And he went on to speak of the Desirableness and Duty of a continual State of Preparedness for whatever might happen to us from within or without, and the Confidence with which Believers might repose on the Care of their heavenly FATHER, with such Feeling and Power, that all of us went to Bed that Night in a State of chastened Composure, widely apart from ungodly Indifference or slavish Fear. There was more Solemnity and Affection than usual in our Parting for the Night; since we knew not but we might be swallowed up quick like _Dathan_ and _Abiram_ ere Morning Light, though we humbly hoped, in that Case, to reopen our Eyes in a better World. This being our State of Mind, it was with Disgust that I learnt on the following Day, that the reckless Men of Fashion and Quality who had supped Overnight at _Bedford House_, had gone about the Town on their Way Home, betwixt four and five o'Clock in the Morning, knocking at Doors and mischievously frightening timid harmless People, by bawling out, "Past four o'Clock, and a dreadful Earthquake!" "The Fool hath said in his Heart, There is no GOD!" During the Remainder of this Month we went on quietly enough, seeing few Persons except in the Way of Business, which, by Reason of the Severity of the Season, was much slacker than in fine Weather. My _Father_ progressed so slowly that we had our private Doubts whether he were not invalided for Life. However, from being one of the most impatient, he had now become the most patient of Men; so that 'twas quite a Pleasure to nurse him. His gay Companions having altogether forsook him in his Illness, he was now grown totally indifferent to them, and if one or other of them dropped in on him, he treated them with so much sardonic Irony that they were unlikely to intrude very soon on him again. He missed 'em very little, having now taken a great Fancy to reading, and to the Company of my _Mother_, both of which were very safe and inexpensive Luxuries. He had grown singularly fond of Mr. _Fenwick_ and of Dr. _Elwes_, the latter of whom frequently honoured us by dropping in to play a Rubber--they were Men of two different Worlds, but yet neither of them so unacquainted with the World that was characteristically the other's, as to be wholly unable to make Allowances:--one brought my _Father_ worldly Wisdom and Wit, the other heavenly Wisdom and innocent Pleasantry; one supplied him with humorous Books, the other, with profitable Reading; so that, between 'em both, he fared not badly. He was now getting through the History of _Don Quixote de la Mancha_, which he read Snatches of with infinite Gusto to my _Mother_; and was continually quoting the Proverbs of _Sancho Panza_. Thus we went peacefully on, and were losing all Fear or even Memory of the Earthquake; when, on the very same Day of the very next Month, which is to say, _February 1750_, we were affrighted out of our Senses by a worse Shock and abundantly more terrifical, between Five