THough many of the West-Indian Islands and Planta­tions are frequently subject to the dismal Effects of prodigious Storms and Hurracains that carry all before them, yet England amongst other parts of the World has been mostly exempted▪ from a ruinous Event of that nature; and when such thing [...] [...]ppen, they may be looked upon as Prodigies: But amongst [...] [...]at have happened in the Memory of Man, or we find recounted in History, none has ever proved so destructive as this we are about, to describe; the dismal Account of which, as we have been Eye witnesses, and received from several places, take as followeth.

On Saturday Morning being the 11th of January, 1689. the Sun rise pale, with dark Spots and Clouds, crossing it with red duskey Streaks, and was often over-cast with red and dark Clouds, which the most curious Observers ever denote, to fore­run a Storm; but within an hour or two, the day cleared up for a time; but in the Afternoon, the Wind began to rise, and changed its Quarter twice or thrice in a short time, till it came [Page 2] to South-West, and South by West, and then great flakes of Snow fell, and continued so to do, mixed with a kind of driz­ling Rain, from four in the Afternoon, till between Twelve & One in the Morning, at what time the Wind increased, and on a sudden grew so violent, that such as hapened to be abroad were not able to stand before it; and the Tiles and Brikes flew every where about the Streets in such abundance, that the Watch in most places in and about the City of London were obliged to leave their Stands, and seek Shelter, the open Streets being every where unsafe, and many were beaten down with Tiles and Bricks, the Houses every where rocked as with an Earth­quake, and shafts of Chimneys fell thick, many breaking through the Roofs, and carrying all before them, which obli­ged the Inhabitants to quit the upper Stairs of their Houses, and betake themselves to the low Room, or Cellars; the strongest Houses rocking and tottering all the while in a most grievous manner, so that many doubted their Safety in the most securest places, and several fearing the fall of their Houses, and betaking them to the Streets, and void places, were not on­ly carried against their Wills, and driven too and fro by the Violence of the Storm, but beat down and wounded by Tiles, and Bricks, that were blown off the Houses, and carried into the Air at a prodigious distance; nor did the strong Churches escape the Fury; th [...] Lead in several places being ripped off and rent in piece [...] [...] the Stones shaken and uncemented; and particularly that [...]ous and ancient Church in the Temple, suffered by this Storm, which for its Violence, seemed to threa­ten the Dissolution of all things, & by its force, in shaking the Steeples, made the Bells chatter in some Steeples.

This was but the least part of the Mischief the fury of the Wind occasioned, for in places where Houses stood most ex­posed, it took off whole Roofs, and scattered them in the Air, wounding, if not killing divers Persons, whilst the Ruins eve­ry where spread the Streets; and we had an Account, that in a place called Gravel-Lane, a Boy and a Man were overwhelm­ed, and killed in their Beds by a Stack of Chimneys which broke through the Roof the House upon them; and a Carman being early up to remove some Goods, had the misfortune to be [Page 3] beaten down in Thames-Street, by the fall of several Bricks from the top of a Chimney, and his Scull being broke, he died of the Wound.

The River of Thames raged with impetuous Violence, be­ing agitated by the Fury of the VVind, meeting the Tide, and dashed to pieces a great many VVherrys, and some Lighters driven from their Anchors, which appeared the next Morning by the VVrecks, and broken pieces that floated in abundance, and divers dead Bodies were taken up, and discovered, as well below as above Bridge, supposed to have been cast away in this impetuous Storm; and divers are likewise missing, and en­quired after; and happy it was for many Hundreds, that it fell out in the Night-time, otherways, few that were on the VVa­ter, any thing far from Shore, must have expected to escape. But deplorable and ruinous was the sight in the open Fields, and enclosed Grounds, where mighty Oaks and Elms, out of the Age of Man's Memory lay rooted up, having turned up with their Roots, upon their falling, whole Loads of Earth, the Branches of their main Roots as thick as a Man's Thigh, being snapped asunder, part up, and part remaining in the Ground; and mighty Arms of Trees bestrewed the Fields, and Roads, carried in the Air an extraordinary way, some of which beat, and did considerable damage to the the Neigh­bouring Houses and Barns, and this not only in the Country, but near Town, for in that famous Park by White-Hall, known by the Name of St. James's Park, the pleasant VValk of the King and Queen, and Court, Nobility, &c. a great many of those stately Trees on the North side the Pall-mall near St. James's were blown up by the Roots; others were split in sun­der, some again were snapped short, and others had their great Arms blown off, so that those that were blown down were sawn asunder, to clear the VValk, their largeness not admit­ting of any other speedy way of removal; and this Ruine happened not only in the VValk, but other places of the Park, the young and pliable Trees suffering very much, as well as the large and stubborn; nor did White-Hall, or St. Jame's e­scape marks of this Storms Fury; and that the City might no more boast of her pleasant VValks in the Moor-Fields, by [Page 4] New Bethlehem, Ten or Twelve of those Trees, planted out of the Memory of Man, were blown up by the Roots, or rent in sunder, beating down, and breaking the Rails in their fall: As for Pails, Palisado's, Fences, and things of that kind, they made but feeble resistance, being for a great part broken, and carried away at a great distance; the Cattle in divers places, that were in the Fields, were blown forcibly into Ditches, Ri­vers, and Ponds, where several of them perished for want of timely Help. Several Carriers that were upon the Road, had their VVaggons overturned by the fury of the VVind, and di­vers Market-VVomen in their going home, were blown, toge­ther with their Panniers and Dorsers off their Horses; nor was this the greatest damage, for not only whole covering of Barns, but a great number of Reicks of Hay, Corn, Pease, &c. were taken up and scattered in the Air, so that the ground was covered very deep with the Spoil of the Country, one Man's Corn or Hay being frequently carried unto another Man's Ground at a great distan [...]e; as in other places were Sheets of Lead, Timber, and Roofs of Houses, the Thatch of Thatch­ed Houses flying in the Air like little Clouds, insomuch, that, together with the Snow, it darkened the Light that faintly ap­peared from the Moon; a great many Houses were qui [...] blown down in several places, and about two hundred stocks of Chim­neys fell in and about London, not only destroying before them, but wounding, or killing many People; and although this was every where lamentable at Land, yet it proved more dread­ful at Sea, and in the Harbours where the Shipping lay; for in the Downs no less than Fifty Ships in great precipitation were obliged to cut their Cables, and stand off to Sea in great Confusion and Disorder some of them f [...]lling foul of the Shoal and Sands, others forced to throw their Lading over Board, to save their Lives, whilst the Masts, Rigging, and Galleries were rent and broken with the fury of the Wind; and we are credibly informed, that several Ships are cast away, and a great many Men drowned, Wrecks of Ships, Goods, and dead Men being cast ashore in many of our Ports.

