152 History of the Weather. 



*' It is very difficult to ascertain the precise condition of the 

 weather in in distant ages. The thermometer was not invented 

 till 1590 by the celebrated Sanctorio ; nor was that valuable in- 

 strument reduced to a correct stinulard before the year 1724, by 

 the skill of Fahrenheit. We have hence no observations of tem- 

 perature which f:o further back than a century. Prior to this 

 period we must glean our information from the loose and scanty 

 notices which are scattered through the old chronicles relative to 

 the state of the harvest, the quality of the vintage, or the endu- 

 rance of frost and snow in the winter. Great allowance, how- 

 ever, should be made for the spirit of exaggeration and the love 

 of the marvellous, which infect all those rude historical monu- 

 ments. Toaldo and Pilgram have, with incredible industry, pro- 

 secuted this research ; and, from a bulky work of the latter, 

 printed in the German language at Vienna in 1788, we shall se- 

 lect the most remarkable pastages concerning the state of the 

 weather for more than a thousand years back, and combine with 

 them the observations made by Professor PtaflF, of Kiel. The 

 following years are noted for the severity of the winter : 



In A. D. 401, the Black Sea was entirely frozen over. 



In 462, the Danube was frozen, so that Theodomer marched 

 over the ice to avenge his brother's death in Swabia. 



In 545, the cold was so intense in winter, that the birds al- 

 lowed themselves to be caught by the hand. 



In 763, not only the Black Sea, but the Straits of the Darda- 

 nelles was frozen over. The snow in some places rose fifty feet 

 high ; and the ice was so heaped in the cities as to push down 

 the walls. 



In 800, the winter was intensely cold. 



In 822, tlie great rivers of Euro])e, such as the Danube, the 

 Elbe, and the Seine, were so hard frozen as to bear hea\y wag- 

 gons for a month. 



In 860, the Adriatic was frozen. 



In 874, the winter was very long and severe. The snow con- 

 tinued to fall from the beginning of November to the end of 

 March, and incumbered the ground so much, that the forests 

 were inncces'^ililc for the supply of fuel. 



In 991, and again in 893, the vines were killed by the frost, 

 and the cattle perished in their stalls. 



In 991, the winter lasted very long, with extreme severity. 

 Every thing was frozen, the crops totally failed, and famine and 

 pestilence closed the year. 



In 1044, great CjUantities of snow lav on the ground. The 

 vines and fruit-trees were destroyed, and famine ensued. 



In 1067, the cold was so intense, that most of the travellers in 

 Germany were frozen to death on the roads. 



In 



