A Chronicle of London from 1089 to 1483 / Written in the Fifteenth Century, and for the First Time Printed from MSS. in the British Museum

by Anonymous

A COPY OF THE TABLET HANGING AT THE COLUMN NEAR THE TOMB OF THE DUKE OF LANCASTER, IN THE CHURCH OF SAINT PAUL’S, LONDON.

The church of St. Paul, London, contains within its limits three acres of land and a half; one rood and a half, and six perches covered. The length of the same church contains dclxxxx feet. The breadth of the same church contains cxxx feet. The height of the western dome contains from the altar cij feet. The height of the dome of the new building contains from the altar lxxxviij feet. The whole pile of the church contains in height cl. feet with the cross. The height of the stone fabric of the belfry of the same church contains, from the level ground, cclx feet. The height of the wooden fabric of the same belfry contains cclxxiiij feet. But altogether it does not exceed five hundred and xxty feet. Also the ball of the same belfry is capable of containing, if it were vacant, ten bushels of corn; the rotundity of which contains xxxvj inches of diameter, which make three feet; the surface of which, if it were perfectly round, ought to contain four thousand lxviij inches, which make xxviij square feet, and the fourth part of one square foot. The staff of the cross of the same belfry contains in height xv feet. The cross beam of which contains six feet. In which cross, in the year of our Lord one thousand cccxxxix, on the xith of the kalends of August, namely on the feast of saint Mary Magdalene, many precious reliques of several saints were deposited with great solemnity of procession, for the preservation of the same cross and the whole building beneath them; that the Almighty God, through the glorious merits of all the saints whose reliques are contained in that cross, might deign to preserve them from tempest and peril under his protection. Of whose mercy to all the xxvij procuring succour to the fabric of this church, cl days are set apart at every time of the year, besides the Roman ordinances which are xliiijor in the year, and very many other benefits.

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A COPY OF THE OTHER TABLET HANGING AT THE MIDDLE COLUMN AT THE SAME PLACE, BETWEEN THE SAID TOMB OF THE SAID DUKE AND THE TOMB OF SAINT ROGER LATELY BISHOP OF LONDON.

The Invention of the image of the Crucifix.
The church of St. Paul burnt.

In the year of our Lord cxl, the Invention of the image of the Crucifix, at the northern door of saint Paul, London, in the great river of Thames, by Lucius the first Christian king of England. In the year of our Lord one thousand lxxxvij, on the seventh day of the month of July. The church of St. Paul, London, and all things which were in it, with great part of the city, were consumed by fire; in the time of Maurice bishop of London, and in the reign of the first king of the Normans, William the Conqueror who founded the Monasteries of Battle in Sussex, where himself had fought, and Bermondsey near London. Most part of London burnt.
The church of Paul again burnt.In the year of our Lord one thousand cxxxij, the ides of April, the city of London was burnt in chief part, from the fire of Gilbert Beget. In the year of our Lord one thousand cxxxvij the church of saint Paul, London, was burnt by a fire kindled at London bridge, and which advanced thence to the church without the bars of the new temple, London. In the year one thousand cl, so strong was the ice, that the Thames could be crossed over by people on horseback. The iiijth year of king John.In the year one thousand ccij such great rains, thunder and hail fell, that quadrangular stones, to the bigness of eggs descended from the sky mixt with rain; by which trees, vines, and cornfields were much destroyed; men were bruised, and birds flying through the air The same year.
The vjth year of king John.
The same year.
In the vijth year of K. H. iijrd.seemed to bear lighted coals in their beaks, and to set the houses on fire. In the year of our Lord one thousand cciiij, began the order of preaching freres in the parts of Tholouse under their founder Dominic. The same year a most bitter winter endured from the circumcision of our Lord until the annunciation. In the year of our Lord one thousand ccxiiij, St. Francis began the order of minor freres near Assise. And in the year one thousand ccxxiiij, they first came into England, two years before the decease of saint Francis. In the vth year of K. H. the third.In the year one thousand ccxxj, at the festival of saint Luke the Evangelist a violent wind rushed from the north, shattering houses and orchards, and the towers of churches; and there were seen fiery dragons and evil spirits fluttering in the tempest. In the xliijrd of king H. iij.In the year one thousand cclviij, at Teukysbury, a certain Jew on Saturday fell into a cesspool, and would not allow himself to be drawn out on the Saturday, on account of his reverence of his sabbath; but Richard de Clare earl of Gloucester would not allow him to be drawn out on the following Sunday because of his reverence of his own sabbath; and so he died. In the ixth year of king Edw. second.In the year M. cccxvj, a very great pestilence of animals and men, and inundation of rains took place, whence was produced so great a dearness of corn, that a quarter of wheat was sold for xl s’. In the xxiiijth year of K. Edw. the third.
In the xxxvth and xxxvjth year of king Ed. third.
In the xliijrd year of king Edw. third.
In the vth year of king Richard second.In the year of our Lord M. cccxlviij, there began a great plague at London, about the festival of saint Michael, and it endured until the festival of saint Peter ad vincula next following. In the year of our Lord one thousand ccclxj, the xviijth kl. of February, on the festival of saint Maurus abbot, happened a violent and terrible gale throughout all England. In the same year was a second plague, in which died that noble and brave man, Henry duke of Lancaster. In the year of our Lord one thousand ccclxviij, was a third plague, in which died the noble lady Blanche, duchess of Lancaster; who lies honorably entombed in the church of saint Paul, London. In the year of our Lord one thousand ccclxxxij, the xijth kl. of June, namely, the iiijth day before pentecost, immediately before noon, there was a great earthquake throughout all England.

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