6 History of Animal Plagues. 



away by sea; yea^ the infection was so great of those cursed car- 

 cases of Cham and his posterity, that the dogs and wolves died 

 thereof.'^ The chronology of the Irish epizootics up to the 

 Christian era is not so well established as one could desire. I 

 can only make an approximation to the dates, those given in 

 brackets being the ones shown in the ' Census of Ireland for the 

 year 1851, part 5/ 



B.C. 1260. To Seneca we are indebted for the description of 

 an epizooty and epidemy in Troy during the reign of King 

 Laomedon. ' The first fury of the pestilence struck the listless 

 sheep by their loathing the rich grass. The priest stood ready 

 to strike, whilst his hand raised on high threatened instant death. 

 The sluggish bull with gilded horns staggers : with unrestrained 

 neck, he suffers from a tremendous blow. Nor did his blood 

 stain the iron instrument with which he was killed for sacrifice. 

 Black corrupt blood welled forth from the wound. The horse, 

 still more torpid, fell in his Course in the ring, and threw his rider 

 with his shoulder to the ground. The cattle in the fields lie 

 down. The bull, the herd perishing, pines away. The shepherd 

 is disheartened, his herds and flocks being diminished, and he 

 dies in the midst of the rapidly wasting oxen. The stags do not 

 fear the ravenous wolves; the roaring of the angry lion ceases; 

 there is no fierceness in the shaggy bear ; the slothful snake ex- 

 hibits symptoms of the plague, is dried up, and dies with his 

 poison v^pid. The woods lack their beautiful foliage, which 

 usually affords shade to the dense mountains. The country does 

 not flourish with the fruitfulness of the soil.^ ^ 



(a.m. 3197.) Grafton, speaking of Riuallus, King of Bri- 

 tain, who reigned at this period, writes : * In his time (as Gau- 

 fride sayeth) it rained blood by the space of three days continu- 

 ally within the land of Britain. After which rain ensued a 

 great and exceeding number and multitude of files, the which 

 were so noisome and contagious that they slew many people. 

 And after this (as sayeth an old author) ensued great sickness 

 and mortality, to the great desolation of this land.'^ 



^ Hanmer. Chronicle of Ireland. ^ Qidipus, v. 37, 70, 124, 201. 



^ Graftou A Chronicle at large and Meere History of the Affayres of Eng- 

 land. London, 1569. 



i 



