A True and Exact RELATION of the late Prodigious Earthquake and Eruption of MOUNT-ÆTNA, or MONTE-GIBELLO  
As it came in a Letter written to His Majesty from Naples by the Right Honourable the Earl of Winchilsea, His Majesty's late Ambassdor at Constantinople, who in his Return from thence visiting Catania in the Island of Sicily was an Eye-witness of that Dreadful Spectacle.  
Together with more particular Narrative of the same as it is Collected out of several Relations sent from Catania.  
Published by Authority.  
Dublin Printed, by Benjamin T●●k●, Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majesty, and a●e to be sold by Samuel Dancer, Bookseller in Castle-street 1669.   

A true and Exact Relation of the late Prodigious Earthquake and Eruption of Mount-Ætna, or Monte-Gibello, as it came in a Letter written to His Majesty from Naples by the Right Honourable the Earl of Winchelsea, His Majesty's late Ambassador at Constantinople, who in his Return from thence visiting Catania in the Island of Sicily was an Ey-witness of that Dreadful Spectacle. Together with a more particular Narrative of the same as it is Collected out of several Relations sent from Catania.  
May it please your Majesty.  
IN my ●●yage from Malta to this place wherein I have used all the diligence the Season hath given me leave, I touched at the City of Catania in Sicily, and was there most kindly invited by the Bishop to ledge in his Palace, which I accepted, that so I might be the better able to inform Your Majesty of that Extraordinary Fire, which comes from Mount-Gibello 15 miles distant from that City; which for its horridness in the Aspect, f●r the ●ast quantity thereof, (for it is 15 miles in length and 7 in breadth) f●r its Monstrous Devastation, and quick progress, may be termed an Inundation of Fire, a Flood ●f Fire, Cinders and burning-stones, burning with that Le●● as to advance into the Sea 600 yards and that to a mile in 〈…〉 I 〈◊〉▪ And that which 〈…〉 〈…〉 Sea 〈…〉 in 〈…〉 Moment in s●me ●lac● or other, causing a great and horrible 〈…〉 and ●i●sing in the Sea; And thus more and 〈◊〉 after it, making a ●●●m f●●n●ation in the Sea it s●●f. I stayed 〈◊〉 from nine a cleck in Saturday morning, to S●●●n was m●●ning, 〈◊〉 Mountain of 〈…〉 with ●●d●rs ●ad ad●●●●ced into 〈…〉 20 yards at least in several places; in the middle of this fire, 〈◊〉 burned in the Sea, is hath form a passage like to a River, with its Banks on 〈◊〉 side ●cryst o● and C●a●●y, and in this Channel 〈◊〉 the greatest quantity of 〈◊〉, which is the m●st liquid, with 〈◊〉 of the same composition and ●●nders all red hot, swimming upon the 〈…〉 a great wa●●●tude; from this 〈◊〉 of fire d●●h proceed under 〈◊〉 great 〈…〉 the st●n●s which are generally three fathom high all 〈…〉 Country, where it burned and in other places much more, there 〈…〉 or Ritul●●s of this liquid matter, which communi●●●●● 〈…〉 and beat into all parts more or less, and m●l●s the st●nes and 〈…〉 by fit in th●se p●a●●s wh●●e 〈…〉 them, ●ver and over 〈◊〉, where it meets with Ricks or H●●●●s of the some matter (as 〈◊〉 are) they melt and go away with ●b● fire, when they find other 〈◊〉 s●●●ns, they turn th●m to L●●e 〈◊〉 A●●es (as I am informed) The composition of this fire, st●nes and ●●nders, are Sulphur, Nitre, Quick- 〈◊〉 or, So●-A●●●●●●, Led, I●on, B●ass, and all other Metals. 