¶ A warning for the wise, a fear to the fond, a ●…idle to the lewd, and a glass●… to the good.  
Written of the late Earthquake chanced in London and other places, the. 6. of April 1580. for the glory of God, and benefit of men that warily can walk, and wisely can judge.  
Set forth in verse and prose, by Thomas Churchyard Gentleman.  
Seen and allowed.  
¶ Imprinted at London, by john Allde, and Nicholas Lyng: and are to be sold at the west door of Paul's Church. Anno 1580. April. 8.   

To the Right worshipful his very good friend, M. Alexan●… Nowell, Deane of Paul's.  
THe fatherly and faithful manner of your divine Doctrine (M. Deane,) with the blotlesse life you lead (sounded by the universal report of good people) made me often desirous to dedicate some labour of mine, to the protection of your sound judgement. And now pricked forward by God's mighty motion (and marvelous works of late) to bestow a few verses to a virtuous parsonage, in a vicious world & dangerous season, I have chosen you among a multitude, to sound out the trumpet of God's glory, and to give passage to the plainness of my pen, and willing pains I have taken: Not as though my words or invention (void of deep profundity) might advance any way the high majesty of God, or further the good Fame you have gotten. But being in humility of mind, looking to the baseness of this world, and meanness of my calling, (unfurnished both of heavenly gifts & worldly good fortunes) I presumed thorough my pen and study, to purchase you a friend, and reclaim the enemies of God to come home to their consciences, and look on the wonders of the Lord, that daily is working among his loving people. So neither meaning to flatter (where tender ears can abide no doubleness) nor stretch out a bare Epistle, with a long discourse of borrowed words, I betake you to the almighty, committing that follows (this simple short Schedule) to the great and good consideration of your Wisdom. From my lodging this eight of April. Your well willer always at commandment.  
Thomas Churchyard●….   

¶ Churchyards admonition to the Reader.  
I Trust (good Reader) that the fresh memory of this late wonder shall make thee to look backward unto thy former faults, and make thee a new man, i●… cleanness of life. For the stranger the things are that our eyes behold, the more the impression of the mind is earnestly occupied about the understanding of a wonder. And the oftener we see marvels, the more is God's might made manifest, & we the more afraid to offend. But perhaps, some fine headed fellows will wrest (by natural arguments) God'S doing and works, to a worldly or earthly operation▪ proceeding from a hidden cause in the body and bowels of the earth. As in deed of many other earthquakes before, hath been written and thoroughly disputed: A reason that man maketh, and a matter to be spoken of, but not much to be commended. Let such fine wits search out secrets, and sift what they can from the bottom of their senses. Yet those that fear God, (and feel in their consciences a divine motion from the consideration of worldly wonders) will take the Earthquake to be of another kind of Nature: And beholding the miraculous manner of the same, with open arms, and humble heart, will embrace God's visitation, & worthily welcome the messenger he sendeth. Which assuredly cannot come, without his providence, nor be seen without his heavenly will and pleasure. And this is much to be noted: If natural causes only compelled such earhquakes (and procured such tremblings,) then aswell in the wild fields, as in the civil Towns, these alterations were often to be found. In deed many grave authors write, how mighty mountains have been removed, & whole Countries have been drowned, by the occasion of earhquakes. But in those kingdoms, the Lord of all Kings (for some hidden judgement to himself) bore a greater sway in those causes and places, than any other natural properties. And though that in many territories & open fields (as good books make report) Earthquakes have been seen, and great hurt hath been done: yet the harms that come by Earthquakes in a civil town (where God is honoured and taketh care of his people) argues a marvelous mystery, and persuades a further matter, than weak witted men may meddle withal. For sundry Cities have sunk, & millions of Houses, Churches, Towers, and walls, have been by Earthquake utterly overthrown. But commonly such wonders are seen, where all the world may be a witness of God's great glory: and man's unsurety of life may be thoroughly understood. Now if for all things that suddenly happen, a reason may be made, and natural arguments lead man's belief from the hope, fear, & confidence in God, then though thousands of wonders happened in a day, not one among ten thousand would think that God doth any thing at all, but as natural causes do fall out, ●…h thing to have both beginning and their end. God keep his chosen from such a conceit of chance, and belief of blindness. But now to be plain, no threatening serveth a naughty servant, No whip, nor rod, amendeth a loitering scholar, nor no example may reform a filthy liver. For when the plague is past, the people fall to pleasure. And even as a horse forgets the spur, & falls to a i●…nbeling pace, immediately after his gentle remembrance: so man thinks no longer on a wonder than a dream, and makes no more account of a marvel, than if a trifle had been told him. Yet my hope is (good Reader) that the wise will be warned, and the well disposed person will be the better, while he liveth, as oft as this late Earthquake shall come to his mind and memory. For it was marvelous in the sight of man, & a great thing (no doubt) before the face of the Almighty: to whom be praise and glory for ever.   

