eminence. On the introduction of Christianity, it is reasonable to fuppofe it acquired its prefent name from having been appropriated to the fervice of an heathen idol. These circumstances may have given rife to the legendary tales and awe for the spot, which is now fcarcely erafed from the memory of the neighbouring villager.

The Wonderful Recovery of ANN GREEN, who was hanged. for fuppofed Murder, as recorded by Dr. PLOT in his " Natural Hiftory of Oxfordshire, p. 197.

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In the year 1650, Anne Green, being a fervant-maid of the Right Worshipful Sir Thomas Read, of Duns Tew, in Oxfordshire, was with child by fome fervant or other of the family (as fhe conftantly affirmed when fhe had little reason to lie,) and, through over-working herself in turning of malt, fell in travail about the fourth month of her time: but being a young wench, and not knowing what the matter might be, repairs to the houfe of easement, where the child (fcarce above a fpan long, of what sex not to be distinguished,) fell from her unawares. Now presently after, there appearing figns of fome fuch matter, and she before having confeffed that fhe had been guilty of what might occafion her being with child, a search inftantly was made, and the infant found.

"Whereupon, within three days after her delivery, she was conveyed to the caftle at Oxford, where forthwith (an affize being purchased on purpose) she was arraigned before Serjeant Umpton Croke, then living at Marston, who fat as judge by a commiffion of oyer and terminer, and by him sentenced to be hanged; which was accordingly executed on the 14th of December, in the faid caftle yard, where the hung about half an hour, being pulled by the legs, and ftruck on the breaft (as the herself defired) by divers of her friends; and, after all, had feveral ftrokes given her upon VOL. I. No. 1.

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the ftomach with the but-end of a foldier's mufket. Being cut down, she was put into a coffin, and brought away to a houfe to be diffected; where, when they opened it, notwithstanding the rope ftill remained unloofed, and ftraight about her neck, they perceived her breast to rife; whereupon one Mafon, a taylor, intending only an act of charity, fet his foot upon her breaft and belly; and, as fome fay, one Orum, a foldier, ftruck her again with the but-end of his mufquet.

"Notwithstanding all which, when the learned and ingenious Sir William Petty, (who was the fon of a clothier at Rumfey, Hants; his fon was made Lord Shelbourne; and his lineal defcendant is now Marquis of Lansdown), then anatomy profeffor of the Univerfity, Dr. Wallis, and Dr. Clarke, then prefident of Magdalen College, and Vicechancellor of the University, came to prepare the body for diffection, they perceived fome fmall rattling in her throat; hereupon defifting from their former purpofe, they prefently used means for her recovery by opening a vein, laying her in a warm bed, and caufing another to go into bed to her; alfo ufing divers remedies refpecting her fenfeleffness, head, throat, and breaft, in fo much, that within fourteen. hours fhe began to fpeak, and the next day talked and prayed very heartily.

During the time of this her recovering, the officers concerned in her execution would needs have had her away again to have completed it on her: but by the mediation of the worthy Doctors, and fome other friends with the then governor of the city, Colonel Kelfey, there was a guard fet upon her to hinder ali further disturbance till he had fued out her pardon from the powers then in being; thousands of people in the mean time coming to fee her, and magnifying the juft providence of God in thus afferting her innocency of murder.

"After some time, Dr. Petty hearing fhe had difcourfed

with those about her, and fufpecting that the women might fuggeft unto her to relate fomething of ftrange vifions and apparitions the had feen during the time the feemed to be dead (which they already had begun to do, telling about that the faid, she had been in a fine green meadow, having a river running round it, and that all things there glittered like filver and gold) he caufed all to depart the room but the gentlemen of the faculty who were to have been at the diffection, and afked her concerning her fenfe and apprehenfions during the time fhe was hanged.

"To which the answered at first somewhat impertinently, taking as if she had been then to fuffer. And when they fpake unto her concerning her miraculous deliverance, she answered that the hoped God would give her patience, and the like: afterwards, when he was better recovered, fhe affirmed, that the neither remembered how the fetters were knocked off; how she went out of the prifon; when she was turned off the ladder; whether any pfalm was fung or not; nor was the fenfible of any pains that he could remember: what is moft obfervable is, that he came to herself as if she had awakened out of a fleep, not recovering the use of her fpeech by flow degrees, but in a manner altogether, beginning to speak juft where the left off on the gallows.

