History of Ajiijnal Plagues. 121 



Switzerland and Southern Germany malignant epidemics ap- 

 peared in this year and the next, and putrid fever raged in man- 

 kind in Westphalia, Hesse, and Friesland.^ There had neverl 

 been in the memory of the inhabitants so many ignis fatni seen ' 

 as during this period. In France, under the oppressive reign of 

 Louis XL, famine, disease, and misery. The peasantry south 

 of the Loire had nothiniz; to eat but the roots of wild herbs. In 

 many places women and children were obliged to draw the 

 plough, y)-o?« the want oj draught cattle ; they were obliged, too, 

 to carry on the cultivation by night, that they might not be ob- 

 served by the kino's inhuman revenue officers.^ 



A.D. 1481. Drought and famine in Switzerland and Germany, 

 and putrid fever in the human species in Westphalia, Hesse, and 

 Friesland. The harvests failed. Unprecedented appearance of 

 ignis fatui in these countries, which had been ravaged by innu- 

 merable swarms of locusts for some years. There was also a 

 very grave plague amongst animals, which caused the loss of 

 one-third of their number.^ 



A.D. 1490. An earthquake in Sligo. ' Many horses and 

 cows were also killed by it, and much putrid flesh was thrown 

 up; and a lake in which fish is (now) caught, sprang up in the 

 place.'* 



A.D. 1491. The sweating sickness in mankind in Ireland. 

 'This year there was such a famine that it was called the " Dis- 

 mal year.'" ^ In 1491 appeared a comet; the season was very 

 wet; an epidemic swept awav cattle, and a famine afflicted Ire- 

 land.' ® ' There was a comet in Poland, with a great eclipse of 

 the sun. Afterwards there was a ffreat dearth of cattle.' '' 



A.D. 1492. In Ireland, ' this summer was so dr\', that abund- 

 ance of cattle perished for want of water; and the air grew so 

 pestilential that a multitude of people, and particularly the Lord 

 of Slane, died of the plague.' * 



' Franck Von Woed. Chronica. Zeytbuch und Geschychtibitel. fol. 211. 

 2 Mezeray. Loc. cit., vol. ii. p. 720. Heckcr. 



.3 Annals of Langebek, vol. i. p. 195. * Annals of the Four Masters. 



^ Smith. History of Cork. 



« Webster. A Brief History of Epidemic and Pestilential Diseases. London, 

 1800. Vol. i. p. 238. 



■" Fundius. ® Hibernica Anglicana. 



