In clear Nights were ſeen in ſeveral Places of Germany, two Armies in Battalia, brandiſhing their glittering Pikes, as if they were ready for a Charge ; ſoon after began .the religious War. Strada. --- But more frightful ſtill were the Prodigies ſeen in Italy the Year before Hannibal came thither with his Army ; for beſides extroardinary Thundrings and Lightnings, many Targets grew all bloody of themſelves : And about Antium, they found Wheat Ears which were all bloody when they were reaped. There fell from Heaven burning Stones all in a Flame of Fire. And in the Phalerians Country, the Sky ſeemed to open in a frightful Manner, and many little Scroles fell down on the Ground ; in one of which was written, Mars doth now handle his Weapons. Plutarch, in vit. Fab. --- Before the Roman civil War between Marius Sylla, were ſeen ſeveral Prodigies. The Staves of the Enſigns took Fire of themſelves, that was difficultly quenched. Three Ravens brought their young ones into the Highway, and eat them up in ſight of Multitudes, and then carried their Garbage to their Neſts. Upon a fair bright Day without a Cloud, People heard in the Air ſuch a ſharp Sound of a Trumpet, that they were greatly frighted. Plut. in. vit. Syll. --- A little before the War between the Lacedemonians and the Illote, who were their Slaves and Bondmen, in the Country of Lacqnia there happened a moſt terrible Earthquake in Lacedemon ; in many Places of the Country the Earth opened, and fell as into a bottomleſs Pit-; the Mountain Taygetum ſhook ſo terribly, that Parts of Rocks fell down from it ; and the whole City df Lacedemon, with the Violence of it, fell down to the Ground, only five Houſes excepted. Plut. in vit. Cimon. --- Before the Peloponneſian or Grecian civil Wars, the Ifland Delphus was wholly ruined by an Earthquake. Pezel. Melanchton. Hiſt. --- Before the late French Wars in Savoy, was a dreadful Earthquake in Apulia, wherein 16000 Perſons were killed ; there was alſo prodigious Floods, Streams of Blood, &c. Hiſt. of the Iron Age. --- Before the civil Wars between Mark Anthony and Octavius Cæſar, the City Piſaurum, a Roman Colony, peopled by Anthony, ſtanding by the Adriatic Sea, by a terrible Earthquake ſunk into the Ground. In the City Alba, Anthony’s Marble Statue did ſweat many Days together, and though it was wiped, yet freſh Sweat burſt out. Clark’s Examples. --- At Paris raged the following fatal Fever (ſays Palmarius.) In moſt it began with a violent Pain of the Head, which vaniſhed the fourth or ſeventh Day, either with great bleeding at the Noſe, a Looſneſs, or no viſible or ſenſible Evacuation. At firſt was a Defluction from the Head on the Parts below, but without any Swelling, Watching, continual Toſsings, the Urine either thick and black, livid, or reddiſh livid, with breaking and a Cloud ; in others it was the ſame as in Health ; in ſome few it was very muddy ; moſt had neither great Heat nor Thirſt ; nor was the Pulſe different from what it was in Health : Then about the fourth or ſeventh Day, if the Urine had been thick, turbid or muddy, it became clearer, evident Concoction appeared, the Sick were free from Pain or Grief, imagined and aſsured themſelves that they were far enough out of all Danger ; but their Strength being gone, they quickly died, without either Pain or Signs of Putridneſs. Some were Phrentic the fourth or ſeventh Day, the Diſeaſe falling on the Brain, and ſo died ; the Urine moſtly being clear, with a laudible Sediment, and other conſpicuous Signs of Concoction in the Excrements. The Diſeaſe begun in ſome with a Lientaria, and indeed a ſpontaneous Diſcharge of crude Excrements was ſerviceable to many whoſe Strength was kept up by cordial Medicines and Food. Many who had taken Aſtringents to ſtop the Looſneſs, fell into a Phrenzy and died. Many whoſe Looſneſs was encouraged by briſk Purges uſed, had their Strength leſsened, and died preſently. Others who had neither Pain of the Head, Heat, Thirſt, Loathing, nor thick muddy Urine, yet were confined to Bed of meer Weakneſs ; ſome of theſe, their Strength being worn out, died without the leaſt Sign of Putrefaction, either in their Urine, or Blood let. Others, after the 20th or 27th Day, got better and recovered. The following Signs were common to all, Loathing, Pain at the Heart, Failure of Strength, and Weakneſs beyond the apparent Symptoms, as ſmall languid Pulſe, but quicker and thicker than in Health and Reſt, unequal and irregular in all ; Nature being proſtrated in many, the Pulſe was intercepted, and intermittent : The Bodies of moſt were ſpotted all over. Such as began the Core with Bleeding and Purging, only oppreſsed Nature, quickly ſunk the Strength of the Siok, and they all ſuccumbed and died. Cordial Medicines and Food alone preſerved and reſtored the Sick. The City was beſieged all the Harveſt before by a very numerous and great Army, whoſe Excrements and Naſtineſs had vitiated