Strange
and
wonderful
News
from
Dover
,
&c.
AMongst
all
the
familiar
Wonders
which
Almighty
God
performs
and
brings
to
pass
in
the
world
by
the
ministry
of
his
Handmaid
Nature
,
there
is
scarce
any
more
remarkable
than
that
of
Thunder
and
Lightning
:
How
confounded
are
the
Learned
in
their
searches
after
the
cause
?
and
how
blinded
when
they
go
about
to
give
a
rational
account
of
its
effects
?
The
proud
Heathen
Emperor
whom
his
own
vanity
and
others
flatteries
had
puff'd
up
with
a
conceit
of
his
being
little
less
than
a
Deity
,
when
once
he
heard
a
Volley
of
Heavens
Artillery
discharg'd
in
a
Thunder
clap
,
confess'd
him●el●
less
than
man
,
and
in
a
ridiculous
Cowardize
endeavour'd
to
hide
himself
under
a
bed
:
Nor
can
the
most
steeled
Atheist
or
mocker
of
Religion
weather
a
Tempest
without
betraying
his
guilty
fears
with
the
trembling
of
his
Joynts
&
the
paleness
of
his
Countenance
.
—
The
voice
of
thy
thunder
maketh
them
afraid
,
saith
the
Psalmist
:
and
well
it
may
,
if
we
consider
either
the
astonishing
Horrour
it
carries
with
it
in
its
manner
,
or
the
lamentable
Disasters
frequently
occasion'd
thereby
.
Of
both
these
the
present
Relation
is
a
sad
and
sufficient
Testimony
.
On
Wednesday
the
26th
of
July
last
,
a
Ship
called
the
Henry
and
Mary
belonging
to
Dover
,
Mr.
D.
H.
Master
,
being
outward
bound
for
Newcastle
(
the
Northern
Indies
of
our
little
British
world
)
lying
at
an
Anchor
off
of
the
Kentish
Knock
,
a
mighty
Tempest
of
Thunder
and
Lightning
arose
;
the
whole
Hemisphere
from
the
Zenith
to
the
Horizon
was
overspread
with
thick
pitchy
Clouds
,
which
permitted
little
more
light
than
what
proceeded
from
terrible
and
frequent
Flashes
.
The
roaring
seem'd
so
great
,
as
if
the
whole
frame
of
the
World
had
been
about
to
be
dissolved
,
and
every
Star
hurl'd
from
its
Sphere
,
to
be
violently
bandied
against
the
rest
.
In
the
midst
of
this
amazing
Conflict
of
the
Elements
,
a
Thunder-bolt
(
or
what
is
usually
so
called
)
happen'd
to
light
upon
the
aforesaid
Ship
,
and
in
a
moment
struck
one
of
the
Ships
Crew
,
named
William
Eaton
,
stone-dead
upon
the
Deck
,
and
yet
not
the
least
appearance
of
a
wound
to
be
discovered
about
his
whole
body
,
but
some
parts
of
it
turned
very
black
,
or
of
an
unusual
Livid
colour
;
and
at
the
same
time
a
Boy
belonging
to
the
Master
,
was
likewise
stauck
down
and
lay
for
dead
a
considerable
time
without
breathing
sensibly
,
or
giving
any
Symptomes
of
Life
,
save
only
his
continuing
warm
;
which
encouraged
them
,
assoon
as
they
hid
leisure
,
to
use
means
for
his
Recovery
,
which
at
last
they
obtained
,
bringing
him
again
to
life
,
and
he
is
like
to
do
well
;
but
for
●he
present
was
miserably
bruised
in
all
parts
of
his
Body
,
and
yet
nothing
did
touch
him
but
the
Lightening
,
nor
was
his
Skin
any
way
broken
:
But
as
for
the
other
man
,
he
was
absolutely
struck
dead
in
an
instant
,
no
Art
or
Means
being
able
to
recover
him
.
But
besides
this
particular
personal
Damage
,
the
whole
Ship
was
in
no
little
danger
;
For
their
Top
mast
was
set
on
fire
by
the
Lightning
,
and
burning
furiously
was
very
like
to
have
destroyed
them
;
but
bestirring
themselves
with
that
diligence
which
became
them
in
such
an
exigence
,
they
prevented
that
disaster
,
though
the
said
Mast
(
as
they
report
)
continued
burning
all
Night
.
Nor
did
their
Main
Mast
escape
much
better
,
for
it
was
split
in
two
above
half
way
,
and
each
part
wrythed
and
twisted
round
like
a
Wyth
,
very
strange
and
wonderful
to
behold
,
so
that
it
was
rendred
utterly
unserviceable
:
And
that
which
makes
this
Accident
more
remarqueable
is
,
that
there
lay
another
Ship
just
by
,
who
received
not
the
least
damage
or
prejudice
in
her
Men
or
Tackling
.
