History of A nimal Plagiies. 1 1 q 



ceded by an eclipse of the sun and moon, and great earthquakes, 

 by which many castles and other buildings were thrown down. 

 The pestilence that followed first attacked the flocks of sheep, 

 then passed on to the cattle, and finally destroyed a great multi- 

 tude of men.' ^ 



A.D. 1360. 'There was a great dearth this year, and mor- 

 tality of people, called the " second plague," because it was the 

 second in the reio;n of Edward III., and a very ffreat death of 

 cattle and horses. Six thousand horses died in the army ; many 

 houses were burnt bv thunder and lightning ; many strange 

 meteors were seen in the air.' ^ 



A.D. 1363. Under this date, William of Worcester mentions 

 a great epizootv among animals in England. ' In this year, the 

 twentv-eighth year of King Edward's reign, there was a severe 

 scarcity of corn in the summer, and a e^eat murrain of animals 

 [mngna morlna animalium) J ^ 



A.D. 1366. A disease, or, as it is called, a battle, among spar- 

 rows. ' This year fell abundance of rain in time of hay harvest, 

 whereby much hay and corn was lost. This year also happened 

 a great quarrel among the sparrows, which came to a decisive 

 battle, wherein not numbers, but great heaps, were killed. A 

 great mortality of people followed, so as many who went well to 

 bed at nisfht, were found dead next morning.' * 



A.D. 1369. In England, a great mortality in man, ' and like- 

 wise a marvellous murrain upon cattell, so that the like had not 

 been seen in many years before."' 



A.D. 1370. ^This year began the next great plague, called 

 the third mortality. This was very great, both of people and 

 cattle ; the like seldom heard of. The west country, as Oxford, 

 was most afflicted by it.' " 



A.D. 1375. An epizooty among deer, roebucks, hogs, hares, 

 and foxes in Germany, according to the report of Gassari. 

 Mencken says, 'There was a conta(>,ious disease which destroved 



> //. Mutiiis. Chronic. Piston Scrip, rcr. German. Edit. Sfnivc. II. p. S96. 



- T. Short. Op. cit., vol. i. p. 178. 



^ Wilhelmi VVyrccstcr. Annales Rerum Anglic. 



< T. Shofi. Op. cit., vol. i. ji. 180. 



* Graflon. Op. cit. " T. Short. Op. cit., vol. i. p. iSo. 



