1576 - The life and times of Dr John Dee

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In February the Earth began to open at ſix a Clock in the Evening, and an Hill, with a Rock under it (making at firſt a great Bellowing Noiſe, which was heard a great Way off) lifted itſelf up a great Height, and began to travel, bearing along with it the Trees that grew upon it, the Sheep-folds, and Flocks of Sheep, abiding there at the ſame Time. In the Place from whence it moved, it left a gaping Diſtance 40 Foot wide, and 80 Ells long. The whole Field was about 20 Acres. Paſsing along, it overthrew a Chapel ſtanding in its Way, removed a Ewe-Tree growing in the Church Yard, from the W. to the E. with like Force ; it thruſt before it Highways, Houſes, and Trees ; it made tilled Ground Paſture, and turned Paſture to Tillage : Having thus walked from Saturday Evening till Monday Noon, it then reſted. Clark’s Exampl.--- Now general and grievous Pains of the Head prevailed, which eluded the Skill of all Phyſicians. The Sick had no ſenſible Fever, yet their Mouths were parched and dry, the Eyes red, and a viſible Pulſation on the Temples. Ballonius Epid. and Ephemer. lib. 2. p. 129.-- Bay Salt was ſtill extroardinary dear ; Wheat fell from 7s. to 3s. per Buſhel. February the 24th, being a ſmall Flood in Avon by Teukſbury, the Day froſty, in the Afternoon, came down on the Surface of the River, ſuch Heaps of Flies and Beetles, as were a Foot thick ; ſo that in one Pair of Butts Length, laid an hundred Quarters : All the Mills thereabout were dammed up with them for four Days, till People gathered and took them off with Shovels. February the 26th was a great Earthquake over moſt of the Kingdom. July the 30th, a Tempeſt of Thunder, Lightning, and Hail, which killed ſeveral People, and much Cattle ; each Stone was 6 or 7 Inches about. Stow. --- The Plague raged in Milan, Padua, and Proſperalpin, being communicated from other Places without any Fault of the Air or Weather ; for this Year was every where exceeding good and healthy, and all Neceſsaries of Life plentiful and rich. Our Author forbid bleeding at firſt, but diſcovering his Error, he retracted it with great Succeſs. This Plague was brought from Aſia to Venice in ſome very rich Clothes. Palmar.

Short, Thomas. A General Chronological History of the Air, Weather, Seasons, Meteors, &c. in Sundry Places and different Times ; more particularly for the Space of 250 Years. Together with ſome of their moſt Remarkable Effects on Animal (eſpecially Human) Bodies, and Vegetables. Page 254–255.
A peſtilential Diſeaſe reigned at Trent, Venice, Padua, &c. wherein ſome of the Sick voided Worms upward and downward, and were more difficultly cured than others. Some had Carbuncles, which were neither red nor black ; only the Part was very painful, and the Skin livid, under which the Carbuncles laid ſomewhat deep ; very few eſcaped. Some that ſeemed quite recovered, relapſed after ſome Months. Black Spots were more fatal than either Carbuncles or Bubos. Bleeding was hurtful, but Leeches put on the Hemorrhoidal Veins were uſeful. Such as attended the Sick were not infected for many Weeks, but were ſeized afterwards, and died ſuddenly ; Laxatives, Sudorifics, and Alexipharmics, rarely failed to cure the Sick. Platina and Rycaut ſay, that a grievous Plague afflicted all Italy this Year. And Mercurialis ſays, there was a great Silence of Graſhoppers over all Italy this moiſt rainy Summer,

Ibid., page 255-256
11. Her Majesties very gracions letters of credit for my marriage. Anno 1575. 12. The right honourable Earle of Leicester’s letters for the same. 13. Mr. Christopher Hatton (afterward Lord Chancellor of England) his letters for the same.

Dee, John. Autobiographical Tracts of Dr. John Dee, Warden of the College of Manchester. Edited by James Crossley. Page 10–11.
We come to another Kind of Meteors, called Aurora Boreales, Lumen Zodiacum, or Northern Lights ; these are no Upſtarts, they have been long known. Andreas Celſus, Professor of Aſtronomy at Upſal, pronounces them co-eval with the Arctic Pole, having been always common in Iceland, Greenland, Lapland and Norway. Our Saxon Chronologers took early Notice of them in Britain, but moſtly leſſer than the Concluſion of the last and Beginning of this Century have produced. Theſe taken notice of in Britain, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, and ſometimes in France, Spain and Italy, have been greater, and ſeem periodical ; from 1560 to 1580, they were very common ;

Short, Thomas. New Observations, Natural, Moral, Civil, Political and Medical, on City, Town, and Country Bills of Mortality. To which are added, Large and Clear Abstracts of The beſt Authors who have wrote on that Subject. With an Appendix on the Weather and Meteors. Page 479–480.