( 42 ) 



And so this year passed without being so fertile as the 

 last, though still it was abundant ; but about the end of 

 the summer the harvest, though it had presented a good 

 appearance, and excited great hopes among men, was 

 injured (M. of W.). 



1250 October i. The moon, upon her change, appearing 

 exceeding red and swelled, began to show tokens of the 

 great tempest of wind that followed, which was so huge 

 and mighty, both by land and sea, that the like had not 

 been lately known, and seldom, or rather never, heard of 

 by men then alive. Great damage done by sea and land. 



Upon Saint Lucies' Day there was a great earthquake 

 at St. Albans, and in the parts thereabouts, with a noise 

 under the ground as though it had thundered. This was 

 strange and marvellous, because the ground there is 

 chalky and sound, not hollow nor loose. Doves, rooks, 

 and other birds that sat upon houses and in boughs of 

 trees fearing this strange wonder flickered up and flew to 

 and fro, showing a token of fear as if a goshawk had been 

 over their heads (Holinshcd ; M. of W.). 



Fire like lightning was often seen in the winter season, 

 and thunderbolts fell in a terrible manner. The air was 

 confused and darkened, as if laden with the thunder and 

 lightning, and inundations of rain (M. of W.). 



The water and the sea transgressed its accustomed 

 bounds, and in the sea where there used to be deep 

 water, dry land was now seen, and the places on the 

 borders of the sea were laid waste ; and in England, and 

 especially in the north, there were repeated strange earth- 

 quakes (M. of W.). 



1251 A famine with a murrain (L. Townsend). 



On St. Dunstan's Day (May 19) there was marvellous 

 sore tempest of weather, the air being darkened on every 

 side from the four corners thereof, and withal chanced 

 such a thunder as few the like had been heard of. In 

 Windsor Park oaks were rent in sunder and turned up 