¶ The report of the said Earthquake, how it began.  
ON wednesday in the Easter week, being the sixth day of April. 1580. between the hours of five and six in the evening, happened generally through all the City of London, & the Suburbs of the same (as it were in a moment and upon the sudden) a wonderful motion and trembling of the earth, in somuch, as Churches, Palaces, Houses, and other buildings did so quiver and shake, that such as were then present in the same were tossed too and fro as they stood, and others, as they sat on seats, driven off from their places: some leaning backwards, were ready to fall: and many beside so shaken standing, that it brought such terror to those that were in the same houses, that the most part feared, their houses would come down upon them, and thereupon ran out of their doors in great pe●…plexitie, to see whether their houses were still standing in their wont place or no. And some houses did so crackle, that the tables and stools, with other furniture, as Bra●…e and Pewter, so tottered, that it was thought they would have fallen to the ground, and the houses rest insunder. And this chanced not only in London (& the suburbs of the same) but also in divers other parts through the nearest places of our knowledge in England. But specially about S. Katherins, the Limehouse, & Rad●…liffe, where the people were so marvelously amazed, that it was pitiful to behold how fearfully they ran out of their doors, and how strangely one would behold an other, thinking verily, that the latter day had been come. And the houses on London bridge did shake even in the same sort as in other parts of the City. Whereby it appeareth, that the said trembling and moving of the earth, did not only pass under the houses on the firm ground, but also under the rivers and waters. And to signify better the generality of the same, you shall understand, that the Abbey Church at Westminster, was there with so shaken, that one of the Pinnacles of the same, lost above one foot of his top, the stones whereof fell to the ground. Also the steeple in the Palace so shaken, that the bell of the great Clock sounded therewith, as though it had been stricken with some hā●…er. Also at White H●…l where her Majesty lieth, the great Chamber & other parts of the Court so shook, as seemed strange to such as were present. The new Hall of the middle Temple did so shake also, as it caused a number of Gentlemen (being set to Supper) to run forth with their knives in their hands, fearing that it would fall. It chanced also, Tho. Cobhed being in the pulpit in Christ's church in Newgate market, preaching to the people, suddenly the church so shook, the out of the roof of the same fell certain great stones, by the fall whereof, a boy named Thomas Grace, apprentice to john Spurling Shoemaker, was brained, and Mabell Eueret his fellow servant, was stricken on the head with a stone, being dangerously hurt, but is not dead: and a number of the people (by hasting to flee and scape away) were sore bruised and hurt, by falls and such like a●…cidentes. A number being at the Theatre and the Curtain at Hollywell, beholding the plays, were so sh●…ken, especially those that stood in the highest roomths and standings, that they were not a little dismayed, considering, that they could no way shift for themselves, unless they would, by leaping, hazard their lives or limbs, as some did in deed, leaping from the lowest standings. Also in Shordiche, and other places, fell Chimneys, and among others, in Filpot Lane, at Master Alderman Osbornes ●…el a piece of a Chimney: like wise from the top of Paul's Church, and other places, fell small pieces of stone, & mortar from the tops of houses. And other harm is not yet heard of (for the why●…h God be thanked.)  