〈◊〉 motes 〈◊〉 regularly, ●●●fia●●tly 〈◊〉 bil●; in some places is hath 〈◊〉 the Valley's, Hill, and the Hilis that 〈◊〉 not high are now ral●●●. Wh●n it was u●ght I went u●●n two T●●ers in divers places, 〈◊〉 ●●●ld plainly 〈◊〉 〈…〉, as we judged, the fire to begin to ●●un from the Mountain i● a 〈◊〉 lion, the flame to ascend as high and as big as ●●o of the highest and greatest Steeples in Your Majesty's 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 up great st●nes into the Air●; I could see the River of f●re descending 〈◊〉 mountain of a terrible fiery or red 〈◊〉 ●ur, and st●nes of a p●l●r red, to swim th●●●n, and to be, s●me as big as an ordinary Table. We could see this f●re to more in several other places, and all the Country c●●ered with f●re, ascending with ●●eat flames in many places, smoking l●ke to a●●i●lent furnace of I●on 〈◊〉, ●●king a ●●ise 〈◊〉 the great pieces that f●ll, especially th●se which fe●● 〈◊〉 the Sea. A Ca●a●●er of M●●ta, who lives there, and 〈…〉 the River was as liquid where is Issues out of the 〈…〉, and 〈…〉 a T●r●ent with great v●●l●nc●, and 〈◊〉 ●●re or 〈◊〉 ●●th●● deep, and as b●●ad, and that no stones do sink therein. I assure Your Majesty 〈…〉 ●an ●●press how terrible it is, 〈…〉 the Art and 〈…〉 the world 〈◊〉, or divert that which 〈◊〉 burning 〈◊〉 C●●ntrey. In 〈◊〉 days time 〈◊〉 hath destr●●●● the habitation●● 〈…〉, ●●●seur made two bills ●f ●ne, 1000 pa●es b●●b a p●ec●, and 〈◊〉 is f●●r w●●●es in c●m●ass, as your Majesty will see by the dra●● 〈◊〉 that ●●ale the 〈…〉 send Berewith; It was the best I could ●et, but hath nothing ●f● the progress into the Sea, the confus●on was 〈◊〉 great in the City, which is almost surrounded with mountains of fire, that I c●uld not get any to draw one, but I have taken care to hate one sent after me f●r T●ur Majesty: ●f 10000 persons which inhabited Catania 3000 did only R●main, all their Goods are carried away, the Cannons of Brass are removed out of the Castle, s●me great Bells taken d●wn, the City Gates walled up next the fire, and preparation made all to abandon the City.  
That night which I lay there, it reigned Ashes all ●ver the City, and ten miles at Sea it troubled my eyes, this fire in its progress met with a ●ake ●f f●●r miles in c●mfass, and it was not only satisfied to fill it up though it was four faith m●d●e●, but hath made of it a mountain.  
I send also to Your Sacred Majesty a Relation in Print which the Bishop gave me, wherein the beginning is Related, and several curious passages. I most humbly beseech Your pardon for the hindering Your Majesty so long from Your better Employments; And I beseech you Great Sir ever to believe I ●oo● and Revencece Your Person above all Expressions, for I am,  
Naples the 27th of April 7 of May, 1669. Your Majesty's most obedient, most humble and most faithful Subject and Servant. Winifrid h●●●ea.   

A particular Narrative of the late dreadful Earthquake and Eruption, as it is collected out of several Relations from Catania.  
MOunt-Ætna, or Monte Gibello, a Mountain so renowned throughout the world for its height and greatness, but much more for those prodigious Flames, Smoak and Ashes, which it hath cast out from the top of it, whilst the other parts are continually (even in the midst of ●ummer) covered with Snow, has been for many Ages observed once, or sometimes oftener, in the space of about fifteen ●ea●s, to throw up more than ordinary flames, with much smoak and stones, and great quantity of ashes; which (though terrible to the neighbouring Towns and Villages) was yet wont 〈◊〉 little time to abate of its fury, and prove but seldom more ●●●●rous to the Country near it, than by communicating largely 〈◊〉 ashes, which though for the present it did somewhat incommodate them, they had afterwards a considerable compensation 〈◊〉 the product of their Lands, which by this means were ●endred more fruitful.  
