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able to exprefs; from ery Subftance of Stone ohe feveral Places it he, twelve or fifteen an others much more of Quickfilver; adked by the Addition oever it paffed, it left and burnt the Earth, In and confeming all thing able to quench y; wherefoever it has ne Hills, and railing Trace of any Place or ps of ragged Stone, hment into all that

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TRACTS on all SUBJECTS.

ruined, from thence paffing on to Albanelli, in four Days Space del Gardens and Vineyards, with fixty-three thousand Vines. 5

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On Wednesday, April 16, with an impetuous fiery Torrent it o Sardanello, where all the Remainder of the Inhabitants of this Cit tators of it, which resembled a River of melted and burning Bra Ells wide, running with Swiftnefs to the Arch of Marcus Marcell Piece of Antiquity, and paffing under it, ruined about fix Ells of i the Breadth of the Current in that Place: from thence it ran to Mado ferrato, which it wholly deftroyed: then falling down to Madonna de entered in at one Gate, and paffed through another, without any Hurt, and running through the Gate Della Decima, filled all the Pla ra Viva, where it was above fix Ells deep. Then taking its way Bolwark, on the Sea fide, under the Caftle of this City it ran by, tv into the Sea; in which, (to the great Wonder of all that faw it) it Progrefs a Mile in length, and as much in breadth, and is drawing Gate of the Channel, which gives us great Apprehenfions, leaft it m invade the City itfelf: Nor is there lefs Danger on the Side Del Tin there runs a great Torrent of the fame active Matter, which draw feems to threaten the Walls, and is in that Place about a Mile in brea overflowed and deftroyed all the Gardens, from the Gate Della Ded as Madonna delli Amellati.

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A LIST of the most confiderable Towns an
Aut
ruined and deftroyed by the dreadful Earthqu
Eruptions.

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HE Town of Nicolof wholly ruined by the Earthquake. The Towns of Padara, Tre Caftagne, the greatest Part de the Earthquake.

The Towns of La Guardia, Malpasso, Campo Rotundo, La Poti tonino, St. Pietro, Moftorbianco, Montpileri, La Annunciata, Fal chi, wholly overflowed, confumed and loft in this fiery Inundation, Lands belonging to them, no Footsteps of them remaining

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The Towns of Mafcalucia, St. Giouanni de Galermo, ruin'd in P The large Gardens and Vineyards of Albenelli overflowed and deftr The famous Piece of Antiquity of Marcus Marcellus much ruine Madonna de Monferrato destroyed, befides many Caftles, Farms, Places, which have run the fame Fortune, whofe Names we for I Ys ad ognimot strateƆ MOT MOITANS she apoA redunt eit en evig lingh

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The Lord CHANCELLOR'S SPEECH, upon the Lord TREASURER's taking his Oath in the Exchequer the 26th of June, 1673.

My Lord Treasurer,

HE King of his Grace and Favour hath made choice of you to be Lord High Treafurer of England, as alfo Treasurer of his Exchequer, which are two diftinct Offices. The first you are already poffeffed of, by the King's Delivery of the White Staff, and have taken the Oath for that Office before me in another place. The other his Majefty hath conferred on you by his Letters Patents, under the Great Seal, which I am to deliver your Lordship, after you have been fworn into that Office in this Court; of which, by this Patent, you are made a Chief Judge.

Kings are as Gods, and beftow Honour, Riches, and Power where they please; but in this they are as Men, that they can only choose, not make a Perfon adequate to their Employment: For if their Choice be meerly Favour, not Fitness, their Omnipotency is quickly feen through. Our Great Mafter hath therefore chofen you, one he has had Experience of thefe many Years, as a Member of this Houfe of Commons, which hath been fo fruitful a Nursery of our English Minifters and States-men. Befides, your Lordship was fome Years fince joined with another very able and worthy Perfon in the Treafury of the Navy, and after that managed it alone: So that you have before this been trufted with Three parts of Five of the Revenue of the Crown.

My Lord,

You are in a Place, the very beft that any English Subject is capable of; therefore you are in another Pofition, not only to the King our Master, but to us All, than you were ever before. He and we have all reafon to look upon you as a Man at Eafe, and that has nothing to wifh, but the Profperity of his Mafter and the Nation, that you may quietly and enjoy long fo great a Place, under fo good a Master. There is no more to be afked of you in this Condition, but that you know your own Intereft, and that will fecure you to the King's and the Nation's. I repeat them thus together, becaufe none but Mountebanks in State-matters can think of them afunder. And let me fay to your Lordship, that however happy you have been in arriving to this high Station, yet Parta tueri non minor eft virtus. Many great Men have proved unfortunate, in not obferving that the Addrefs and Means to attain great things, are oftentimes very different from thofe that are neceffary to maintain and establish a fure and long Poffeffion of them.