LEt London weep, whose walls of late did shake with trembling fear,  
Put sack●…loth on, & wail your sins, with many a bytter tear:  
For in your pomp, and chiefest pride, when Plagues began to cease,  
And peoples hardened stubborn hearts, forgot the God of peace:  
An Earthquake came, with whirling noise as House and Tower should fall:  
A loving rod of threatening wrath, sent sure to warn us all.  
For such a terror did it bring, to every honest mind,  
As day of judgement had been come, with storm and whirling wind.  
The streets did shake, the Churches réelde, the ground it quivered sore,  
Men stood amazed, and women shrieked, the babes did cry and roar:  
The Stéeples tottered too and fro, and locks of doors did clink:  
The tiles from house came tumbling down, and ground began to shrink.  
The Bells did sound without man's help, the water wawmde and boiled.  
The trees and flowers did quake for fear, as fruit should clean be spoiled.  
The Theatre, for (some great regard) that open world should note,  
Was shaked so sore, that sundry there, a fearful frighting goett.  
Yea some were slain, & crushed with stones from Christ's Church roof that fell:  
And earth was brought, in such a state, as world should sink to Hel.  
The wondering sort (of wicked minds) that careless steps do trea●…e,  
Will smile to see the works of God, as wanton lives they lead.  
But those that grace hath touched within, by outward signs will show,  
That heart forethinks foul former faults, for fear of greater blow,  
Than now they feel through Earthquake strange, wherein Gods might in known,  
And London (if God's love had lacked) had surely been o'erthrown.  
Look in your hearts what cankers grow, where rust hath gotten root,  
And search your joints (you sick in spréet) from head to sole of foot.  
Talk not of God, and follow world, you know his name is great,  
So is his wrath, when that his hate, consumes you in his heat.  
You fine dissemblers, shroud yourselves within his mercy seat,  
And you that for this worldly much, your busy brains do beat,  
amend and fa●…l to better life: But you that wantoness are,  
Repent, or Gods right hand will marr●… the sale of all your ware.  
You greedy graceless Fulkers lewd, th●…t let's out gold for gain,  
Take h●…de, lest from the heau●…ns hie, hot▪ fire and Brunst●…ne rain  
Upon your heads, for shameful shifts: and you th●…t p●…lter still,  
With poor n●…es wives, come fear the Lord, for punish sure he will.  
You mighty men and wealthy Chubbes, that hurde up ●…hinkes in Chests,  
Proclaim a fast, and bold up hands, and leave your Bacchus feasts.  
You wicked folk that use deceit, in selling needful things,  
Tell tru●…th, and leave that lying trade, that God's disple●…sure brings:  
You Lordly masters, look on God, and govern well your charge,  
And ho●…de in youth, that revel makes, and riot runs at large.  
You game some servants, that do play●… your thrift away at Dice,  
Fling down the bones, forsake the flesh, in time reform your vice.  
You Pastors look, your Lamps be light, lest you in darkness fall,  
Fleece not the flock ye ought to feed, for God beholdeth all.  
You Courtiers live, as you are taught, bid fineness now adieu,  
Let Mammon go, run after God, who sh●…peth men a new.  
You Lawi●…rs cut, off long delays, knit suits v●… soon and short,  
Help poor men's suits, that people pla●…e, may give you good report.  
And all that in the City dwell, and every other where,  
Think on the earthquake, that you saw, 〈◊〉 ●…ife and breath you bear.  
For this was sent fr●…m father's hand, to make the child to know,  
The 〈◊〉 rod is near their backs, that out of order go.  
As yet ●…e shows a loving sign, but when he lists to lower,  
The reckless lads, and froward sonne●…, shall feel their father's power.  
This Earthquake is but half a check, to those that warning takes:  
But when in fury Plagues do chance, when earth and heaven shakes,  
Down comes the pride of Babylon, and all full flat on floor:  
As dust that now is underfoot, shall lie both rich and poor.  
Look●… for your fall, that long have stood, in pomp and glory great,  
The second Earthquake when it comes, will strike, before it threat.  
This came to try, how you can take a threatening at his hand,  
That rides upon the Starry clouds, and hath a whisking wand,  
Will make the world to yark and fling, when he sees time therefore.  
Well, for this season (gentle friends) I dare now speak no more.  
The judgements of the Lord are great, God grant, that well in gree,  
From him you do good warning take, and weigh these words of me.   
FINIS.  
qd churchyard.    

