It's said Captn. Clies once actually deserted his Packet, thinking she must

warning except a great noise heard by the People just by the Water side) is variously reported, but by none made lefs than three Minutes & a Half, at the latter end of it. I was (I suppose) thrown over the Wall & fell about four stories between the Walls, where I must have been but a little Time, if it was the second Shock I felt in the Portugueze Man's House, which was said to have happen'd at 10 O'Clock (tho' by some People it is confounded with the first) therefore I think it could not be the third I felt at Mr. Jorg's House, for as it was at 12 O'Clock, I must have remain'd a long time in the Street, which appear'd to me instead of 2 Hours (as it must have been, if it had been between the 2nd. & 3rd. Shocks) scarcely a of an Hour From Mr. Jorg's House which was in the same Street with our own call'd Pedra Negras, situated upon the Hill leading to the Castle. I saw the middle part of the City to the King's Palace, & from thence up the Hill opposite to us leading to the Bairo-Castle, containing a number of Parishes, all in one great Blaze. Three Times I thought myself inevitably lost, the 1st. when I saw all the City moving like the Water, the 2nd. when I found myself shut up between four Walls, the 3rd. when with the vast fire I thought myself abandoned in Mr. Jorg's House, and even in the Square (where I remained ye Saturday Night & Sunday, the almost continual trembling of the Earth, as well as the sinking of the great Stone Quay, adjoining to this Square at the third great Shock at 12 O'Clock) cover'd as it was said with 300 People, or perhaps more justly with 150 who were endeavouring to get into Boats, & were Boats & all swallow'd up,' made me fearful least the Water had under-min'd it, & that at every succeeding Shock, we should likewise; or else as the Ground was low & even with the Water, the least rising of it would overflow us. Full of these Terrors, as well as the Distrefses already mention'd, it more than once occurr'd to me that the Inquisition with all its utmost Cruelty could not have invented to have so much variety of Tortures for the Mind, as we were then suffering. Could the general consternation have been lefs, not only many Lives, but even effects might have been sav'd, for the Fire did not till Sunday Morning reach the Custom House, which stood next the Water Side, & had large open places on each side of it & in some parts was 2 Day getting to them: but the King's Soldiers, among whom were many Foreign Deserters who instead of afsisting the People, turn'd Plunderers, adding to the Fires (as some before their Execution confefs'd) already too numerous from the fallen Houses, for no Fire came out of the

And which was the reason so few Boats ventur'd upon the River for some time after.'

2 The earnest neglected Supplications of the Disabled, as well as the noisy Prayers of the People, who thought it to be the Day of Judgment, added to the

general Distraction.'

Ground, nor were there any openings of the Earth, except the Quay already mention'd was one; but every where innumerable Cracks, from many of which were thrown out Water & Sand. The King sent directly to the nearest Garrisons for his Troops upon whose arrival order was restored, and the Butchers and Bakers dispers'd about to provide for the People, who were not permitted to remove farther from the City without Passes the common People were immediately forc'd by the Soldiers to bury the Dead Bodies, the Stench growing so noisome that bad consequences were apprehended from it.

The Judges were likewise scatter'd about, with orders to execute all upon the Spot, that were found guilty of Murder or Theft. The Heart of the City (the Richest part of it) was burnt, the Suburbs, which are very large escap'd & have since been repair'd. All the Towns and Villages round about, suffer'd more or less. Several were not only thrown down & then burnt, but afterwards quite overflowed. It was strongly felt at Porto, 150 Miles to the North & even at Madrid 300 Miles from Lisbon; every Palace to the South suffer'd greatly: the Royal Palace & Convent at Mafra was not thrown down, nor the grand Aqueduct the Royal Family were at Belem, where they most commonly resid'd, it was said a large stone graz'd the Queen's Neck as she went down Stairs, none of them however were hurt. The Portugueze ran to two extreams from the first, making the number of their City to be much greater than it really was; & on the other hand as much diminishing the number of People lost; the former they insisted could not be so little as 350,000, but Mr. Hake from many Years residence in the place, thinks 250,000 to be the outside; & the latter they are desirous of concealing from political Views, I suppose, therefore it is not likely it will ever be known. In one of their best accounts since publish'd, it is computed at about 15,000, but Mr. John Bristow Junr. has told me, which he had from the very best Authority (as I imagine from the Secretary of State) that the Number of the Dead found & buried was 22,000 & odd Hundreds; in which case as there must have remained still more under the Ruins, the Computation would be moderate at 50,000 People lost by the Earthquake.

