Such  of  the  irihabitants  of  Lisbon  who
X  3  '


234      HISTORY    OF   THE    REVOLUTIONS

were  fortunate  enousjh  to  avoid  being
crushed  by  the  rubbish  of  their  fallen
dweUings,  knew  not  where  to  seek  a  place
of  refuge.  Some  amongst  them  flew  to  the
churches,  which  presently  became  their
tombs,  whilst  others,  dreading  to  be  swal-
lowed by  the  earth,  which  seemed  gaping
to  receive  them,  rushed  impetuously  to-
wards the  sea.  The  magnificent  quays  on
the  banks  of  the  Tagus  were  thronged
with  people  ;  when,  in  the  twinkling  of  an
eye,  the  element  towards  which  they  looked
for  safety,  rose  to  a  prodigious  height,  and
threatened  them  with,  if  possible,  a  still
more  horrid  death  than  that  they  sought
to  escape.  The  waves  of  the  sea  rose
several  fathoms  above  the  ordinary  level,
and  dashing  towards  a  shore  they  were
never  destined  to  overflow,  drove  in  vessels,
some  of  which  arrived  in  safety,  whilst
others  were  entirely  shattered  to  pieces,
and  swallowed  up  the  unhappy  wretches,
who  had  escaped  being  buried  in  the
bosom  of  the  earth.
Earth  and  water  were  not  the  only  ele-
ments which  fought  against  the  miserable
Portugueze  ;  fire  and  air  contributed  like-
wise to  their  destruction  :  the  former,  in
particular,  caused  the  most  dreadful  catas-
trophes :  for  though;   at  first,  apparently


OF   PORTUGAL.  235

smothered  amongst  the  rubbish,  it  presently
forced  itself  a  passao^e,  and  burst  forth  with
such  fury,  as  badied  every  atteuipt  to  stop
its  progress.