But on Friday the 18th of March, 1669. the Sun was observed before its setting to appear of a pale and dead colour, which (being contrary to what it ever before appeared to us) struck no small terror into the Inhabitannts, all objects appearing also of the same colour, with a palness received from that of the Sun. The same night happened in this City, as well as the whole Country here abouts, a terrible and unusual Earthquake, whose strong and unequal motions, joined with horrible roaring from Monte Gibello, exceedingly frighted the Inhabitants, but was so extraordinary violent in the Country adjacent, that the people were forced to abandon their Houses, and to fly into the Fields to avoid the danger threatened them from the falling of their Houses. The Village of Nacolosi was of all others the most dreadfully handled by this furious Earthquake, the Houses and other Buildings being shaken all in pieces, and buried in their own ruins; the poor people (who had preserved their lives by a timely flight, with such little of their Goods as their hasty fears would permit them to carry out with them) continued a night or two in the Fields, beholding with grief and astonishment the ruin of their habitations. But observing that by these violent concussions the earth begun to open in several places, and to threaten them with inevitable ruin, they fled, though with much trouble and amazement to this City. These shake of the Earth being so frequent and violent, that the people went reeling and staggering, with much difficulty supporting one another from falling, insomuch as what with their want of sleep, the pains they were forced to take in travelling, and the great Terrors imprinted on them by what they have seen and suffered, they appeared at their arrival in this City, as so many distracted people, wholly insensible of what they did.  
The dreadful convulsion of the Earth was immediately followed on Monday March 11th about ten at night, by three terrible eruptions much about the same time, and at a little distance one from the other.  
The said Eruptions was observed there on the side of Monte Gibello, about two miles beyond the Mountain, called Montpileri, with a terrible noise it threw its flames with much fury and violence about a hundred yards in height, its noise not roaring only inwardly from the belly of the Mountain as before, but violently cracking like peals of Ordnance or Thunder, from the side of it throwing out vast Stones, some of them three hundred pound weight, which being as it were shot through the air, f●l● sseveral miles distant from the place, whilst the whole air was filled with Smoak, burning Cinders, and Ashes which fell like a flie●y Rain upon the Country.  
In the mean time issued from the side of this prodigious Moun●●●● a vast torrent of melting and burning matter, which like an ●●●●dation drowned, as in a flood of fire, the Country on this 〈◊〉 of it.  
This burning River ran down upon the Mountain Monpileri, ●●ich, opposing us direct course, it divided itself into two ●●●●ams, which encompassed the said Mountain, one of them ta●●●g its way by La-Guardia, the Convent of St. Anne, and Mal●●●●●; the other by the Towns of Monpileri and Falicchi, which in 〈◊〉 ho●rs were wholly destroyed and lost, not so much as any sign 〈◊〉 ●hem remaining, with several lesser Villages and Farms, and 〈◊〉 them the famous Image of the blessed Lady of the Annuncia●●● which though highly reverenced throughout the whole ●●land, esteemed the wonder of Sicily and the whole world, and 〈◊〉 which the people with much devotion resorted in pilgrimage 〈◊〉 the remotest parts, was also swallowed and consumed by 〈◊〉 dreadful Torrent.  
This fiery and burning Deluge immediately spread itself to a●●●● six mile in breadth, seeming to be somewhat of the colour 〈◊〉 ●elted and burning Glass, but as it cools, becomes hard 〈◊〉 ●ocky, and every where in its passage leaves, Hills and Pyramids of that matter behind it.  
At the same time monte Gibell● from its top raged with dread●●●●lames, which with its noise and concusions of the Earth still continuing, added not a little to the terror of the People, who 〈◊〉 with ●●●es and lamentations about the City and Country, enlisting nothing but to be swallowed or consumed by ●ire, having 〈◊〉 other apprehensions but of of death and a general conflagration.  