There were 69 British Subjects kill'd upon that occasion (as by a list of names since handed about) most of whom were Irish Roman Catholicks, only about 12 or 13 English out of near 300,2 a most

'It was said before we left the City, that there were about 80 Bodies hanging upon Gibbets round about the City. The Ships were several of them search'd & not allow'd to leave the Harbour without permission.'

2 6

'Mrs. Hake, Sister to Sir Charles Hardy was kill'd by the falling of the Front of her own House, after she had got into the Street, her Body was found under the Rubbish three Months afterwards, not at all chang'd. Mr. Giles Vincent, Mr. John Legay, Junr. his Wife and Infant Daughter, Mr. Theobald and four others, were all Lost in Mr. Legay's Junr. House. Mrs. Sherman suppos'd to be burnt,

moderate number in proportion to the general Lofs, which I presume was greatly owing (next to Divine Providence) to the Distance most of them were at from the Streets where the Destruction was almost over before they could well arrive. It is almost inconceiveable as well as inexpressible the great Joy it gave us to meet with one another; each thinking the other to be in a manner risen from the Dead, and both having a wonderful Escape to relate; all equally satisfied to have preserv'd their Lives only, without desiring anything further but in a short time the prospect of Living, restor❜d the cares of Life along with it, the melancholy Consequences making them regret the same Stroke had not depriv'd them of both Life as well as Fortune. As for the Portugueze they were fully employed in a sort of religious Madness: lugging about Saints without Heads or Arms, telling one another in a most piteous manner how they met with such misfortunes & if by chance they met in their way a Bigger, throwing their oun aside, they hawl'd away the greater Might of Holinefs, all kifsing those of each other they encounter'd; their clergy saying it was a Judgment upon them for their Wickednefs, they thought it was almost Impious for them to try to take care of themselves & many of them call'd it fighting against Heaven, but the Officer upon Guard at the Mint, with the greatest Courage & resolution imaginable remain'd there three Days, & by beating down the Buildings round about preserv'd it from the Fire. However the King rewarded him as his Merit highly deserv'd. At last a Miracle brought them tolerably to themselves, perform'd as was suppos'd by us, by a secret Order from Court; for in the middle of the Night the Virgin Mary was seen sitting among the Flames, waving a White Handkerchief to the People from the Ruins 1 of a Church of a famous Convent of Hers, call'd our Lady of Pentia da Franca, situated upon the Top of a very high Hill; this was immediately declar'd to be a forgivenefs of all their past Offences, & a Promise of Life. It was said the Queen of Spain immediately sent her Brother a large remittance of cash, & that the King wrote a letter with his own Hand, not only offering his Treasure and his troops, but to come himself in Person if necefsary. Other countries made some very trifling offers, but the Portugueze People of all Denominations fix'd their Hopes upon England from the very first, most confidently expecting all manner of Afsistance from thence; nor would they have been much deceiv'd, had the Winds prov'd but as favourable as the Intention of the English.

2

1

not being able to follow her Maid Servant thro' a narrow Pafsage. Mrs. Perochon, Mr. Churchill, Mr. Hutchins &c. lost. Mr. Holford had both his legs broke & was carried into a Church, which was afterwards burnt. Mr. Branfill's Housekeeper, Mrs. Hufsey who had lived many Years with my Father was taken up alive out of the Ruins, but died soon after.'

'Just thrown down by the Earthquake.'

2. Of Fryars.'