Note 125 — PART FIRST. (continued 8)

Earthquakes, as we have already seen, might be accounted rather a sign or cause of the beginning of pestilence, than of its departure. A great quantity of electricity in the atmosphere has accordingly been enumerated among the signs of an approaching pestilence. Thus in Burnet’s Thesaurus, p. 699, we find among the previous signs of a plague, “plurima et fere continua nocturna fulgora, sine pluviis et tonitruis, cœlo non nubiloso existante.” Very much and almost continual lightning at night, without rain or thunder; the sky in the mean time not being covered with clouds.