1 1 2 History of A niinal Plagttes. 



Occasionally, too, the swans and peacocks died from it; a few 

 geese and capons are recorded, but other poultry are scarcely 

 once mentioned. Where the loss has arisen from other causes, 

 and has been accidentally included in the murrain account, the 

 cause of the loss is inserted. In the 43nd Edward III, ''Item 

 octo hyves apum" is immediately followed by " per tempestatem 



vemis." 



'■ But perhaps the most curious fact appearing in these ex- 

 tracts, is that the murrain affected the bees. I began to suspect, 

 when the first few entries of hives of bees fell under my notice, 

 that losses from other causes than murrain were mixed up in 

 these presentments; but two of the 45th year of Edward III. 

 put the matter at rest, as they expressly state that so many 

 "ruscae apium sunt in morina." As many as ten hives were lost 

 in that year, and there was some loss in the apiary nearly every 

 year for twenty years. ^ 



' The first presentments I have called attention to were made 

 by the jury or homage of the court, on the Thursday after St 

 Martin, in the 31st of Edward III. The presentment is made 

 by the coroners, and so it continues down to the 36th year, when 

 the homage and coroners jointly make it ; and on the Wednes- 

 day before the feast of St Thomas the Apostle of that year the 

 entry is "Humagium et Coronatores presentant quod Dominus 

 habet in murina viginti et septem hoggastros,^' &c. 



'After this for some years the entry simply states the fact 

 that the lord had in murrain such and such cattle, witfiout ex- 

 pressly stating by whom such presentment was made. In the 

 46th year of Edward III. new officers appear on the scene. At 

 the court on Monday after the Purification the presentment is 

 made by the bailiff", sub-bailiff", and cadaverators, but during the 

 rest of the reign as before. In the first of Richard II., at the 

 court on Monday before St Wynwaloc the Abbot, the present- 



^ It must be borne in mind that for long before this period, and for some time 

 after, bees formed no inconsiderable portion of the agricultm-al wealth. All food 

 that required it was sweetened with honey before sugar was had recourse to, and 

 into the composition of many of the Saxon beverages that article largely entered. 

 Therefore it was that a mortality amongst the bees was considered a somewhat 

 serious calamity, and of sufficient importance to obtain a notice in the chronicles 

 of the period. But there was evidently no relationship between the morina of the 

 bees and that of the sheep and cows. 



