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History of the Franks

St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927

Book 10, 30. Of the Weather During This Year

In April of this year¹ a terrible pestilence destroyed the people in the territory of Tours and in that of Nantes; the attack in each case was followed by a slight headache, soon after which the patient died. But Rogations were held with rigid abstinence and fasting, while alms were also given to the needy; thus the fierceness of the divine anger was averted and there was relief.

In the city of Limoges many persons were consumed by fire from heaven for dishonouring the Lord’s Day by transacting public business. For this day is holy, which in the beginning first saw the creation of light, and was made witness of the Resurrection of the Lord; therefore the rule should be faithfully observed by Christians that no public work be done upon it. In the territory of Tours, also, some persons were burned by this fire, but not on the Lord’s Day.

There was a great drought which kept back the pasture; as a result a serious disease prevailed among the flocks and herds which left few to transmit their kinds; as Habakkuk the prophet foretold: ‘The sheep shall fail from want of food, and there shall be no oxen in the stalls.’² This pest raged not only among domestic animals but even among the wild beasts. For throughout the forest glades a multitude of stags and other beasts were found dead in pathless places. The hay, sodden by rain and flood, was ruined; the harvests of grain were scanty, but the vintage abundant; the acorns appeared but did not ripen.

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