As this broile vexed the citie of London, so in this yeare there chanced great tempest of thunder, lightning and raine, whereby much hurt was doone in diuerse parts of the realme, and at sundrie times, as by throwing downe of stéeples, churches, and other buildings, with the rootwalting of trées, as well in woods as orchards, verie strange to consider, chéefelie on the eight day of Februarie at Grantham in Lincolneshire, where there chanced (beside the thunder) such a stinke and filthie sauour to follow in the church, that the people fled out, for that they were not able to abide it. Likewise in the day of the exaltation of the crosse, a generall thunder happened throughout the realme, and thervpon followed a continuall season of foule weather and wet, till Candelmas next after, which caused a dearth of corne, so as wheat was sold at twelue shillings the quarter. Likewise on the day of saint Andrew an other terrible tempest of thunder happened through the realme, throwing downe and shaking buildings in manie places, in so much that at Pillerdeston in Warwikeshire, in a knights house, the ladie thereof and six other persons were destroied by the same. And a turbarie thereby compassed about with water and marresse was so dried vp, that neither grasse nor mire remained, after which insued an earthquake. Moreouer on the euen of saint Lucie, a mightie wind raged, which did much hurt in sundrie places of the realme. Furthermore, about this time there appeared in England a woonderfull comet or blasing starre. The sea also rose with higher tides and springs than it had béene accustomed to doo. All which woonders were afterward iudged to betoken and signifie the losse which the christians susteined the same yeare in Aegypt, when they were constreined to surrender the citie of Damieta into the Saracens hands, which latelie before (as yée haue heard) they had woone with long and chargeable siege. After the yéelding vp of Damieta, William de Albenie earle of Arundell (whome Ranulfe earle of Chester left behind him in the holie land) with manie souldiers and men of warre (when he returned from thence) came now homewards towards England, and died by the waie. [Sidenote: An. Reg. 7.] [Sidenote: Iohn Scot marrieth the daughter of Leolin prince of Wales.] [Sidenote: 1223.] [Sidenote: A councell at London.] [Sidenote: Note the redinesse of this bish. to broch new contention.]