48 History of Animal Plagues. 



Men and other animals were killed by lightning. Then fol- 

 lowed a great plague among men, which extended through the 

 whole of France in a fearful manner, destroying multitudes of 

 different sexes and ages.'^ This plague of an unknown character 

 extended to Germany, killing men and animals. 



A.D. 829. 'There was a plague in Greece, Thrace, and Bul- 

 garia, contemporaneously with an epizooty among sheep.' ^ 



A.D. 842. 'A dreadful famine and consequent mortality, with 

 a ^'murrian " among cattle, caused great calamities throughout 

 the world. ^^ 



A.D. 850. Great mortality among the cattle in France, so 

 that many provinces were nearly entirely cleared of their horned 

 stock.* This appears to have been another invasion of the * Cattle 

 Plague,^ which also ravaged Germany and Spain at this time.^ 



A.D. 860. The preceding winter was so severe that the 

 Mediterranean was frozen over to such an extent, that carriages 

 were driven on the Adriatic Sea. ^ A severe winter and mor- 

 tality amongst animals.' ^ 



A.D. 866. 'This year a disease of animals took place, and in 

 the third year afterwards a mortality followed in the human 

 species.'^ 



A.D. 868. ' A comet, severe famine, and mortality of men and 

 animals.' ^ This occurred in Germany, and nearly all over Eu- 

 rope, but France appears to have suffered most." ' In this year 

 the Northmen invaded England ; and plundering the country, 

 retired to York with their booty. A great famine, and a fearful 

 mortality among cattle and the human race occurred.' ^'^ 



A.D. 869. ' In the year of our Lord's incarnation 869, 

 which was the twenty-first of King Alfred's life, there was a 

 great famine (in England), and mortality of men, and a pesti- 

 lence among the cattle.' " 



1 Einhardi. Op. cit. p. 212. ^ Frari. Delia Peste, vol. ii. p. 211. 



^ Odcricus Vitalis. Eccles. Hist., book i. cap. 24. 



* Belleforest. Annales tie France. 



5 Arch. Agric. .Soc. of Southern Russia. 



^ Annales Sangallens. Pertz, M. i. p. 76. "^ Eulogium Historiarum. 



** Duchesne. Vol. iii. p. 473. ^ Annal. Verdun. 



" Assei: De Rebus Gestis Alfredi, p. 20. Edit. Oxon. 1722. 



" The Chronicle of Fabius Ethelwerd. Chronicle of St Evroult. 



