By Quaking The Earth Is Heaued Vp And Swelleth, And Sometimes (As Plinie Saith) [Sidenote:

Lib.

20. cap. 20.] casteth out huge heaps: such an earth-quake was the same which I euen now mentioned, which in the yere 1581 did so sore trouble the South shore of Island. And this kinde of earth-quake is most clearkely described by Pontanus in these verses:

The stirrng breath runnes on with stealing steppes, vrged now vp, and now enforced downe: For freedome eke tries all, it skips, it leaps, to ridde it selfe from vncouth dungeon. Then quakes the earth as it would burst anon, The earth yquakes, and walled cities quiuer. Strong quarries cracke, and stones from hilles doe shiuer.

I thought good to adde these things, not that I suppose any man to be ignorant thereof: but least other men should thinke that we are ignorant, and therefore that we will runne after their fables, which they do from hence establish. But yet there is somewhat more in these three famed mountaines of Island, which causeth the sayd writers not a little to woonder, namely whereas they say that their foundations are alwayes burning, and yet for all that, their toppes be neuer destitute of snowe. Howbeit, it beseemeth not the authority and learning of such great clearks to marueile at this, who can not but well know the flames of mount Aetna, which (according to Plinie) being full of snowe all Winter, notwithstanding (as the same man witnesseth) it doth alwayes burne.

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