My Lord,

'Twill be no Civility to you, to hold you longer; The Vifits you are to make to the feveral Offices of the Exchequer will take you up the rest of this Morning. I fhall only add my good Wishes, that your Lordship may long enjoy the Honour of this Great Employment, and his Majefty the Satisfaction of his Choice.

The

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The Honourable ALGERNOON SIDNEY'S LETTER a-
gainst Bribery and Arbitrary Government, written to his
Friend, in answer to theirs, perfwading his Return to
England.

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SIR,

A M forry I cannot in all things conform myfelf to the Advice of my Friends; if theirs had any joint Concernment with mine, I would willingly fubmit my Intereft to theirs: But where I alone am interested, and they only advise me to come over as foon as the Act of Indemnity is pafs'd, because they think it is best for me, I cannot wholly lay afide my own judgment and Choice; I confefs we are naturally inclined to delight in our own Country, and I have a particular Love to mine: I hope I have given fome Teftimony of its I think that being exil'd from it is a Great Evil, and would redeem myself from it with the Lofs of a great deal of my Blood. But when that Country of mine, which ufed to be efteemed a Paradife, is now like to be made a Stage of Injury; the Liberty which we hope to establish, opprefs'd; all manner of Prophaneness, Loofenefs, Luxury and Lewdnefs fet up in its Height; inftead of the Piety, Virtue, Sobriety, and Modefty, which we hop'd God by our Hands would have introduc'd; the Best of our Nation made a Prey to the Worft; the Parliament, Court, and Army, corrupted; the People enflav'd; all things vendible;' and no Man fafe, but by fuch evil and infamous means, as Flattery and Bribery; what Joy can I have in my own Country in this Condition? Is it a Pleasure to fee all that I love in the World fold and deftroy'd? fhall I renounce all my old Principles, learn the vile Court Arts, and make my Peace by bribing fome of them? fhall their Corruption and Vice be my Safety? Ah! no; better is a Life among Strangers, than in my own Country upon fuch Conditions. Whilft I live I will endeavour to preferve my Liberty; or at least not confent to the deftroying of it. I hope I fhall die in the fame Principles in which I have liv'd; and will live no longer then they can preferve me. I have in my Life been guilty of many Follies, but, as I think, of no Meannefs. I will not blot and defile that which is past, by endeavouring to provide for the future. I have ever had in my Mind, that God fhould caft me into fuch a Condition, as that I cannot fave my Life, but by doing an indecent thing, he fhews me the Time is come wherein I should refign it; and when I cannot live in my own Country, but by fuch means as are worse than dying in it, I think he fhews me, I ought to keep myfelf out of it. Let them please themselves with making the King glorious, who think a whole People may juftly be facrificed for the Intereft and Pleasure of one Man, and a few of his Followers; let them rejoice in their Subtilty, who by betraying the former Powers have gain'd the Favour of this; not only preserved, but advanc'd themselves in thefe dangerous Changes. Nevertheless (perhaps) they may find the King's Glory is their Shame; his Plenty the People's Mifery; and that the gaining of an Office, or a little Money, is a poor Reward for deftroying a Nation! (which if it were preferv'd in Liberty, and Virtue, would VOL. III. tu'y