A true Report upon the great Earthquake.  
SInce foreign Reports (right christian Reader) may not suffice to call in question our frailty, nor the hearing of Children monsterously borne provoke us to bridle our untamed flesh, nor the wars and cruel bloodsheds of other countries with their great pes●…ilences, sorrows, and unquiet state can make us to be thankful for the Gospel which we have quietly maintaned by so gracious a Prince that the universal world hath in admiration: yet must this present cause this fearful w●…nder, this gentle token and sweet correction mortify our cankered conceits and break in pieces our hardened ●…arts.  
Dull sighted is that man that seeth no●… through this perfect spectacle the heavy burden of his grée●…ous offences, when Heaven and Earth, Fish and Fowl, Beasts and Worms quake for our sin.  
Now doth the ancient Enemy seek after starting holes, and with vain encouragements would persuade men to esteem these rare tokens as common trifles, therefore it behooves us to put on the helmet of Salvation, the sword of the Spirit, the Armour of life, & keep the Castle of a clear Conscience to with stand the grievous assaults of those three Rebels the world, the flesh and the devil.  
If we have with peter the Apostle broken promise with our Master, and denied him: let us also with peter the Apostle s●…ed sorrowful tears, and with hearty repentance win him to be our good Father again.  
If we have with cruel hands committed murder, or bonds of holy marriage: let us with David be wail the death of Urias, & lament the ray of Bet●…sabe, for he is a gracious God, and hath no pleasure to give unto his Enemy the old serpent the creature that he hath made and fashioned for himself to make up his number of Saints. If thou hast been a persecuter with Saul: thy remedy is to become a Preacher with Paul, for he hath no pleasure in the death of a Sinner, but rather that he may live and amend.  
If thou hast with Mary Magdalen broken the bounds of modesty, and followed the vain whistle of wantonness, forgetting from whence thou camest, whers thou art, and whither thou must: throw from thee the golden ball of pleasure which is secretly lined with poison, & humbly with Mary Magdalenanoint the feet of thy Saviour with the tears of thy heart and wipe them with the hairs of thy head.  
Do not with the unwise man fall in argument with thy maker why thou art made of this fashion or framed of the metal, for it is no reason the pot should say to the Potter why hast thou made me of this fashion? If thou find in thyself any imperfections by Nature: thy remedy is to make it perfect by Nurture.  
Set not thy glory upon sumptuous and stately buildings, which are subject to the wind that is due unto thy God, which both wind and wethers do obey, for so doing, thy wilful pleasure will in the end return thy woeful disproffit.  
Strive not with Pharo to be a roaring Lion, but labour with the Apostles tob●… a meek Lamb. Consider what a familienr name the Lord was content to take upon him having the choice of all names in his own hands. Had he called himself Emperor, to that name had belonged great majesty. Had he called himself King, great is the fear of a Subject toward that name. Had he called himself justice to decide controversies, there had belonged a worshipful reverence to that degree, but he to show the kindness of a merciful God: took the name of our Father upon him, and did not disoain to call us his Children. Then must we by natural reason think, which by bodily Fathers, when we see our own Children go astray, fall into themiseries of the world run after the flesh, and become careless of their Elders counsel, if it make our ●…eds grey, our hearts heavy, must it not needs offend our heavenly Father to see his sweet promises refused, his divine excellency so slightly credited, and his Ministers so slowly followed? That wounded man deserves to have his sore rankle, his flesh rot, & his bones putrefy, the knows a value and will not be his own Surgeon. Even so since it hath pleased him to say Come unto me all you that are heavy laden and I will ease you, if we come not, our sloth is the cause of our sorrow, and we found guilty of our own blood.  
If thou hast been prodigal or vainly spent thy life or living upon surfeiting dishes the worldly pleasure had provided for thee, or if thou hast doted upon the painted beauty of Harlots whose secret winks and privy smiles are like drawing Adamants.  
If thou hast been ●…ld in the Cradle of delight and ●…ng a ●…léep with the Sirens, labour earnestly in the Uiniard of thy mind and with the prodigal Son return to to thy Father, and say Father I have sinned against heaven and against thee, I am no more worthy to be called thy son. Then he according to his fatherly mercy will cause the fatted Calf to be killed, put a ring on thy hand and a fair garment on thy back. That we may be all so accepted after our time of prodigality & vain expense of life: let us which hearty repentance humble hearts & low knees pray unto the Lord to whom be all honour & glory. Amen.   

A true Report of the Earth quake in London.  
Two or three honest men that walked for their pleasure into Moorféeld (sitting upon a hill) were upon a sudden tumbled down with such violence that when they recovered themselves: they were so amazed that for a good space they could not one speak to the other.  
¶ Two honest Men more sitting on a Cannon upon Tower hill were on a sudden thrown of and the Cannons rolled and hop●… up and down very strange.  
The very waters and ditches shook and frothed wonderfully.  
There were divers Chimneys in many places about the City the upper part thrown down. The Beasts in the field ●…orde marvelously.  
In Christ's Church with a stone that fell, there was one killed, and many hurt, in stri●…ing to get forth of the Church.  
¶ They were so terrified in the Royal Exchange that many wept with fear, & with as much speed as they might many shut up their windows being very fearfully amazed.  
Through the whole City this sudden token was suddenly feared and I stand in do●…t will as suddenly be forgotten.  
A number of other things which are so commonly known as I need not to write them. This wonder came so unlooked for, that they forsook their houses in fear & with such things as they had in their hands, running into the streets gazing one upon an other. This being considered to show our thankfulness for so merciful a token let us desire the Lord our God to accept our humble prayer.   

