¶ A copy of the letter sent from Ferrara the xxij. of november. 1570.  
¶ Jesus dixit illis. Putatisque hi Galaelei precunctis Galaeleis peccatore, fuerint quia talia paess●sunt non dico vobis, imò nisi recipucritis omnes simul perhibitis. &c.  LVCAE. 13. 
Iesus answered & said unto thē, suppose ye that these Galilans were greater sinners then al the other Galileans, because they suffered such punishment? I tell you nay: but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen vpon which the Tower in Siloe fell & slue them: think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelled in jerusalem, I tell you nay, but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.   

¶ A true copy OF A LETTER SENT FROM FERARA the xxij. of november. 1570.  
THE great and horrible earthquakes, the excessive and unrecoverable losses, with the great mortality and death of people, the ruin and overthrow of an infinite number of Monasteries, palaces, and other houses, and the destruction of his graces excellencies Lastell, haue altogether amazed with fear, impoverished, afflicted, and astoined the hartes of the poor people: in such wise, that the death would be more agreeable unto thē, then the expectation of the like scourge to come again. The which made us all think for a certaintye, that thende of the world was at hand. You shall therfore understand, that on thursday the xi. day at x. of the clock in the night there happened an earthquake which endured the space of an Aue mary( as the Italian phrase is) whereby many Chymneyes of houses fell down. And within a little while after another earthquake was heard. In the whole until ij. a clock in the morning there happened xiiij. earthquakes wherewith many houses were overthrown. The friday following which was the xvij. of the said month the earth quaked all the whole day. If it had been but thrice in one hour. What a noise and dreadful fear with lammentable waylings might it haue made think you: But in dede al those were none in comparison of that which happened in the night at iii. of the clock: whereby the sky or elem ent became obscure & dark: There rose a vehement & great winds at iiij. of the clock, the clement was clear, & the move rose & appeared with a comet joined to it, having a tail two fadomes long to mens iudgement, & within an hour after which was at v. of the clock: such obscurity and darkness was in the element that one man could not see an other. And suddenly arose diuers earthquakes. Of which one continued the space of an hour & then fell the Castle & the Bishops house, and the Palace de la Ragion, xij. Monasteries, S paul with diuers churches and palaices, & an infinite number of houses, O God what a lamentable thing was this, what ruinous overthrows & terrible dreads happened. The Duke & the duchess went speedily to a garden of theirs without Ferara. And caused a pavilion to be pytched, wherein they remained: three of his graces pages & iiij. of the Duchesses were slain with the houses of the castle that fell vpon them, & many other officers that could not escape away in time. I myself at that instant was in my chamber sitting at the table which was raised up a fadom in height, & I fell down & perceived the top of the house fallen and the ●… ou●… rent & break in pieces: wherewith being astoyned I lept out at the window in a maner a pikes length to the ground, & withdrew myself into the new● market place which is great without measure. I left my gold and silver behind me, thinking myself happy to haue saved my life. I found in the said new market place more then v. thousand persons men and woman which had the is children in their arms making such a lamentable noise that it was heard( as certain countrymen reported) x. Italian miles of. we were all on our knees praying & saying many prayers on each parte that it was marvelous to hear. And no doubt but that any stony heart would haue been moved to pity & compassion thereby. And being on our knees, above vi. times we fell on the ground meruelouslye shaken & tossed with the earthquakes. And continued so until saterdaye at x. of the clock in the night and two a clock in the morning. I leave the consideration of the pytyfull lamentation of noble gentlewomen & others, & the clamorous criinge out of the people with execrable cursinge of the Duke, seing their houses abound & flow with wine & corn and all things appertaining to the state( I say) of gentill and honourable, and in one hour to be deprived and bereft of all and impoverished altogether. They are in dede matters worthy to be remembered and noted of vs. The prison fell down & the prisoners escaped: wherefore the gates were shut, & none could issue out, many leaped over the walls, and by the means saved themselves. At my coming I shall recoumpt every thing to you at large: But five sheets of paper will not suffice to writ the whole matter. The Duke gave commandment, that every man might bake bread in their houses, which was a token that he began to remember his covetous & gready error. In dede his cruel tyrannyes were the occasion of all these ruins. Do not you think it a great matter that he had sold all the taxes or tributes unto a Venetian gentleman of his name Il Sforza. And none afore could bake any bread vpon a great pain without his commission: Also if one did we are a pair of new shoes without paying tare or tribute he lost L d. Italian, & should suffer three pulls with the cord afterward, was not this a ravenous suckinge of the common peoples blood mark whether God revealed not these things to come by the Dukes secretary name M. John Baptist Pigna a very learned man, a great Philosopher, and brave & cunning Astrologier: who the sondaye before which was the xij. of this present month framed these words unto the Duke his master, My Lord I perceive, that the people do greatly murmur against your grace which if you redress not I doubt( no I am very sure) that this week will not be ended before you shall see very● earthly and heavenly tokens as might be earthquakes: The Duke answered, it was told me that there should haue been earthquakes in may past, and yet there was none sene. M. secretary without other reply said, God grant there happen none. And the Secretary the day before the earthquake, went from Ferrara and carried all his stuff with him and all that was in his house, having built a goodly palace a little while before, the which was also overthrown. The earthquakes are numbered to haue been a hundred and four in xl. houres. Yet for all these, they ceased not, but on Twesdaye the xxi. of the month in the morning, there were iiij. other great earthequakes, wherewith many houses that stood not overthrown, though shaken and torn, fell to the ground. And it is said, that this earthquake shall endure xl. dayes. To morrow I take my journey toward you, and then will report you thereof at large. This city is smooth like a razed or shaven table, a man can not walk by the streets, half the houses are fallen down, the rest haue been shaken likewise. And if the earthquake do continue, you may red what will come thereof. The Duke and duchess make their abode as yet under the pavilion, the report goeth, that they will come and lye at Mantua. look for me to morrow, for I am in dread that of never so little a puff of wind will grow an earthquake. The just number of the people that be slain is not known. It is thought to be about. 2000.   

castles Churches, Monasteries, chief palaces all fallen to ruin.  

THE body of the Castle fallen to ruin.  
The whole palace de la Ragion with all the shops about it fallen.  
S. paul fallen to ruin.  
S. Fraunces in a manner all fallen.  
S. John Baptist the chief church all fallen.  
All the bishops lodging fallen down.  
All the walls of the nunrye called for de Christo toward the cardinal of Est, fallen down.  
All the caues and cellars where Malmesey is sold S. paul and where the hosiers dwell, are fallen down.  
The steeple of the house of the Religion called certosa fallen.  
A side of saint Benedictes, church fallen to ruin.  
All the side of the inn of the Bell toward the garden fallen to ruin.  
A part or piece of the inn of the angel fallen to ruin.  
The parte of the court where the halbardiers or gardare.  
Al the inn of the sun with al the shops about it.  
All the rooms or places of the Sincers,  
The Court of the Castle Tialto.  
A piece of the inn of the Moore.  
A piece of the house of Di Contrars.  
All the shops under the great and chief church where the Collone were, are fallen & broken in pieces.  
All the streets haue been destroyed without number and an infinite number of other houses and Pallaices which are not spoken of for brevities sake. You shall hear further with the first.    

imprinted at London in Paules churchyard, at the sign of the Lucrece, by Thomas Purfoote.