These are circumstances not favorable to subterraneous fires being in the earth in abundance; much less to their being the cause of earthquakes. And further, we cannot possibly think of earthquakes doing their work that way, without absolutely ruining the whole system of springs, and fountains, throughout the whole country, where they pass. But all this is quite contrary to fact; even where an earthquake has been repeatedly. For an instance from home. On _Wednesday, April_ 6, 1580, about six in the evening, just such another earthquake was felt in _London_ and around it, as these two we have seen. Another exactly similar 1692. In all these four, no houses thrown down, no springs disturb'd thereby, no sensible eruptions nor smells. These considerations I apply only to this little inconsiderable space, of a circle 30 miles diameter; as with us. But what is that to the earthquakes we read of in history? In the year of our Lord 17, no less than thirteen great and noble cities in _Asia minor_, were destroyed in one night. _Tacitus_, _Pliny_, and many other authors mention it. The fact is so notorious, that some persons here present, have seen a vast block of white marble now standing near _Naples_; being the pedestal of a coloss statue of _Tiberius_ the emperor; having carv'd on it the _genius's_, or pictures of all those cities, with their names. The accurate _Bulifon_ and others have wrote treatises upon it. These cities were rebuilt by that emperor. But without going so far, we may see another evidence of it, a coin of that emperor struck upon the occasion, with this inscription, CIVITATIBUS ASIAE RESTITUTIS. I have one of them, in large brass, which was found at _Colchester_. The compass of this earthquake may be reckon'd to take up 300 miles diameter, as a circle. Now, we cannot conceive, how any subterraneous vapour can produce such an effect, as instantaneously to demolish all these cities; and that such an accident should never happen after. That the whole country of _Asia minor_ should not at the same time be destroy'd, its mountains be renversed, its fountains, springs, and rivers broken up and ruin'd for ever. Instead whereof we find nothing suffered, but those cities; no kind of alteration in the surface of the country; it remains the same as it were in the beginning of time. In 1586 an earthquake in _Peru_, that extended 900 miles. From these considerations, I cannot persuade myself, to enter into the opinion of vapours, and eruptions being the cause sought for; and, after we have treated the argument in a superficial view, we must go a little deeper. If we would consider things like philosophers, let us propose to ourselves this problem: Where is the power to be plac'd, that is requir'd to move a surface of earth 30 miles in diameter?