The two torrents of Fire came forward, destroying all things in their way, and by Wednesday, march 13th, had one the West side branched itself into several streams, and over-ran Cam●●●●tund●, St. Pie●●● and M●●torbianc●, with La Potielli and St. Antoni●●: And on the East-part ruine●d the lower pa●t of 〈…〉 and Le Placchi, taking its way towards this City.  
On Thursday the 14th the wind came East-wards, 〈…〉 day fell abundance of Rain, which abated not the prog 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Fire, which on the East-side had from Mascaluc●●● made 〈◊〉 way to St. Giovanni di Galermo, the lower part whereof is destroyed, and passing on seemed to threaten this City on the o●e side, as did that on the Westside the other.  
As the Fire approached, the religious every where appeared with much devotion, carrying in procession their Relics, especially those of St. Agatha, the famous martyr of Catania in which they reposed no small confidence, followed by great multiutdes of people, some of them mortifying themselves with Whips and other signs of penance, with great complaints and cries, expressing their dreadful expectation of the events of those prodigious fiery inundations.  
Whilst the people were thus busied in their devotions, and astonished by their fears, news was brought to the magistrates of the City, that a considerable number of Thiefs and Robbers had taken the opportunity of this general distraction to make a prey of the already distressed people, and that they had murdered several of them for their goods, and that it was to be feared that the City of Catania itself might run some danger from the great numbers of them which were about the Country, and from thence took their opportunities to get into the Town; whereupon consultation being had for the prevention of farther mischief from them, the Commander of the Castle was ordered with a considerable number of Horse and party of Spaniards to secure the Country and City against those Robbers, who immediately sent out several parties with his Provost Marshal, with order to seize on all suspected persons, and such as were not able to give a good account of themselves▪ and for such as were taken in the fact robbing, to execute them by martial law, without any farther trial, and accordingly caused three pair of Gallows to be set up up for their speedy execution, one before the Gate, D● A●●, a second in the marketplace, and a third before the Gate D●ll● D●cima, setting strong Guards before the Gates of the City, and causing all suspected houses to be searched, an account to be given 〈◊〉 of all Lodgers, and such persons to be secured as could any 〈…〉 ●all under a suspicion.  
The poor people out of the Country being by this prodigious 〈◊〉 stripped out of all than estate, and reduced to great extremity, fled most of them for refuge and relief to this City, with 〈…〉 lamentation, moving the charity of the magistrate, which 〈◊〉 readily inclined to give them the best assistance they were 〈◊〉; and the Citizens', moved by their complaints and sufferings, 〈◊〉 opened their doors, filling their houses with as many of 〈◊〉 distressed people as they could possibly receive, the Bishop 〈◊〉 all persons of quality and estate contributing largely for their ●●port, till better order could be taken for the disposing of ●●em.  
The City of Messina also, and several other Cities informed of 〈◊〉 extraordinary calamity, sent hither large supplies of provasi●●s, offering their best assistance to thi● place in case of extremity.  
All the Elements seemed at this time to make war against us, ●●d to conspire together for the punishment of the Inhabitants, the Air was continually darkened with clouds and smoke agitated 〈◊〉 great and violent winds, and oftentimes showered down great 〈◊〉 insomuch as the Sun f●om the beginning of these eruptions very seldom appeared to us, and when it did (with extraor●●a●y pa●e●e●●) for a little time only, and (as it were abhorring 〈◊〉 dreadful a spectacle) soon hide its face again under a thick cloud.  
The Sea ran much higher than it was wont to do, and by its extraordinary roaring, and in some places overflowing its banks, ●●ded not a little to our constern●ion; the Land every where 〈◊〉 with Thiefs, insomuch, that till by the extraordinary 〈◊〉 taken by the magistrates and officers several executions was 〈◊〉 upon such as were apprehended in the fact, no person was 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 abroad without danger of his life, whilst the fire by 〈◊〉 prodigious overflowing of the mountain threatened to take possession of them all.  
