114 History of Animal Plagues. 



A.D. 1349. ' In this year the contagion (of the plague) pene- 

 trated to the city of Zara, the capital of Austrian Dalmatia, and 

 produced extreme terror^ as well as mortality, killing more than 

 two thousand people. At the same time, a ferocious epizooty 

 broke out over the whole country, which destroyed nearly all the 

 animals/^ In England, ^ great rains from St John's day to 

 Christmas, so that a day scarcely passed in which it did not rain 

 either bv day or by night. From this intemperance a great 

 mortality of people ensued ; according to some scarcely a tenth 

 of the population were left; cattle mortality followed.'^ 'Severe 

 diseases seized the cattle throughout the counties of Somerset 

 and Devon, and a great mortality took place among them, 

 which was the origin of taking gold in payment for cattle from 

 Englishmen.^ ^ This last has reference to the intercourse between 

 England and Ireland. 



A.D. 1350. ' A grievous plague (in Germany), so that death 

 oppressed both man and beast.' * ' There was a great famine in 

 Barbary and Morocco ; to supply which Christian nations trans- 

 ported such quantities of corn as made it too cheap and plentiful 

 there, but left a famine at home. This was followed by terrible 

 inundations, storms, and tempests ; by fearful meteors of flames, 

 and fire in the air. These were succeeded by excessive drought 

 and want of water; from all which followed the destruction of 

 most animals and vegetables. This year the great plague 

 reached Coventry.' ° 



A.D. 1352, ' So droughty a summer, that for want of water 

 much cattle died in the pastures ; the fens and marshes were so 

 dried, that there was a way where there was none before.' ^ 



A.D. 1353- At Cremona, near Mantua, a mighty storm of 

 hail which destroyed cattle and people, and even damaged houses. 

 Some of the hailstones weighed eight pounds, and their general 

 weight was one pound." 



A.D. 1356. 'A fearful plague in Germany, which was pre- 



Plague -which was so destructive in this country when his interesting paper was 

 published. 



' Frari. Op. cit., p. 315. 2 Otterbourtte. ^ lola iJ/^". 



* Chronic. Lattgebek. Vol. i. p. 58. 



* T. Shoi-t. Op. cit., vol. i. p. 177. ^ Ibid. 

 '' Barnes. Op. cit. 



