Pursuing the course of these grand revolutions further, we find notice of an unexampled earthquake, which, on the 25th of January, 1348, shook Greece, Italy and the neighbouring countries. Naples, Rome, Pisa, Bologna, Padua, Venice and many other cities suffered considerably: whole villages were swallowed up. Castles, houses and churches, were overthrown, and hundreds of people were buried beneath their ruins.[38] In Carinthia, thirty villages, together with all the churches, were demolished; more than a thousand corpses were drawn out of the rubbish; the city of Villach was so completely destroyed, that very few of its inhabitants were saved; and when the earth ceased to tremble, it was found that mountains had been moved from their positions, and that many hamlets were left in ruins.[39] It is recorded, that during this earthquake, the wine in the casks became turbid, a statement which may be considered as furnishing a proof, that changes causing a decomposition of the atmosphere had taken place; but if we had no other information from which the excitement of conflicting powers of nature during these commotions, might be inferred, yet scientific observations in modern times have shewn, that the relation of the atmosphere to the earth is changed by volcanic influences. Why then, may we not, from this fact, draw retrospective inferences respecting those extraordinary phenomena? [38] _Giov. Villani_ Istorie Fiorentine>, L. XII. chap. 121, 122. in Muratori T. XIII. pp. 1001, 1002. Compare Barnes Loc. cit. p. 430. [39] I. _Vitodaran._ Chronicon, in _Fuseli. Thesaurus_ Histor. Helvet. Tigur. 1735, fol. p. 84. Independently of this, however, we know that during this earthquake, the duration of which is stated by some to have been a week, and by others, a fortnight, people experienced an unusual stupor and headache, and that many fainted away.[40] [40] _Albert Argentiniens._ Chronic. in _Urstis_ Scriptor. rer. Germanic. Francof. 1585. fol. P. II. p. 147. Compare _Chalin._ Loc. Cit. These destructive earthquakes extended as far as the neighbourhood of Basle,[41] and recurred until the year 1360, throughout Germany, France, Silesia, Poland, England and Denmark, and much further north.[42] [41] _Petrach._ Opera. Basil 1554. fol. p. 210. _Barnes._ Loc. cit. [42] “Un tremblement de terre universel, mesme en France et aux pays septentrionaux, renversoit les villes toutes entières, déracinoit les arbres et les montagnes, et remplissoit les campagnes d’abysmes si profondes, qu’il semblait que l’enfer eût voulu engloutir le genre humain. _Mezeray_ Loc. cit. p. 418. _Barnes_ p. 431.