heavy news  
¶ Of an horrible earth quake which was in the city of Scharbaria in this present year of. xlij. The xiii. day of june.  
¶ Also how that a city in Turkey is sonke●;   

¶ The heavy news contained in a letter sent out of Italy.  
Right douty and well-beloved Lord I let you wit the pytieful new tiding and horrible earthquake, which I myself have seen, where I with my two company 〈…〉 was at in by a town, which 〈◊〉 about xvi mile from Florence, a●●●s called Scharbaria, where we wer●●●●ged over night. On the xiii da● 〈◊〉 june of this present year one ho●●● before the break of the day, hath almighty God of his great mercy an● fatherly love preserved us 〈…〉 from all evil and 〈…〉 which we never 〈…〉 praise him. 〈…〉 that throu●● 〈…〉 he will alway preserve us. For we may surely mark well enough by the wonderful tokens that he hath prophesied to come, and partly do now daily chance, before our eyen, that the day of doom is at hand.  
In the morning one hour before the break of the day did rise great and horrible earth quakes: for there happened seven in the space of an h●ure, & I with me two fellows were al● three in sleep in the bed, in an in of the suburbs, near to the gates, which was a great fortune fo●●s that we were not closed in.  

¶ The first earthquake.  
The first earthquake was so fear●● 〈◊〉 ●ade so great a noise, that I 〈…〉 roughte at the first 〈…〉 ●yshynge that I 〈…〉 ●ut at the same 〈…〉 house begin to cleave in sunder, and the chymeney with the thank to fall, so that we did fly contynently, & how we escaped can not I tell: yet through the help of God, did we escape without hurt or harm of our bodies. But within the city are nearhand sunk and broken all the houses, and some folk perished. The churches & great houses are all fallen to the ground. The people that was left in life did cry Misericorde with great chattering of tethe, by reason of the fear, and ran out of the city into a moras ground, where we were fled also with our host and his household.  
Helas for pity, there was so pitiful an outcry and howling of men and women, as I never did hear all the days of my life. Much people did lie beside the stones and timber, which could not be holp for fear: whether some did run to them, that can not I tell: For I can not fully write unto you of the horrible punishment and advertisement of God.  
furthermore did there rise at the same hour yet uj earthquakes more the one after the other, which were so horrible at the first, that the earth did so shake, as though it would have opened itself, and swallowed us all. It was so calm wether, that one leaf of the trees did not move. The sky was so dark and black, that I for my part did wait for the clering thereof every twynckeling of an eye. Summa every thing was much more, and more horrible, than I can ever describe unto you. Nevertheless God gave grace, that the darkness voided, and the day came again, the wind began also to blow again: wherefore we were glad and lauded and thanked God, which had so graciously showed his mercy to us.  
After that did we ride to Florence, our Lord be merciful unto us: for I believe surely that I have in deed seen an example of the domes day. The town hath yet left four hundredth and twenty heerthes or places for fire.  
Good Lord what a pitiful crying and calling upon God was herd there. To burn a town is not to be compared by this dolorous chance. God our Lord grant unto us all his mercy, that we may by this earthquake amend and convert us to his glory, and our soul's health. Amen.  
Like earthquakes have been at Florence, and in all those countries, but they have not done so great hurts save only that they have overthrown many chymenies. This have I written unto you in hayste, because the Post could not tarry.   

¶ An other new tiding that is happened in Turkey.  
IN Turkey (as I understand) is a city sunk into the ground, out of the which is not one man escaped.  
She lieth in a plain country, from the which the turkish safferon cometh, about a days journey from Solonichio, which is a renowned city in Turkey. Thus far ye well. In my nex writing unto you shall ye have farther certification of all things ⸫    

¶ Imprinted in Aldersgate street by Nicolas Bourman.