On Friday the 15th, the stream of fiery matter which destroyed the lower part of St. Giovanni di Ga●lermo, divided itself into two parts, one of its branches taking its way toward M●sterbianco, the other threatening the City of Catania, but this last was observed to move with more slowness than before, having in twenty four hours time scarcely gained one mile.  
On the 30th being monday, the to●●en●s being still seen to draw nearer and nearer unto this City, the Senate & monsegu●●r Cam●uchi, the Bishop of this place, followed by all the Clergy, Secular and Regular, and an infinite number of people went in a solemn procession out of this City to m●nte di St. S●phia, carrying out with greatest devotion thei● choicest Relics, and upon a● Altar e●ected in view of the mountain, exposed them, where they celebrated mass, and used the exorcisms accustomed upon such extraordinary occasions, all which time the mountain ceased ntr as before with excessive roaring to throw up its smoke and flame, with extraordinary violence, and abundance of great stones which we●e carried through the Air, some of them falling within their view though at ten mile's distance from the eruption, the ashes which proceeded from thence were scattered in great abundance, aswell on this City as on the Country adjacent, every where i● the Fields with Cinders, and the heat of the s●id Ashes destroyed the gra●●, which obliged the people to drive away their Cattle to a further distance, which would otherwise have perished for wa●t of food.  
There streams of ruin daily crept nearer and nearer to this City, but b● unevea and irregular motions, according as it was more or less supplied from its foundation. But on Wedne●day the 20th we perceived that that branch of it which seemed most to threaten this City from St. Gi●vanni de Gale●mo wa● wh●lly extinguished, and that which bent its course towards M●ste●●ia●●● ran but slowly, and gave us some hopes that its fury was also near spent; but the other torrent which had before overthrown M●●terbianco continued its motion with as much violence as ever, being in breadth above a musquet-shot over, but in probability ●ould not easily overflow to the Westwards, which was defended by its rocky situation: Another branch which ●an by S●●●● Pietro was observed to be much larger than the rest, and ●●s ●●●eam more quick and active, but meeting with some ●pp●●●●on 〈◊〉 its way, it made some stop, only sending out a R●v●let towards the Eastward about three of four yards wide of its mo●● 〈◊〉 active matter, which directed its course toward a small village about a furlong distant from its main stream; another branch threatened Campo R●tund●, but bent its course Westwards towards the Farm of Valcorrente, where its fiery body was scattered ●●to several deep and rocky places, without any considerable damage.  
About this time we had hopes that the violence of this eruption had been over, the mountain not throwing out its flames 〈◊〉 that violence as before, and its noise and roaring in a great 〈◊〉 ceased.  
Those who at nearest distance took a view of the mountain, in●●●med, that the top of it was falle● in; the mountain supposed 〈◊〉 want near a mile of its former height, that the largest of the ●ouths from whence these fiery streams were vented, was about 〈…〉 in compass, but the view of this dreadful inundation ●●●●ied so much terror in it as they were not able to express, from all these mouths were vomited Rivers of a thick and fiery sub●●●ce stone and metals melted, whose depth was various, according to the several places it filled in its passage, in some places four, in others eight, twelve or fifteen yards and upwards, its breadth in ●●me places, 〈◊〉 miles, in others much more, its flame like that of 〈◊〉, and its motion like that of Quicksilver, advancing ●●dina●●ly very slowly, unless where it was provoked by the ad●●tion of a fresh torrent or some considerable descent; wheresoever it passed it left large heaps of its congealed matter, with ●●ich it covered and burnt the earth, melting the walls of Castles and Houses, throwing down and consuming all before it, nothing ●eing yet found able to resist its force, nor any thing able to ●●ench burning, water being observed rather to add to its fury, wheresoever it had passed, it had left its dreadful marks behind it, ●●velling some Hills and raising others, so much changing the Situations, that not the least trace of any place or Town remains, nothing being to be seen but confused heaps of ragged Stones, which yielding a noisome fume, strike terror and astonishment into all that behold it.  
