Philosophi ipsius, qui de sua vi ac sapientia unus omnia pene profitetur, est tamen quædam descriptio; ut is qui studeat omnium rerum divinarum atque humanarum vim, naturam, causasq; nosse: & omnem bene vivendi rationem tenere, & persequi; nomine hoc appelletur.
Cicero de Oratore.
By WILLIAM STUKELEY, M. D. Rector of St. George's, Queen-Square: Fellow of the College of Physicians and Royal Society:
LONDON: Printed for C. Corbet over-against St. Dunstan's
Church, Fleetstreet.
MDCCL.
[PREFACE.]
This discourse is but a necessary consequence of the preceding. The whole no other than an essay, toward investigating the true nature of the wonderful appearance of an earthquake. And something is done toward it, if only by eradicating an old error. In attaining the proposed end, I have endeavour'd to lay all the necessary circumstances together, which to our great amazement we have seen, and felt. That they may not be as soon forgotten, as they generally were, by the giddy multitude; equally thoughtless of what they knew to be past, as childishly fearful of an imaginary one, subsequent: for which there could not be the least ground of apprehension. By sober persons it was, with great reason, thought a judicial infatuation, and as much to be wonder'd at, as an earthquake itself; a real panic. When a third part of this immense city ran out into the fields for half a cold night; alarm'd with the silly prediction of a distemper'd fellow!