the Air, ſo as the next Spring the above malignant and peſtilential Fever began, and raged all the next Summer and Harveſt. Though the above were the pathognomonic Symptoms, yet it wanted not a great many others, according to different Conſtitutions, ſundry Ways of Life, and Treatment of the Diſeaſe. Its incredible to imagine the Havock Stibium given by Quacks made among the People of Lyons in their deſolating Plague of 1566. At Rome this Year were ſuch Floods of the Tyber, that they carried off and waſhed away, even to the Foundation, a great Part of the City, leaving very little behind, beſides the ineſtimable Loſs of the City, and its great Riches, and of innumerable Cattle, and 1500 People drowned in it. Bucholtz. --- In 1567 was a moſt ſevere Winter in England ; great Scarcity of Hay, it was ſold at 5d. a Stone in the Peak and Yorkſhire. The following Summer was an exceſsive Drought, and great Death of Cattle. March the 18th after, a moſt diſmal and deſtructive Hurricane in England and Holland. This Year the Plague was in London.--- November the 1ſt, the Sea ſwelled exceſsively, overflowed ſome Banks, and broke down others, by a prodigious and Unheard of Deluge ; it covered ſome Iſlands of Zealand, a great Part of the Sea Coaſt of Holland, and almoſt all Frieſland ; it was a Foot higher than the like Deluge of 1528, which ſwallowed up Villages. Here was an incomparable Loſs of Eſtates, but eſpecially of Men. In Frieſland alone was drowned 2600 People, whoſe Bodies, with the Carcaſes of Cattle, Houſhold Goods, &c. floated all oyer the Fields, Land and Sea being indiſtinguiſhable. People that had climbed to the Tops of high Hills and Trees, when juſt ſtarving were ſaved by Boats, &c. Strada.-- The Air this Year in Italy, (ſays Cole) was exceſsive hot and moiſt with a South Wind. The contagious Conſtitution of putrid Fevers, with Spots of ſeveral Colours, began at Bellona, and overſpread all Europe. It began in 1569, was at its full State in 70, and declined in 71. The Symptoms were ſudden Loſs of Strength, Thirſt, Watchings, Swellings behind the Ears, and in the Arm-pits, Heat of the Extremes, Looſeneſs, Want of Appetite, voiding of Worms, Coma, Reſtleſneſs, Heat of the Bowels ; all eſsayed to riſe out of Bed, and threw themſelves out of Windows, or into Rivers. Some or more of thoſe Symptoms always accompanied the Fever, which was acuteſt the 7th or 11th Day ; if it turned milder the 7th, all was well ; if not, the Danger was great. And after their Recovery from the great Shock of the Nerves, they continued long ſilly, childiſh, or fooliſh, and bald from their Hair felling off. Fat and corpulent People ſuffered more, and were in more Danger than the thin and lean. Bleeding was highly pernicious, cupping and ſcarifying as profitable. This in ſeveral Places turned to the Plague, and where the Plague raged it turned to this Fever, as in Spain, Auguſtin, Abios, who dairy viſited Hundreds. In this, having conſidered the Nature, Symptoms, Manner of the Place, Conſtitution of the Air, and Situation, and other Circumſtances of the Sick, he omitted bleeding, which at that Time he found highly injurious, even to plethoric, ſanguine and robuſt People in the Flower of Life ; and in room thereof ordered Cupping and Scarification on the Back and lower Extremes ; then gave a Lenitive of Caſsia and Tamarinds, or a cooling laxative Clyſter, or ordered cooling attenuating Decoctions or Syrups of Wood Sorrel, Endive, Bugloſs, Borrage, Violets, Roſes, Cinquefoil, Agrimony, Barley, Graſs Roots, and Maiden-hair, with Boluſses of Scordium, Sugar of Roſes, and Armenian Bole. --- In Spain, this Year, raged contagious ſpotted Fevers, which killed almoſt all they ſeized ; they were either ardent or continent, with a quick, ſmall, weak, formicant Pulſe, ſometimes varying or intermitting, eſpecially near the appearing of the Spots ; the Breath cold, fetid, and difficult ; a Trembling and Straitneſs at the Heart ; great Reſtleſneſs from the intenſe Heat, Oppreſsion of the Breaſt, Pain of the Mouth ; Heavineſs of the whole Body, Laſsitude, Inability to watch, Delirium followed by Forgetfulneſs, and ſometimes Inſolence, great Thirſt, Loathing, intolerable Fetor of Things diſcharged. The Urine ſometimes thin, other times thick, like a Draught-Ox’s arid turbid Sediment. Vomits, Tremor of the Tongue, blak Urine, were ſure Signs of Recovery. --- October the 5th, in 1570, ſays Stow, was a great Hurricane by Night (as there had been a moſt deſtructive one in March 1558) near Rye the Sea broke in with a great Flood, drowned a great Marſh with Herds of Sheep, Corn, &c. In Eſsex, Suffolk, and Norfolk, were great Loſses ; one by a Tempeſt, wherein Sheep, Corn, Cattle, Houſes, Bridges, &c. were loſt and carried down. In 1571, was a great Earthquake in Herefordſhire. In theſe Years, ſays he, was a great Plague over all Europe. But we ſhall conſult Foreigners more at length on this Head.