228 FIRST FORMS OF VEGETATION. 
dust and matter like coagulated blood fell from the 
heavens at Constantinople. In 1416 red rain fell 
in Bohemia. In 1501, according to several chroni- 
clers, a shower of blood fell at . different places. 
Appearances of blood flowing from bread when 
bitten, are recorded as occurring at Tours in 583 ; 
at Spires in 1104; at Namur in 1193; at Rochelle 
in 1163, and at many other places. At Augsburg, 
in 1199, a person having kept the consecrated 
wafer in his mouth, brought it at a later period to 
the priest changed into flesh and blood. Pilgrim- 
ages were not unfrequently made to witness bleed- 
ing hosts, as that of Doberan in 1201 ; and that of 
Balitz, near Berlin, which had been sacrilegiously 
sold by a girl to a Jew. In 1296, the Jews at 
Rotil, near Frankfort, having been reported to 
have caused a host to bleed which they had 
bought, a fanatical persecution of these people 
took place, whereby 10,000 were said to have been 
slaughtered. Several Jews were burned at Giis- 
trow, in Mecklenburg, for a similar offence. In 
1492, a priest, called Peter Dove, residing in Meck- 
lenburg, sold two hosts td a Jew for the purpose of 
redeeming a pawn ; and they having pierced them, 
abundance of blood flowed out. The priest, now 
tormented with remorse, confessed the transaction, 
and betrayed the Jews; twenty of their number 
were burned on an eminence at Sternberg, since 