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truly be the most glorious in the World.) And that others may find they havewith much Pains purchafed their own Shame and Mifery, a dear Price paid for that which is not worth keeping, nor the Life that is accompanied with it. The Honour of English Parliaments have ever been in making the Nation. gloriousand happy, not in felling and deftroying the Intereft of ir, to fatisfy the Lufts of one Man. Miferable Nation, that from fo great a Height of Glory is fallen into the most defpicable Condition in the World, of having all its Good-depending upon the Breath and Will of the vileft Perfons in it! Cheated and fold: by them they trusted! Infamous Traffick, cqual almoft in Guilt to that of Judas! In all preceeding Ages Parliaments have been the Pillars of our Liberty,. the fure Defenders of the Oppreffed: They, who formerly could bridle Kings, and keep, the Ballance equal between them and the People, are now become the Inftruments of our Oppreffions, and a Sword in his Hand to deftroy us: They themselves, led by a few interested Perfons, who are willing to buy Offices for themselves by the Mifery of the whole Nation, and the Blood of the most worthy and eminent Perfons in it. Deteftible Bribes, worse than the Oaths now in Fashion in this mercenary Court! I mean to owe neither my Life, nor Liberty to any fuch Means; when the Innocence of my Actions will not protect me, I will stay away till the Storm be over-paffed. In short, where Vane, Lambert, and Haflerigg cannot live in Safety, I cannot live at all. If I had been in EngLand, I should have expected a Lodging with them; or, tho' they may be the first, as being more eminent than I, I must expect to follow their Example in fuffering, as I have been their Companion in acting. I am moft in a Maze at the mistaken Informations that were fent to me by my Friends, full of Expecta-tions of Favours and Employments. Who can think that they who imprifon them, would employ me, or fuffer me to live, when they are put to Death. If I might live and be employ'd, it cannot be expected I fhould ferve a Government that feeks fuch deteftible ways of establishing itself? Ah! no; I have not learnt to make my own. Peace by perfecuting and betraying my Brethren, more innocent and worthy than myfelf; I must live by juft Means, and ferve to juft Ends, or not at all. After fuch a Manifeftation of the Ways by which it is intended the King fhall govern, I fhould have renounced any Place of Favour, into which the Kindness and Industry of my Friends might have advanced me, when I found those that were better than I, were only fit to be destroyed.. I had formerly fome Jealoufies, the fraudulent Proclamation for Indemnity encreased, the imprisoning of those three Men, and turning out of all the Officers of the Army? contrary to Promife, confirm'd me in my Refolution not to return.

To conclude, the Tide is not to be diverted, nor the Oppreffed deliver'd; but God in his Time will have Mercy on his People: He will fave and defend: them, and revenge the Blood of thofe who fhall now perish, upon the Heads of thofe, who in their Pride think nothing is able to oppofe them.. Happy arethose whom God fhall make Inftruments of his Juftice in fo bleffed a Work.. If I can live to fee that Day, I fhall be ripe for the Grave, and able to say with Joy, Lord! now letteft thou thy Servant depart in Peace, &c. (fo Sir Arthur Haflerigg on Oliver's Death) Farewel; my Thoughts, as to King and State, de-pending upon their Actions. No Man fhall be a more faithful Servant to him than I, if he make the Good and Profperity of his People his Glory; none

more:

more his Enemy if he doth the contrary; to my particular Friends I fhall be conftant in all Occafions, and to you

A most affectionate Servant,

A. SIDNEY.

NEWS from DUNKIRK-HOUSE: or CLARENDON'S Farewel to England, in his feditious Addrefs to the Right Honourable the Houfe of Peers, December 3, 1667. which was afterwards, according to the Sentence and Judgment of both Houfes of Parliament, burnt by the Hand of the Common-Hangman, in the Prefence of the two Sheriffs, with a great and fignal Applaufe of the People, December 12, 1667. Printed the fame Year.

To the Right Honourable, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in Parliament affembled; the Humble Petition and Addrefs of Edward Earl of Clarendon,

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May it please your Lordships,

Cannot exprefs the infupportable Trouble and Grief of Mind I sustain under the Apprehenfion of being mifreprefented to your Lordships. And when I hear how much of your Lordship's Time hath been spent upon the mention of me, as it is attended with more publick Confequence, and of the Difference in Opinion, which hath aiready, or may probably arife, betwixt your Lordships and the honourable Houfe of Commons, whereby the great and weighty Affairs of the Kingdom may be obftructed, in a time of fo general Diffatisfaction, I am very unfortunate to find myself to fuffer fo much under two very difadvantagious Reflections, which are in no degree applicable to me.

The firft, From the Greatnefs of my Eftate and Fortune, collected and made in fo few Years; which if it be proportionable to what is reported, may give reasonable Caufe for my Integrity to be fufpected."

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The fecond, That I have been the fole Manager and chief Minifter of all the Tranfactions of State fince the King's Return into England, to Auguft laft; < and therefore that all Mifcarriages and Misfortunes ought to be imputed to me and to my Counfels."

Concerning my Eftate, your Lordships will not believe that after Malice and Envy have been fo inquifitive, fo fharp-fighted, I will offer any thing to your

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Lord

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