On Friday the 22th the mountain roared with much loudness, and threw up from its mouths a vast quantity of matter, which form two large hills higher and larger than that of Monpilori, with a large bank of the same matter to the Eastward, sending down a violent stream of its liquid matter towards Malpasso, much enlarging the former Current, and passing thence to Campo Rotundo, and Santo Pietro completed the Ruins of those Towns, ●●iving furiously towards M●●●●●●ianco, the other stream by Santo ●●●●●nni de ●●●●●●o being wholly diverted and extinguished?  
From this time till the 25th the mountain continued silent, but than it burst out again with more force than ever before, its noise much louder, like Pele● of Ordnance, and so forcible and lasting as for 24 hours it caused a shaking and trembling in our buildings, the Air so filled with smoke and Ashes as darkened the face of the Sky?  
The Birds and Fowl about this time, either through want of food or illness of Air which was corrupted with the noisome smells arising from these burn, were observed to lie dead in all places?  
On the 28th the grand Current was advanced near the City as far as the old Capucins which struck so great a terror into the people that most of them left the City, only some Officers remaining with such persons as were under their command, who have secured and sent away the magazine, and all the Artillery from the Castle.   

A later Relation from Catania bearing date the 27th of April, gives us this farther account, viz.  
The dreadful Inundation from monte-Gibello having destroyed many Castles and Towns: with an infinite loss and utter ruin to the Inhabitants, arrived lately with a renewed force at Most●rbianc●, which it has wholly ruined, from thence passing unto Albanelli in 4 day's space destroyed all the Gardens and Vineyards, with sixty three thousand Vines?  
On Wednesday April the 16th with an Impetuous fiery Torrent it came towards St. A●iell, where all the remainder of the Inhabitants of this City we●e Spectators of it, which resembled a Rivers of melted and burning brass about 30 els wide, running with ●●●●ness to the Arch of Marcus Marcellus a famous piece of 〈◊〉, and passing under it ruined about 6 els of it, which was 〈◊〉 breadth of the Current in that place, from thence it ran to Madonna d● Monserrato which is wholly destroyed, then falling 〈◊〉 to M●●●nna d●le Gratie it entered in at one Gate and passed ●●●●●gh another, without any considerable hurt, and running ●●●ough the Gate Dell● D●●●ma filled all the Plain Di Schiara ●i●a 〈◊〉 it was above 6 els deep, then taking its way towards the ●●●wark on the Sea side, under the Castle of this City, it ran 〈◊〉, two els deep into the Sea, in which (to the great wonder of 〈◊〉 that saw it) it has made its progress a mile in length, and as 〈◊〉 in breadth, and is drawing towards the gate of the Channel, ●●●ch gives us great apprehensions lest it may that way invade ●●e City itself; Nor is there less danger on the side Deltindaro ●here there runs a great Torrent of the same active matter, which ●●awes near, and seems to threaten the Walls, and is in that place 〈◊〉 a mile in breadth, having overflowed and destroyed all the 〈◊〉 from the gate Della Decima as far as Madonna delli 〈◊〉   

List of the most considerable Towns and place Ruined and destroyed by the dreadful Earthquake and Eruptions?  
The Towns of Padaro and ●re Castagne, the greatest part destroyed by the Earthquake?  
●●e Towns of Le Guard●●, Malpasso, Campo R●tund●, La 〈◊〉, St. Pietro, M●sterbianco, Mon●pileri, L● A●●●●eiata, Fali●●b, Pla●●h●, wholly overflowed consumed and lost in this fiery Inundation, with all the lands belonging to them, no footsteps of them remaining?  
The Towsn of Mos●●lu●ia, and St. Gio●●onni de Galer●●, ruined ●n part.  
The large Gardens and Vineyards of Albanelli, overflown and destroyed  
The famous piece of Antiquity of Marcus Marcellus much ruined.  
Madonna d● Monserrato destroyed, besides many Castles, Farms and other place, which have run the same fortune, whose names were for brevity passed over.  
FINIS.