[1] [2] [3] As this bro [...]le vexed the citie of London,Great tempe [...] so in this yeare there chanced great tempest of thunder, light|ning and raine, whereby much hurt was doone in di|uerse parts of the realme, and at sundrie times,A generall thunder. as by throwing downe of steeples, churches, and other buil|dings, with the rootwalting of trées, as well in woods as orchards, verie strange to consider, chéefelie on the eight day of Februarie at Grantham in Lincolne|shire, where there chanced (beside the thunder) such a stinke and filthie fauour to follow in the church, that the people fled out, for that they were not able to a|bide it. Likewise in the day of the exaltation of the crosse, a generall thunder happened throughout the realme, and thervpon followed a continuall season of foule weather and wet, till Candelmas next after, which caused a dearth of corne,Great dearth of corne. so as wheat was sold at twelue shillings the quarter. Likewise on the day of saint Andrew an other terrible tempest of thunder happened through the realme,In other tem|pest of thunder throwing downe and shaking buildings in manie places, in so much that at Pillerdeston in Warwikeshire, in a knights house, the ladie thereof and six other persons were de|stroied by the same. And a turbarie thereby compas|sed about with water and marresse was so dried vp, Polydor. that neither grasse nor mire remained, after which insued an earthquake. Moreouer on the euen of saint Lucie, a mightie wind raged, which did much hurt in sundrie places of the realme. Furthermore, about this time there appeared in England a wonderfull comet or blasing starre. The sea also rose with higher tides and springs than it had beene accustomed to doo.A comet or blasing star. All which woonders were afterward iudged to be|token and signifie the losse which the christians sustei|ned the same yeare in Aegypt, when they were con|streined to surrender the citie of Damieta into the Saracens hands,The losse of the citie of Damieta. which latelie before (as yée haue heard) they had woone with long and chargeable siege. After the yéelding vp of Damieta,William de [...]+benie earle of Arundell de|parted this [...] William de Al|benie earle of Arundell (whome Ranulfe earle of Chester left behind him in the holie land) with manie souldiers and men of warre (when he returned from thence) came now homewards towards England, and died by the waie.