We
have
it
lately
asserted
in
Print
from
good
Authority
,
that
Two
Ships
sayling
to
the
West-Indies
,
about
the
Latitude
of
Bermudas
,
a
tempest
of
Thunder
setting
part
of
one
of
their
Rigging
on
fire
,
with
other
damage
,
caused
this
worder
too
,
That
the
Needle
or
their
Compass
shifted
its
Points
clean
contrary
,
stand
ng
to
the
South
instead
of
the
North
,
which
misled
the
Marriners
,
so
that
they
shap'd
their
Course
directly
back
again
;
and
yet
did
not
dream
but
they
had
been
very
orderly
pursuing
their
Voyage
,
till
the
other
Ship
admiring
at
it
Tackt
,
and
coming
up
to
them
found
out
the
mistake
,
and
lent
them
a
pair
of
Compasses
,
for
all
the
Compasses
the
other
had
on
board
were
changed
as
aforesaid
;
and
if
they
turn'd
the
Needle
with
their
finger
to
the
North
,
it
would
not
fix
,
but
presently
return
to
the
South
Point
:
Whether
any
such
thing
were
observed
in
the
present
Case
,
I
cannot
affirm
;
but
this
is
certain
,
that
they
were
forced
to
put
in
again
at
Dover
,
where
they
Refl●ted
,
and
the
dead
body
being
there
brought
ashore
,
was
buried
,
having
been
first
viewed
by
divers
people
.
What
remains
,
but
that
all
Persons
that
shall
read
or
hear
this
sad
and
most
true
Relation
,
be
intreated
and
seriously
admonish'd
to
consider
and
lay
to
heart
,
the
great
uncertainty
of
Life
;
How
strangely
,
how
unexpectedly
,
how
suddenly
,
in
a
moment
,
may
we
be
snatcht
away
:
And
then
what
manner
of
persons
ought
we
to
be
in
all
Godliness
and
holy
Conversation
,
lest
that
Day
,
that
terrible
m●m●nt
of
Death
,
come
upon
us
not
only
unawares
,
but
take
us
unprepared
without
an
Interest
in
Christ
,
or
any
assurance
obtained
of
Reconciliation
and
Peace
with
God
,
or
of
his
Love
and
Pardon
to
our
poor
immortal
Souls
;
let
us
not
defer
Repentance
,
let
us
not
put
off
Amendment
of
Life
(
as
too
many
do
)
until
to
morrow
,
for
who
knows
but
this
Hour
,
this
Minute
may
be
our
last
?
Nor
may
this
less
stir
us
up
to
a
constant
and
conscientious
performance
of
the
Duty
of
Prayer
,
which
as
it
is
ever
profitable
,
and
at
all
times
commendable
,
so
it
is
dayly
needful
;
at
Night
it
is
our
Covering
,
in
the
Morning
't
is
our
Armour
:
Nor
can
we
at
any
time
promise
our selves
the
least
Safety
or
Security
,
but
what
we
obtain
from
the
Almighties
protective
providence
.
I
was
credibly
informed
,
that
about
two
Months
ago
,
a
Minister
of
an
eminent
Town
in
the
West
of
England
,
upon
a
great
Tempest
of
Thunder
and
Lightening
hapning
in
the
Night
,
having
called
up
his
whole
Family
to
wait
upon
the
Lord
in
Prayer
,
as
they
were
on
their
knees
in
a
Parlour
,
a
Thunder-bolt
(
or
what
you
please
to
call
it
)
came
in
at
the
top
of
the
house
,
and
so
down
through
several
Chambers
,
tearing
the
Timber
and
Walls
,
and
making
great
havock
as
it
passed
,
till
it
came
to
the
said
Parlour
,
which
it
went
clear
through
,
and
struck
out
the
Candle
,
with
so
much
terrour
,
that
each
person
thought
all
the
rest
were
destroyed
.
But
the
gracious
God
they
were
calling
upon
,
preserved
them
all
safe
,
so
that
not
a
Hair
of
any
persons
Head
present
was
hurt
thereby
.
So
good
it
is
in
all
our
dangers
and
distresses
to
cast
our selves
in
Faith
upon
the
God
of
our
Salvation
,
who
never
deceiveth
those
that
trust
in
him
:
Let
us
all
therefore
,
warned
by
such
frequent
Examples
,
labour
while
it
is
called
to
day
,
to
work
out
our
Salvation
with
fear
and
trembling
:
Let
us
dayly
live
as
if
every
day
we
expected
to
die
:
Let
us
walk
soberly
and
righteously
in
this
present
evil
world
;
and
in
all
our
out
goings
,
undertakings
,
and
perils
,
commit
our selves
to
the
Mercies
of
God
as
unto
a
faithful
Creator
,
and
then
no
evil
shall
happen
unto
us
.
FINIS
.