DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70267#0195
DESCRIBED BY AN EYE-WITNESS.
169
pearance of her, and to attempt any search in such a place,
would have been only exposing his own life, The second
is of a Mr, Vincent, who had been absent from Lisbon a
considerable time, at a town called Martinico, eighteen
leagues from Lisbon, but his ill fate prompted him to come
to this city, at which he arrived upon the evening of the
fatal day, in order to partake of some diversions j but he
never left the house he slept in, being suddenly crushed to
death before he was dressed, and buried in the ruins, which
is the only tomb he is ever like to have, for though his
friends after many fruitless searches, discovered, as they
supposed, the remains' of his body, they found them so
putrid, broken, and scattered, that it was impossible to re-
move them. The last case is still more lamentable ; it is
of a young lad, brother to Mr, Holford of London, remark-
able for his modesty and affable behaviour: he was walking
through one of the streets near the front door of a parish
church when the first shock happened, at which time he
had both his legs broken by the fall of a large stone : in
this miserable condition lie lay some time, in vain beseech-
ing the terrified passengers to take some pity; at length a
tender-hearted Portuguese, moved by his cries, took him
up in his arms, and carried him into the church, as ima-
gining this a safer place than the open street ; at this in-
stant, the second shock entirely blocked up the door, and
the body of the church being soon all on fire, the lad was
burnt alive, with his generous assistant, and many other
poor wretches, who hoped to have found there some
shelter.
They have been employed now for several days past in
taking up the dead bodies, which arc carried out into the
neighbouring fields, but the greater part still remain under
the rubbish, nor do I think it would be safe to remove them,
even though it were practicable, on account of the stench :
fhe King, they say, talks of building a new city at Belem,
lout be this as,it will, it is certain he will have no thoughts
169
pearance of her, and to attempt any search in such a place,
would have been only exposing his own life, The second
is of a Mr, Vincent, who had been absent from Lisbon a
considerable time, at a town called Martinico, eighteen
leagues from Lisbon, but his ill fate prompted him to come
to this city, at which he arrived upon the evening of the
fatal day, in order to partake of some diversions j but he
never left the house he slept in, being suddenly crushed to
death before he was dressed, and buried in the ruins, which
is the only tomb he is ever like to have, for though his
friends after many fruitless searches, discovered, as they
supposed, the remains' of his body, they found them so
putrid, broken, and scattered, that it was impossible to re-
move them. The last case is still more lamentable ; it is
of a young lad, brother to Mr, Holford of London, remark-
able for his modesty and affable behaviour: he was walking
through one of the streets near the front door of a parish
church when the first shock happened, at which time he
had both his legs broken by the fall of a large stone : in
this miserable condition lie lay some time, in vain beseech-
ing the terrified passengers to take some pity; at length a
tender-hearted Portuguese, moved by his cries, took him
up in his arms, and carried him into the church, as ima-
gining this a safer place than the open street ; at this in-
stant, the second shock entirely blocked up the door, and
the body of the church being soon all on fire, the lad was
burnt alive, with his generous assistant, and many other
poor wretches, who hoped to have found there some
shelter.
They have been employed now for several days past in
taking up the dead bodies, which arc carried out into the
neighbouring fields, but the greater part still remain under
the rubbish, nor do I think it would be safe to remove them,
even though it were practicable, on account of the stench :
fhe King, they say, talks of building a new city at Belem,
lout be this as,it will, it is certain he will have no thoughts