A History of Epidemics in Britain, Volume 1 (of 2) by Charles Creighton

that epidemics were sometimes generated by drought (though mostly by humidity), says that the sweat in England, in former years, came with drought, and that at the time of his writing, the 15th September, 1551, that disease was vexing Flanders,--the season being extremely dry,--and had attacked many thousands. This was first noticed by Häser, _Op. cit._ III. (1882), p. 332. The reference to Brassavolus is Luisini’s _Script. de lue venerea_. Lugd. Bat. 1728, f. p. 671. [527] _Increase and Decrease of Diseases._ London, 1801, p. 70. [528] See the references in Gruner, pp. 444, 448. [529] “The Autonomous Life of the Specific Infections,” in _Brit. Med. Journ._, 4 August, 1883; “The Origin of Yellow Fever,” in _North American Review_, Sept. 1884; _Illustrations of Unconscious Memory in Disease_, London, 1885, Chapter XIII. “Vicarious Infection.” [530] Polydore Virgil, p. 553. Philip de Comines says “three large ships and a considerable body of land forces.” (Chroniques du Roy Louis XI. Eng. transl. II. 674.) [531] Mezeray, II. 762. He adds: “the Bretons boast of having also lent aid to this prince.” His first expedition was purely with Bretons, but the second was composed mostly if not altogether of Normans. [532] This point, which is essential to the theory, was originally stated in an article on “Epidemics” in the _Quarterly Review_, Jan. 1887, and there claimed as original. The writer on “Sweating Sickness” in the _Encycl. Brit._ has adopted it as a common-place; it is obvious enough when pointed out, but Hecker had not done so. [533] The above account is summarised from the chapter in Hirsch, _Geog. and Histor. Path._ Eng. transl. I. 88. [534] Darwin, _Naturalist’s Voyage round the World_, pp. 435-6. [535] Bernard André’s _Annales Henrici VII._ Rolls series, No. 10, p. 120. Under a date in January, 1508, he writes: “Quo quidem die nuncius ab urbe incredibilia dictu, hoc est de primis verni fructibus temporis floridoque frumento visis, referebat.” Both Fabyan and the anonymous author of MS. Cotton, Vitellius, A. XVI. (_Chronicle of England from 1 Hen. III. to 1 Hen. VIII._) give the winter of 1506-7 as “a wonderful [easy] and soft winter without storms or frost,” but fail to remark on the weather of 1507-8. [536] Wriothesley’s Chronicle. [537] Fabyan, Stow. [538] Stow’s Annals. Hecker, in error, makes out this exceptional season to have been the one immediately preceding the sweat in the summer of 1528. [539] _Cal. State Papers_, under the date. [540] Summary in Hirsch, _l. c._ [541] Continuator of Fabyan. [542] Wriothesley, II. 139. [543] Drake’s _Eboracum_, (from the town council records). [544] _Hist. and Antiq. Univ. Oxford_, I. 651. [545] At Cambridge, in October, 1578, two deaths from plague in Queens’ College “moved many to depart.” _Cal. Cecil MSS._ II. under date 13 October. [546] Anthony Wood, under the respective years. [547] With reference to a pestilence at Oxford in 1448, Wood says: “occasioned, as ’twas thought, by the overflowing of waters, and the want of a quick passage for them from the ground. Also by the lying of many scholars in one room or dormitory in almost every Hall, which occasioned nasty air and smells, and consequently diseases.” _Op. cit._ I. 596. [548] _Materials Illustrative of the Reign of Henry VII._ Rolls ser. 60, II. p. 136. [549] _Chronicle of England_, sub anno. [550] _Hist. Angl._, p. 609 (Basil, 1546). [551] Stow, _Annales_. [552] In Rymer’s _Foedera_ all these vacancies of bishoprics are entered under the year 1501, beginning with the see of Canterbury (Morton’s) on 9th January, 1501. [553] _Plumpton Correspondence_, Camden Soc. No. 4, p. 138: Letter of ? 1499, R. Leventhorpe, of Leventhorpe Hall, Yorkshire, to Sir R. Plumpton: “And sithe I hard say that a servant of yours was decesed of the sicknes, which hath bene to your disease, I am right sorry therefore;” he advises fasting, and trusts “ye sal be no more vexed with that sicknes.” In the next letter (cviii) to Sir R. Plumpton from his son:--“Also, sir, I am very sorry that the death seaseth not at Plompton.” [554] _Hardwicke Papers_, London, 1778, I. 2 (from Harl. MSS.). [555] Freeman, _Exeter_, in “English Towns” series, p. 99. [556] _Annales Henrici VII._ Rolls series, p. 88. [557] The information in the next few pages comes from the _Calendar of State Papers, Henry VIII._, _Domestic_, unless otherwise referred to in the notes. [558] _Chronicle of the Grey Friars_, Camden Society, No. liii. 1852, p.