( 123 ) 



and on 5th was no ice to be seen between London Bridge 

 and Lambeth, which sudden thaw caused great floods 

 and high waters that bare down bridges and houses and 

 drowned many people, especially in Yorkshire (Holinshed). 



October 7. Aurora borealis brilliant in London (Stowe). 



Great hailstorm at Salisbury, some of the stones being 

 six inches in circumference (Easton). 



1565 Wheat begins after harvest at 6s. 8d., but before the 

 next harvest rises to 17^. ^d. 



Wheat, IQS. id. ; barley, 8.?. id. ; oats, 6s. qd, ; beans, 

 IQS. njd 7 . ; peas, gs. 3d. per qr. (Rogers). 



Four cows are sold at Oxford at 32.$-. 6d. each, and five 

 oxen at 1205. each (Rogers). 



July 1 6. About 9 o'clock at night began a tempest of 

 lightning and thunder, with showers of hail, which con- 

 tinued till 3 o'clock the next morning, that at Chelmsford 

 500 acres of corn were destroyed, the glass windows on 

 the east side of the town and of the west and south sides 

 of the church were beaten down, with the tiles of their 

 houses also, besides divers barns, chimneys, and the 

 battlements of the church. The like harm was done in 

 many other places, as at Leeds, Cranbrook, Dover, etc. 



December 24. In the morning there rose a great 

 storm and tempest of wind, by whose rage the Thames 

 and seas overwhelmed many persons (Holinshed). 



1566 Wheat, 165. $\d. ; barley, is. lod. ; oats, 6.$-. ^\d. ; 

 rye, i$s. ^d. ; beans, IQS. ; malt, us. %d. per qr. 



Wheat at Cambridge as high as 195. id. (Rogers). 



Unheard of dearth of corn (Rogers ; C.C.C.). The 

 price rose once to 26^. 8*/. (Rogers). 



The exporter of sheep was for the first offence to forfeit 

 all his goods for ever, to suffer a year's imprisonment, 

 and then to have his left hand cut off in a market town 

 on a market day, to be there nailed up, and for the second 

 offence to be adjudged a felon, and to suffer death 

 accordingly (Smith). 



