62 Histojy of Animal Plagues. 



followed a great dearth, and death of people and cattle.^ On 

 March ist there was an earthquake. The great mortality fol- 

 lowed. 



In Ireland it is mentioned : ' Great snow this year from the 

 festival of Mary in winter (8th Dec.) to the festival of Patrick 

 (7th March), the like of which had not been known ; with a 

 destruction of men, cattle, and of the wild animals of the sea, 

 and birds.^ ^ 



A.D. 1048. An eruption of Vesuvius, In Germany swarms 

 of mice appeared. Earthquakes occurred in many parts of Eng- 

 land and Scotland. ' And in this year was also an earthquake, 

 on the Kal. of May (May ist) in many places, at Worcester, 

 at Wick, and at Derby, and elsewhere ; there was also a great 

 mortality among men, and a murrain among cattle, and the 

 wildfire {ignis aerius vulgo dictus sylvaticus) also did much evil 

 in Derbyshire and elsewhere.^ ^ 



A.D. 1054. Famine in Germany. Cedrenus* writes : ' A 

 pestilential disease smote the country, so that the living had 

 not strength to bear away the dead, and this great affliction was 

 endured throughout the whole summer. Not only were many 

 men destroyed by it, but also animals.' 



England appears also to have suffered. * And in this year 

 was so great a murrain among the cattle as no man remembered 

 for many winters [vlntrimi) before.^ ^ 



A.D. 1059. For Bavaria it is recorded : ' In this year there 

 was an abundant harvest of corn and grapes, but a direful 

 plague smote man and beast throughout the whole province.' ^ 



A.D. 1060. In Ireland ' a great storm in the autunni of 

 this year, and very great destruction of crops. In this year 

 foxes were taken among the herds, and in such numbers as the 

 people chose, on account of the great number of dead car- 

 cases.' ^ 



A.D. 1078. ^ Snow and great frost, so that the principal 

 rivers and lakes in Ireland were passable dry-shod. Great mor- 



1 Ranulf. Hilgd. ^ Annals of Ulster. 



^ Simeon Dunelmen. Op. cit , p. 183. ^ Cedrenus. Hist. Comp., ii. p. 609. 

 ^ Saxon Chronic. " Staindelii. Chronic. QEfele .Scrip. Boic, i. p. 477. 



' Annals of Innisfallen. 