And we had News of the Loss of an East-Indian Ship, to the value of 20000 l. but it is since contradicted, though she [Page 5] received considerable damage in the Storm, and very hardly weathered it: Our Men of VVar escaped the best, yet not with­out some damage in their Masts, and Rigging. We have it strong­ly reported, That several French Privateers that were crusing Abroad for Prizes, were cast away; and that the Western and Eastern parts of France have suffered considerable damage; and not only Paris has felt its Fury, but that King's stately Pallace at Versailles, one of the finest in Europe, is dismally rent and dis­mantled, and will require a great sum to repair it; and a num­ber of his Ships are missing that were driven out of his Ports of Brest and Versailles.

We do not hear from Scotland, that this Storm reached so much Northward as that Kingdom; but have daily fresh Ac­counts from many places of the almost inexpressible Damage it has done in the most Southern parts of England being a very melancholly Relation, and the sum of Loss sustained very Ex­cessive, so that those that reckon the least, make it extraordi­nary, requiring much Time and Money to repair it. Many Boats upon the River of Thames breaking loose, have been since found as far as Graves-end, whither they had been driven with incredible swiftness; and several Lighters were staved in dri­ving against the Piles of the Bridge, and other places. The Ships that lay at Anchor in the River, were beat against each other, and the Sea-men's Labour proved ineffectual, in keep­ing them from considerable damage in their Hulls; and it may not without good ground be suspected, that Countries which lay low to the Sea, have suffered by Over-flowings, or innunda­tions for; agitated by this furious VVind, the Ocean appeared so exceeding Mountanous, as if it had threatened to swallow the Land, above which it raised its VVaves: This Storm which began about Twelve at Night, lasted till about Five in the Morning in its full force, to the great Terrour and Amaze­ment of the People, some of them concluding it to be the end of the VVorld, which made them betake them to their Pray­ers, which they had not perhaps thought on some time before; but, according to the Prophet, When God's Judgments are A­broad, the Nations will learn Righteousness; then what remains, but that we look upon this Storm, as an Admonition from [Page 6] Heaven, to give us timely warning to repent us of our Sins, and turn away from the Evil of our doing, cleaving to that which is Good, and forsaking that which is Evil, that it may be well with us, and a worser thing may not befall us, for the Al­mighty for the most part shakes, like a compassionate Father, the Rod of Correction before he strikes, and if we will return to our Obedience, he will keep back the Execution of his Indig­nation, and not suffer his Fury to be poured out. A timely Re­pentance disarms him of his Thunder, or stays it in the mid Volsey, stops his hand, who at Pleasure can Arm the Elements, to punish our Disobedience.

After this Storm was over, the Sky that had been troubled with tumultuous Clouds, cleared up, and grew Serene, it Free­zing very hard, as it did all the next day, the Wind-being come about to VVest by Nore.

And thus, Reader, you have a Relation of what has occurred in relation to this unusual Storm, the greatest that has been in the Memory of Man, and not to be parallel'd by that which so amused this Kingdom, in the Year One Thousand Six Hun­dred and Sixty, about the time of the Death of Oliver the Pro­tector.