This only seems
established, that during the year 1347 there was great atmospheric
disturbance extending over a large area of Southern Europe, and
resulting in extensive failure of the harvest, and consequent
distress and famine; and that in January, 1348, one of the most
violent earthquakes in history wrought immense havoc in Italy, the
shocks being felt in the islands of the Mediterranean, and even north
of the Alps.
It is at least curious that the date of the earthquake coincides very
closely with the date which has been given by Guido de Chauliac for
the first appearance of the plague at Avignon. He tells us expressly
that it broke out in that city in January, 1348, and I think it would
be difficult to produce trustworthy evidence of any earlier outbreak
than this, at any rate, in Europe. [Footnote: One of our monastic
chroniclers states expressly that it began about St. James's Day in
1347. I _feel_ certain that the date is wrong, and that it could
be proved to be wrong without much difficulty by reference to
documentary evidence which might be consulted.] "It appeared at
Florence," says Villani, "at the beginning of April, and at Cesena,
on the other side of the Apennines, on the 1st of June." It is
asserted that it reached England at the beginning of August, is said
to have lingered for some months in the west, and to have devastated
Bristol with awful severity.
Pages:
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173