The great wonders that are chanced in the Realm of Naples, with a great misfortune happened at Rome and in other places, by an earth quake in the month of December last passed.  
Translated out of French into English, by I. A. 1566.  jerem. 18. When I take in h 〈…〉 to root out, to destroy, or to waste any people or kingdom, if that people against whom I have thus devised, convert from their wickedness, I repent of the plague that I devised to bring upon them.  


GEntle Reader by this little discourse,  
Which doth contain things wonderful & high  
And that one God doth number days & hours  
Thy hour to be uncertain thou mayst see.  
In reading it thou mayst likewise remember,  
That great City called Sodom and Gommor:  
To be in great peril to sink without succour,  
Which will not God alone in fear & faith honour.    

Psal. 107. vers. 33.  

For running floods to dry deserts,  
He doth oft change and turn:  
And drieth up as it were dust,  
The springing well and burn.  
A fruitful land with pleasures decked,  
Full barren doth he make:  
When on their sins that dwell therein,  
He doth just vengeance take.    

To the Reader health.  
FOrasmuch (gentle reader) as the Lord god the lover & preserver of things which he hath created, giveth us oftentimes warnings and foreshowings, & doth declare his divine power by showing of signs and tokens, and things more than natural, as the examples thereof are very familiar and plain in holy scriptures, as well in the old as in the new Testament, making sometime the thunders, tempests, & earthquakes, ministers and executors of of his vengeance and justice. Those his ministers or scourges, are to admonish us, and to call us to repentance, showing thereby unto us his great clemency and goodness, for so much as his heavy displeasure is kindled towards us, and his wrath nearer than we be aware of, when that we knowledging ourselves to be grievous sinners, will not repent & amend our evil and perverse life. I thought it there fore good, to put into our vulgar tongue these wonderful chances that are happened of late days, as well in the borders of Naples, as also within the City of Rome, the. xuj. xvii. and xviij. days of December last past Anno. 1565. by the which thou mayest in my judgement gather some fruit, whereby thou mayst remember the great and unspeakable power of our good God, and his secret judgement. Wherefore I pray thee to take this my little work in good part. God of his goodness defend & keep you.  
From avignon the. xxvij. of january.   

The great wonders that are chanced in the Realm of Naples, with the great misfortune happened at Rome by an earthquake in the month of December last passed.  
¶ The Copy of certain letters sent from Naples, to Cardinal Alexandrian, of that which hath happened in the said country, the. 16. 17. and 18. days of December last.  
FIrst there is overthrown a Palace by the force and violence of the wind and earthquake: in the fall whereof was slain under the said Palace xxv. persons, standing in a town called rain, within. thirty. miles of Naples.  
Moreover there are overthrown by the like tirrible wind and earthquake, five Castles belonging to the Lord Carigoll, that is to wit, the Castle Casignam, Valerin, Saint George, Saint julian, and Saint Angel, the which at the very season did sink, & were swallowed up. The said Castles were standing towards Sallerne.  
More the Palace or Castle of Poliquam is opened by the Earthquake, the breadth and measure of fifty spaces.  
More there is a Laake near to the said Castle by Angully, that is dried up, and no man can judge which way the water is gone out, nor what way it hath taken.  
More a great flood or river, that none could pass without Baarges or Boats, is likewise dried up, and the water consumed and gone.  
Likewise in the town of Basillicat, the bishops Palace, and the great walls compassing the said Palace, is also thrown down.  
The Flood and water of Nevo that was very great, is also lost and clean consumed, as the others aforenamed, eight days before the Earthquake.  
The Castle of Vicelle, fell down by night, and a little town near unto it, with a great number of houses and villages, and there is made count of twelve thousand people that are slain.  
The Castle of Cappello is almost all shaken down, with the death of seven hundredth persons.  
There hath been such a wind at Rome that it hath blown down a great many houses, and thrown down a great number of trees, since the. 17. and 18. of December last passed.  
The river of Tiber was seen covered with such a quantity of dead fishes, that they think not so many to be left living in the said River, as there was seen dead.  
The pestilence or plague is grievouser in Turkey than ever it was, and the Turk is so cumbered with war, that he requireth help of the Christians.  
FINIS.   
Felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautu. 
¶ An admonition or Warning to England.  

LO here O England thou, thy fatal end mayst see:  
A warning great if thou be wise, this same may be to thee.  
Behold what noble things are come to ruin great:  
When fruits are ripe, thou well dost know, then are they plucked to eat:  
The sin is very ripe, the banks do over flow:  
The time will come when thou shalt be, like these be brought as low.  
If thou do not repent, when mercy stands in gate:  
I fear me when thou wouldst feign, that it will be to late.  
Take time while time doth give, a leisure for the same:  
Remember well that time hath feet, and she is nothing lame.  
Before long hair she hath, behind she quite is polled:  
Put to thy hand, and of her locks, see that thou take good hold.  
Fall now for to repent, for lo, she still doth stand:  
And eke behold how for to cut, her Sith is in her hand.  
Not four Months fully passed, since these were like to thee:  
And now th'earth hath gaped so wide▪ that swallowed up they be.  
What was the cause right well, the scripture us doth show:  
It was the very sins of them, that brought those towns so low.  
Thy sins do more abound, what filth is not in thee:  
Why shouldst not thou be swallowed like as all these Castles be?  
But that the mighty God of his abundant grace:  
Doth yet in mercy grant to thee, somewhat of longer space.  
Consider how he fierce, of late hath dealt with thee:  
Because these Castles and thyself, after might warned be.  
And now because nothing, could make them to repent:  
From thee he did transport to them, his grievous punishment.  
Thy warning could not serve, ne yet theirs could serve thee:  
Well now for their refusal great, swallowed up they be.  
Amend my country still, I thee desire and pray:  
For I a member of thy state, were loath thou shouldst decay.  
Behold thy loving Lord, his sword is in his hand:  
Thee to the earth to fling in ire what can his force withstand:  
Can mighty gates of brass, can Castles strongly built:  
His force withstand? his very breath, these Castles quite hath spilled.  
No mean there is in deed, that can his plagues withstand:  
But only this repentance may, by mercy stay his hand.  
Repent in time therefore, to God for mercy cry:  
Which when thou dost his mighty hand he stayeth by and by.  
For thus he plain doth say, when sinners shall relent:  
And turn from sin, I even then likewise myself repent.  
Of all the plagues which I upon them thought to bring:  
Lo here the mercy great I say, of our most heavenly king:  
Their sins Ill quite forget, if they will turn to me:  
I will remember them no more, though thousands that there be.  
Remember Niniveh, how that when god had sent:  
jonas the Prophet unto them, they strait ways did repent.  
Whereof did come that God, his wrath did still restrain:  
Repent therefore in time I say, so mayst thou still remain.   
FINIS.  
ꝙ john Partridge.   

Imprinted at London by Henry Denham for Tho mas Hacket, and are to be sold at his shop in Lumbart street.