1258

Henry III was fighting with his barons over supporting Papal wars in Sicily and the Latins were quickly losing their grasp on the Byzantine Empire. Far away from their world, across the Atlantic ocean, a volcano erupted with a force unknown in centuries.

The next two years brought extremely cold winters, blizzards, poor harvests and disease. It was so bad that a movement called the Flagellants began and spread through out Europe until it was stamped out by 1260. Of course, in almost 100 years this writer believes that an even worse plague will bring the flagellant movement back.

Thousands of Londoners and Parisians were killed by the plague of '58 and '59 more died of famine. Among the dead were the famous Adam Marsh and Matthew Paris. We will miss Matthew Paris who was a great source for the goings on at court. Now we get a lot of information from Florence de Worcester.

On May 19, there was a total eclipse. A terrible sign after last years dreadful harvest. Not long after the eclipse, the Bishop of London died.

The King was forced to sign the Provisions of Oxford giving the Parliament more power. A copy of the Provisions is written in our Vulgar language.

I also hear a great power of the Far East, a scourge of God, is conquering the lands of the infidel.