_Preces & Lachrimcæ_, Prayers and Tears, the Primitive Christians Weapons, we had great Plenty of to defend us withal; but had the House all fallen upon our Heads, we were in that Fright as we could scarce have had Power to rise for the present, or do any thing for our Security. Upon our rising, and sending a Servant to view what she could discover, we soon understood that the Chimney was fallen down, and that with its Fall it had beaten down a great part of that End of the House, _viz._ the Upper Chamber, and the Room under it, which was the Room I chose for my Study: The Chimney was thought as strong, and as well built as most in the Neighbourhood; and it surpriz'd the Mason (whom I immediately sent for to view it) to see it down: but that which was most surprizing to me, was the Manner of its Falling; had it fallen almost any other Way than that it did, it must in all Likelihood have killed the much greater part of my Family, for no less than Nine of us lay at that End of the House, my Wife and Self, and Five Children, and Two Servants, a Maid, and a Man then in my Pay, and so a Servant, though not by the Year: The Bed my Eldest Daughter and the Maid lay in joyned as near as possible to the Chimney, and it was within a very few Yards of the Bed that we lay in; so that as _David_ said to _Jonathan_, there seem'd to be but one single Step between Death and us, to all outward Appearance. One Thing I cannot omit, which was very remarkable and surprizing: It pleased God so to order it, that in the Fall of the House two great Spars seem'd to fall so as to pitch themselves on an End, and by that Means to support that other Part of the House which adjoined to the Upper Chamber; or else in all Likelihood, that must also have fallen too at the same Time. The Carpenter (whom we sent for forthwith) when he came, ask'd who plac'd those two Supporters, supposing somebody had been there before him; and when he was told, those two Spars in the Fall so plac'd themselves, he could scarce believe it possible; it was done so artificially, that he declar'd, they scarce needed to have been removed.