The Storm: or, a Collection of the most Remarkable Casualties and Disasters which Happen'd in the Late Dreadful Tempest, both by Sea and LandDefoe, Daniel
History
The Storm: or, a Collection of the most Remarkable Casualties and Disasters which Happen'd in the Late Dreadful Tempest, both by Sea and Land
Defoe, Daniel
Storms -- Early works to 1800
In Obedience to your Request I have here sent you a particular
Account of the damages sustain'd in our Parish by the late Violent
Storm; and because that of our Church is the most material which I
have to impart to you, I shall therefore begin with it. It is the
fineness of our Church which magnifies our present loss, for in the
whole it is a large and noble structure, compos'd within and without
of Ashler curiously wrought, and consisting of a stately Roof in the
middle, and two Isles runing a considerable length from one end of
it to the other, makes a very beautiful Figure. It is also adorn'd
with 28 admired and Celebrated Windows, which, for the variety and
fineness of the Painted Glass that was in them, do justly attract
the Eyes of all curious Travellers to inspect and behold them; nor
is it more famous for its Glass, than newly renown'd for the Beauty
of its Seats and Paving, both being chiefly the noble Gift of that
pious and worthy Gentleman _Andrew Barker_, Esq; the late Deceas'd
Lord of the Mannor. So that all things consider'd, it does equal, at
least, if not exceed, any Parochial Church in _England_. Now that
part of it which most of all felt the fury of the Winds, was, a
large middle West Window, in Dimension about 15 Foot wide, and 25
Foot high: it represents the general Judgment, and is so fine a
piece of Art, that 1500 _l._ has formerly been bidden for it, a
price, though very tempting, yet were the Parishoners so just and
honest as to refuse it. The upper part of this Window, just above
the place where our Saviour's Picture is drawn sitting on a Rainbow,
and the Earth his Foot-stool, is entirely ruin'd, and both sides are
so shatter'd and torn, especially the left, that upon a general
Computation, a fourth part, at least, is blown down and destroy'd.
The like Fate has another West Window on the left side of the
former, in Dimension about 10 Foot broad, and 15 Foot high,
sustain'd; the upper half of which is totally broke, excepting one
Stone Munnel. Now if this were but ordinary Glass, we might quickly
compute what our repairs would Cost, but we the more lament our
misfortune herein, because the Paint of these two, as of all the
other Windows in our Church, is stain'd thro' the Body of the Glass;
so that if that be true which is generally said, that this Art is
lost, then have we an irretrievable loss. There are other damages
about our Church, which, tho' not so great as the former, do yet as
much testify how strong and boisterous the Winds were, for they
unbedded 3 Sheets of Lead upon the uppermost Roof, and roll'd them
up like so much Paper. Over the Church-porch, a large Pinnacle and
two Battlements were blown down upon the leads of it, but resting
there, and their fall being short, these will be repair'd with
little Cost.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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