Friday, April 06, 2012

A Warning to the Wyse, a Feare to the Fond, a Bridle to the Lewde, and a Glasse to the Good

On April 6, 1580 @ 6:10 PM tremors shook the city of London when an earthquake occurred in the straits of Dover. As Thomas Churchyard noted:
a wonderful motion and trembling of the earth shook London and Churches, Pallaces, houses, and other buildings did so quiver and shake, that such as were then present in the same were toosed too and fro as they stoode, and others, as they sate on seates, driven off their places
The quake was estimated to be about 5.5 on a Richter scale altho they didn't use that measurement back then. It was felt in England, France, Germany & the Netherlands.
As was typical of the time, some folks thought it was a sign from God. Puritans, like their modern counterparts, the religious right of today, blamed it on the theater crowd.
Since fault lines tend to shift more often than just once, another quake is overdue, besides the impact on the Chunnel, London is about 50 times the size it was in 1580. There seems to be a movie there…..

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