"Being thus at length perfectly recovered, after thanks given to God and the perfons inftrumental in it, fhe reti red into the country to her friends at Steeple Barton, where she was afterwards married and lived in good repute amongst her neighbours, having three children afterwards, and not dying as I am informed till the year 1659."

A SINGULAR PHENOMENON, near Warrington, THIS

HIS phænomenon was observed in the atmosphere, in the neighbourhood of Warrington, on the evening of Friday, June 16, 1798. A dark thick cloud of a confiderable

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extent,

extent, and forming almost a direct line parallel to the horizon, lowered over part of the adjoining country, chiefly Cheshire; when towards the centre a water-fpout of immense magnitude appeared, lengthening by degrees until it affumed a formidable appearance, in the shape of a sugarloaf reverfed, and extending, from bafe to point, to the eye of the spectator, nearly 1-16th of the whole hemisphere. It moved in a curvilinear form, the point inclining from the South, the cloud ftretching out due North and South. It frequently varied its fize, fometimes extending within a few feet of the ground, then feemingly drawn upwards. At one time it remained stationary in respect to form and fituation for near ten minutes, but never burft, not meeting, as fuppofed, with attracting fluid, which at fea ferves to form that immenfe body of water, which at last breaks from its own weight. After varying its length for some moments longer, it entirely disappeared, and was embodied in the cloud. Between the cloud and the horizon the fky appeared a dufky yellow, which ferved to mark the dark edge of the cloud and the water-fpout with a peculiar gloom. After the appearance of this phænomenon there was scarce a day paffed here, for the continuance of nearly a month, that it did not rain in perfect torrents. Its appearances were during the time of Newton races, to the no little difmay of the crowd affembled on that occafion, and to the horror of the farmers, who foreboded in confequence fome moft melancholy catastrophe to their harvest.

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The Wonderful Effects of Earthquakes. Extracted from Spallanzani's "Travels in the Two Sicilies" (Vol. IV. p. 153.) WHEN I travelled in those parts, the dreadful effects of the earthquake of 1783 were the common fubject of dif courfe. On my entering, in the felucca, the Strait of Meffina, fome of the people who were with me pointed out to

me

me the fhore of Scilla, where a great number of people were drowned at that calamitous time. A dreadful shock of an earthquake took place, about noon, on the 5th of February of the above year, which terrifying the people of Scilla, they fled in crowds to the fhore, when, about eight o'clock the following night, according to the Italian reckoning (i. e. about one in the morning), another violent shock fucceeded, in which the waves rofe fo high that they covered the whole fhore, and out of more than a thousand perfons who were there collected, among whom was the Prince of Scilla himself, not one escaped to relate and mourn the fate of the reft. The furious waves, rushing into the ftrait, penetrated to the harbour of Meffina, and nearly funk the veffels there at anchor.

When I arrived oppofite to the city, I began to see the fatal and ruinous effects of this dreadful earthquake. The curvature of the harbour was formerly embellished, for the extent of more than a mile, with a continued range of fuperb palaces, three ftories in height, ufually called the Palazzata, inhabited by merchants and other perfons of opulence, which formed a kind of fuperb amphitheatre. The upper ftory, and a part of the second, of thefe buildings were entirely thrown down, the lower greatly torn and damaged, and the whole of this extensive pile deserted by its inhabitants.

"When I entered the city, every object which met my. view tended to awaken melancholy fentiments and commiferation. Excepting fome of the wider and more frequented streets, the reft were all heaps of ruins, either piled up on each fide, or scattered in the middle, and rendering it impoffible to pass them. Many of the houses were still in the fame ruinous ftate in which they had been left by the earthquake; some entirely destroyed and levelled with the ground, others half thrown down, and others still standing, or rather hanging in the air, merely from the fupport

afforded