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 In
this year there was a general mortality among men throughout the world.
It began first in India, and then appeared in Tharsis,
then among the Saracens, and last among the Christians and Jews, so
that in
the space of one year, namely, from Easter to Easter, 8,000 legions
of men, according to widely prevalent rumors in the Court of Rome,
died in those remote regions, besides Christians. The King of Tharsis,
seeing such a sudden and unheard-of mortality among his people, set
out with a great multitude of nobles, intending to seek out the Pope
at Avignon and have himself baptized as a Christian, believing the
vengeance of God to have overtaken his people because of their sinful
disbelief. But when he had traveled twenty days he heard along the
road that the plague had invaded the ranks of the Christians as well
as other nations, and therefore he turned about to go back to his
own country. But the Christians, following the Tharsians attacked
them from the rear and slew 2,000 of them…
The dreadful
pestilence penetrated the sea coast by Southampton and came to Bristol,
and there almost the whole population of the town perished, as if
it had been seized by sudden death; for few kept their beds more
than two or three days, or even half a day. Then this cruel death
spread everywhere around, following the course of the sun. And there
died at Leicester in the small parish of St. Leonard more than 380
persons, in the parish of Holy Cross, 400; in the parish of St.
Margaret's, Leicester, 700; and so in every parish, a great multitude.
Then the Bishop of London sent word throughout his whole diocese
giving general power to each and every priest, regular as well as
secular, to hear confessions and to give absolution to all persons
with full Episcopal authority, except only in case of debt. In this
case, the debtor was to pay the debt, if he was able, while he lived,
or others were to fulfill his obligations from his property after
his death. Likewise the Pope granted full remission of all sins
to anyone receiving absolution when in danger of death, and granted
that this power should last until Easter next following, and that
everyone might choose whatever confessor he pleased.
In the same
year there was a great murrain
of sheep everywhere in the kingdom, so that in one place in
a single pasture more than 5,000 sheep died; and they putrefied
so that neither bird nor beast would touch them. Everything was
low in price because of the fear of death, for very few people took
any care of riches or property of any kind. A man could have a horse
that had been worth 40s for half a mark (6s 8d), a fat ox for 4s,
a cow for 12d, a heifer for 6d, a fat wether for 4d, a sheep for
3d, a lamb for 2d, a large pig for 5d; a stone of wool (24 lbs)
was worth 9d. Sheep and cattle ran at large through the fields and
among the crops, and there was none to drive them off or herd them;
for lack of care they perished in ditches and hedges in incalculable
numbers throughout all districts, and none knew what to do. For
there was no memory of death so stern and cruel since the time of
Vortigern, King of the Britons, in whose day, as Bede testifies,
the living did not suffice to bury the dead.
In the following
autumn a reaper was not to be had for a lower wage than 8d, with
his meals; a mower for not less than 10d, with meals. Wherefore
many crops wasted in the fields for lack of harvesters. But in the
year of the pestilence, as has been said above, there was so great
an abundance of every type of grain that almost no one cared for
it.
The Scots,
hearing of the dreadful plague among the English, suspected that
it had come about through the vengeance of God, an, according to
the common report, they were accustomed to swear "be the foul deth
of Engelond." Believing that the wrath of God had befallen the English,
they assembled in Selkirk forest with the intention of invading
the kingdom, when the fierce mortality overtook them, and in a short
time about 5,000 perished. As the rest, the strong and the feeble,
were preparing to return to their own country, they were followed
and attacked by the English, who slew countless numbers of them.
Master Thomas
of Bradwardine was consecrated by the Pope Archbishop of Canterbury,
and when he returned to England he came to London, but within two
days was dead…
Meanwhile
the King sent proclamations into all the counties that reapers and
other laborers should not take more than they had been accustomed
to take, under the penalty appointed by statute. But the laborers
were so lifted up and obstinate that they would not listen to the
King's command, but if anyone wished to have them he had to give
them what they wanted, and either lose his fruit and crops, or satisfy
the lofty and covetous wishes of the workmen. And when it was known
to the King that they had not observed his command, and had given
greater wages to the laborers, he levied heavy fines upon abbots,
priors, knights, greater and lesser, and other great folk and small
folk of the realm, of some 100s, of some 40s, of some 20s, from
each according to what he could give. And afterwards the king had
many laborers arrested, and sent them to prison; many withdrew themselves
and went into the forests and woods; and those who were taken were
heavily fined. Their ringleaders were made to swear that they would
not take daily wages beyond the ancient custom, and then were freed
from prison. And in like manner was done with the other craftsmen
in the boroughs and villages…After the aforesaid pestilence, many
building, great and small, fell into ruins in every city, borough,
and village for lack of inhabitants, likewise many villages and
hamlets became desolate, not a house being left in them, all having
died who dwelt there; and it was probable that many such villages
would never be inhabited.
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