A prayer  
O Heavenly father which of thy own free will and heavenly grace madest man like unto thyself, and commaundst all creatures to obey him after that our forefather 〈◊〉 had transgressed, by whose ●…al we became Children o●… death, when thy majesty was so mightily displeased that thou repe●…edst that thou madest man, ●…et upon thy fatherly good will remembering thy mercy: thou didst not disdain to send thine own Son to be born of the blessed Virgin Mary.  
And touching his manhood to take our ●…raile nature upon him to live here in sorrow, & anguish, to be despised of sinners, to be called be fore Rulers/ to be bu●…fetted, to be spit at, to be slandered, & cruelly misused, to be betrayed of his own servant judas, to be followed as a Murderer, to be delivered into the hands of sinners, to be crucified upon the cross, to be laughed at of his enemies, to 〈◊〉 water and blood for out sakes, to die among ●…heeues, and after to be buried & then to rise again, to be come fellow heir with the in thy everlasting 〈◊〉. For remēbraun●…e of these, and all thy other graces when thy sword o●… wrath is lifted up ready to confound us which rebel in sin against thy, them remember thy 〈◊〉 sons death, cast a 〈◊〉 thy pitiful eyes, behold his gree●…us wounds that bleed a fresh to pacify thy anger, for get (O Lord) the offences of our youth, blot out of remembrance the sins of our forefathers, & as it hath pleased thee to sand so gē●…e a remembrance as this earthquake/ when it was in thy hands to shake our bodies to dust, and our souls to he●…: so merciful Father give us thy spirit of grace to takethy warning so thankfully, & so mortify all worldly desires in our hearts, that we may just for thy coming, and humbly pray thee to hasten thy kingdom, that we may be partakers of thy heavenly felicity and fellow sharers with thy Saints and martyrs to glorify thy name. Grant this for thy dear sons sake, to whom be all honour/ praise & glory world without end.  
Amen.   


YOu that desire to hear of Foreign news,  
or tales new ●…oynd by rumours rash report:  
Lay by such care good friends leave of to muse,  
the tale I tell shall sound in better sort.  
No toy, no trifle, nor surmised jest:  
But worthy well to lodge in every breast.   

When Mountains move as late they did in wales  
great sign it is the nature than is crossed:  
When monstruous Infants tells such doctor's tales  
the token shows sun favour hath been lost.  
With him that hath in charge the use of all:  
To spill or save, to raise or let us fall.   

When bla●…g stars, and bloody clouds do●… show  
then time it is for men too search a new:  
And mark the stock from whence these graffs do▪ grow  
the fruit more strange than any gardener knew  
the Ai●…e is choked with vapour of our sin:  
When such unwonted tokens call us in.   

The very seas of late have changed their tides  
'tis not so strange as true the Sailors know:  
Few things or none in former state a bides,  
such swelling floods, such great and monstrous snow  
with other wonders to to strange to tell:  
A charm for flesh when nature would rebel.   

The branch of pride bears such a gallant gra●…  
that plainness now is thrust unto the wall:  
And c●…uetousnes hath conquered such a place,  
that charity must let his action fall.  
Such writs of error subtlety brings in:  
That Conscience verdict is not worth a pi●….   

The Child desires his father's death for wealth  
both most & least make Idols of their gold:  
Forgetting death that cré●…peth in by stealth,  
to kill desire if bayard be too bold.  
The silver key now opens every gate:  
Such is the blindness of our present state.   

〈◊〉 doth keep so great a coil,  
that Saints & Martyrs they are slain a new:  
And Usury breeds such a bloody broil,  
that Poverty bids all his joys adieu.  
Blindness hies him ●…ast to cut the cards:  
too smother law with bribes & great rewards   

Then Gl●…ttony doth challenge for his share  
his earthly joy, which is his paunch too fill:  
And wicked lust tha●… bids a fig for care,  
doth think this wanton world will tarry still.  
With several sco●…fes they do not blush to say:  
Put of repentance till an other day.   

But if these tokens which be past and gone,  
have took no root at all within your hearts:  
You needs must grant this earthquake to be one,  
unless you challenge Heaven for deserts.  
Our health of souls must hung in great suspense  
When earth and Sea do quake for our offence.   

But now you Stewards which are put in trust  
prepare against your Captain call account:  
See that your books, and reckonings fall out just  
I fear your payment will your wealth s●…rmosit.  
Turst not in s●…uces nor a golden tale:  
The law is hard, the judge will take no bale.   

Let faith and truth give sureties of your life,  
first honour God, and then obey your Prince  
Use upright dealing both to man and wife:  
conquer each cause that once may breed offence.  
So shall you live devoid of all complaints:  
With Psalms of joy to sing among the Saints.   
FINIS.  
Richard Tarlton.   

¶ Imprinted at London by john Allde and are to be sold at the West door of Paul's Church by Nicolas Ling.