( 44 ) 



the same never so little, it straight fell to powder, and 

 cattle were ready to starve for lack of meat, and because 

 of the exceeding hot nights there was such abundance 

 of fleas, flies, and gnats, that people were vexed and 

 brought in case to be weary of their lives. And herewith 

 chanced many diseases, as sweats, agues, and other. In 

 the harvest time fell there great death and murrain 

 amongst cattle, and specially in Norfolk, in the fens and 

 other parts of the south. This infection was such that 

 dogs and ravens feeding on the dead carrion swelled 

 straightways and died, so that the people durst eat no 

 beef. The cause of the death of cattle was thought to 

 come hereof. After so great a drought, which had 

 continued by all the space of the months of April, May, 

 June, and July, when there followed good plenty of rain, 

 the earth began to yield her increase most plenteously, 

 and so the cattle, which before were hunger starved, fed 

 now so greedily of this new grass that they died. Apple 

 trees and pear trees began again to blossom after the 

 time of yielding ripe fruit (Jfolins/ied). 



Great inundation of the Humber, which destroyed 

 both man and beast (Poulson). 



Great tempest upon the sea and fearful (Lowe). 

 1253 In the spring and summer was a great drought, and 

 in the harvest season fell such wet that great floods did 

 much hurt. Again in the latter end of harvest, about 

 Michaelmas, there was such a drought that men could get 

 no grinding at the mills, but were constrained to go in some 

 places a day's journey off to have their corn ground. On 

 St. Lucie's Day (Dec. 13) there fell a great snow, and withal 

 a winter's thunder for a token of some evil to follow. 



About the beginning of Lent the new moon was seen 

 four days before she ought to have appeared by her due 

 and common course (Ho tins he d ; M. of W.). 



Another such woeful accident happened as in 1236 

 (Sir W. Dugdale). 



