BY a Letter Dated the 7th. of March instant, sent to an eminent Shop-keeper in Thames-street, from a Chapman of his living at [...] in the Bishoprick of Durham, we are ascertained of a most sad accident occasioned there by the late excessive Snows, which is since confirmed by several other Posts from those parts, to have hapned as follows.

In a place called Langsdale, scituated towards the North of the Bishoprick of Durham, lying between two hills, the valley being very long, but exceeding narrow, so that it was above a hundred paces over; there stood several small Houses or Cottages inhabited by Shepherds and o­ther poor people, their dwellings being only made of Loam-walls, one story, and thatcht over head: Here the Snow (which began earlyer, and was far more violent and excessive in those parts than in these Southern Counties) came so furiously driven down the Hills by North-East Winds, that the poor people could hardly stir abroad, it was grown so deep on a sudden, insomuch that some of them began to apprehend danger, and thought to have got away over the hills, to some place of more security, but this wholesom advise (which might have preserved their lives) was slighted by others more bold, who alledged that it could not Snow always, and that no question but it would be over in short time; and indeed (as if their un­happy Fates had over-ruled the Weather, to flatter them [Page 4] to their ruine) after the first two or three days (which had covered the ground generally four or five foot deep, but in drift at some places, it lay at least ten or tw [...]lve foot high) The heavens seemed more clear, as if they should have been troubled with no mote, but behold on the third day of March, being Shrove-Tuesday, it fell a snowing again with greater violence (the weather being excessive cold; and the wind continuing high as before) all that day and night, so that the whole Valley was filled with Snow, and almost level'd with the tops of the Hills, the houses were Co­vered over, and not to be seen; the miserable people when they had slept long, and waited tediously for the aproach of day, at last get up, and think to look abroad, but this they endeavour in vain, for they find themselves buried alive in Snow, and though they used their best skil, and greatest strength, could by no means get out: They that had any wood or fireing made use of it, hoping by that means to melt themselves out a way, but found not that so effectual as Hannibal's Project, famous in History, when he eat a passage for his Army, through those vast Mountains of the Alps, with Vinegar; for having thus to no purpose wearied themselves, and wasted their Fuel, Cold, Hunger, Darkness, Horrour, and Dispair begin all at once to seize their hearts: their poverty for the most part was such, as did not allow them to keep much store of Provision in their houses before-hand, and the weather had been so bad for above a Fortnight before, that they could not conveniently either work to earn, or go abroad to buy Victuals; so that their Stock was soon exhausted, and after having made shift as long as possibly they could, were at last reduced to the worst of Humane evils, a neces­sity of starving for want of food.

There needs no Rhetorick to set forth the miserable condition of these poor souls, which of it self was so de­plorable, that it cannot in the bare Relation, but affect the hearts, and draw Carnation-tears from the eyes of each Compassionate Reader. The dismalness of living in con­tinual darkness, as in a Grave: The Extremity of the Frost, the Lamentations of half distracted Women, and cries of dying Children for Bread, whilst they to whom they make their moans are starving themselves, may easily pre­sent the imaginations with spectacle of Horrour. Let it suffice to say, That cold and want at last brought welcome death to rid them of their Torments, where paying a shoar of Tears as a Just Tribute to the Tyranny of their sad fate, let us leave them, and now look abroad and inquire how they'r found.

The Neighbouring People (whom better Situation of their dwellings preserved from such Calamity) Seeing Langsdale Valley so overwhelmed with an Inundation of Snow, and touch'd with a generous Commiseration of the poor Inhabitants, whom they had all the reason of the world to conclude, lost, or in a desperate condition, assem­ble in great numbers, and with mighty toil in clearing a passage, at last get to these Cottagers, the greater part of whom they found destroyed as aforesaid, whereof some lay dead with raw meat in their mouths, having no fire left to dress it [...] others that had a better stock of fireing made shift to keep themselves alive by eating Cats-flesh, Dogs, or whatever they could get, and these they chari­tably removed thence and made provision for them.

This Story as it is most sad in it self, so is it most true and certain, and we wish we were not so unhappy as to be able almost to parrallel it by another miscrable Acci­dent [Page 6] in the West, occasioned by the very same means, as we have it in a Letter from an Ingenious Gentleman of Bath: Thus

The Snow was so great in those parts, that a poor man living with his Wife, and a great charge of Children, on a Common about 10 m. from Bath, at a great distance from Neighbours, were almost shut up in the like manner. The good man however made a salley out, and endeavoured with his Gun to shoot Birds, or what he could meet with for the sustenance of his wanting Family, but found so lit­tle booty, that still they were almost ready to starve. Inso­much that for several days they lived upon nothing but a few Grains, till a Gentlemans man riding that way chan­ced to see some of the biggest children greedily feeding on these miserable dainties, the sight whereof affected the good natured fellows heart so far, that he made further in­quiry, and being soon convinced of their sad necessitous condition, when he came home acquainted his Lady, who being of an excellent charitable disposition, immediately ordered him to carry them as much good wholsome victu­als as he could, we need not relate with what Joy they re­ceiv'd this blessing, which yet (alas! how fate befools the hopes of silly mortals) occasioned their deaths, who per­haps might have made shift with their Grains to have sup­ported their lives, for being so near famishing, they fell so geedily on this unexpected Cheer, that they opprest nature so fatally that the same night the Woman and five of her Children Expired.

To these unhappy relations we might add diverse others no less true and certain, as that of a Baker and his Bride at Twexsbury in Gloctershire, who riding out the very next day, after they were married to visit some friends about ten [Page 7] miles, were both destroyed, grim death treading on Hy­mens heels, and their Nuptial delights child with a cold eternal sleep in sheets of Snow, wherein they were after­wards found dead embraceing each other.

Of a Minister lost horse and all by the same means in Darbyshire, three poor women destroyed as they endeavor­ed to go to a Market in Shropshire, two Carryers servants stiffled by the Snow in Lincolnshire, and a Post-boy frozen to death in it neer Morpeth in Northumberland.

What shall we say of great quantities of Cattel kil'd in Rumney Marsh, whole flocks of Sheep perished in Hunting­tonshire, great mischiefs done in the Fenns, and Isle of Ely. In brief, this Superabundant Snow was no less Ge­neral, then prejudicial, and there is scarce a County in England but may bring in several Indictments against it for damages susteyned to a considerable value, not to speak of the mischiefs occasioned by great Floods when melted by the Thaw.

Nor is it only England has been a sufferer, our For­raign Letters give us an Account that other Nations have at the same time been sharers in miseries of the like kind: Perticularly in Germany the Snow has not been only great, but in a sort Prodigious. Letters from Vienna, of the [...]6th. of February, S. N. informing, That thereabouts there had been great quantities of Worms and Cobwebs falling in the Snow, of which abundance also were observed in Inspr [...]ike in the County of Tyrol, of which great notice had been taken by several Curious Enquirers after such strange Accidents: Though it seems often to have been seen before: For so saith the Ingenious Johannes Heidfeil­dius, in Sua Sphing [...] Philosophicâ, Alicubi in ipfis nivibus nascuntur vermiculi & Tinea: This we are sure of, that [Page 8] we could never more properly than of late repeat that of the Poet: