Immediatlie followed, or rather precéeded passing great tempests of raine, which filled the earth full of water, and caused monstruous flouds: for this raine continued all the space of the moneths of Ianuarie, Februarie, and a great part of March; and for eight daies it rained (as some write) in maner without ceassing: and vpon the tenth of Februarie, immediatlie after the change of the moone, the Thames rose with such an high tide, that boats might haue béene rowed vp and downe in Westminster hall. In the winter before, on the twentith of December, there chanced a great thunder, and on the first fridaie in December, which was the fift of that moneth, there was a counterfet sunne séene beside the true sunne. Moreouer, as in the spring precéeding there happened sore and excéeding great raines, so in the summer following there chanced a great drouth, continuing by the space of foure moneths or more. [Sidenote: Gilbert Norman founder of Merton abbeie.] [Sidenote: An. Reg. 21.] [Sidenote: High tides.] [Sidenote: _Matth. Paris._] [Sidenote: Wisbech people perishing by rage of waters.] This yeare was a parlement holden at Merton, a towne in Surrie, distant from London 7 miles, where was an abbeie of regular canons founded by one Gilbert a lord of Normandie, that came into the realme with William conquerour. At this parlement, diuerse good & profitable lawes were made and established, which yet remaine in vse, bearing the name of the place where they were first ordeined. ¶ In the beginning of the 21 yeare of king Henries reigne, on the morrow after the feast of S. Martine, and certeine days after, the sea burst out with such high tides and tempests of wind, that the marrish countries néere to the same were drowned vp and ouerflowen: and beside great heards and flocks of cattell that perished, there was no small number of men lost and drowned. The sea rose continuallie in flowing the space of two daies and one night, without ebbing, by reason of the mightie violence of contrarie winds. At Wisbech also, and in villages thereabouts, the people were drowned in great numbers, so that in one village there were buried an hundred corpses in one daie. Also the daie before Christmasse éeue, there chanced a great wind, with thunder and raine, in such extreame wise, that manie buildings were shaken and ouerthrowen. [Sidenote: 1237.] [Sidenote: A subsidie.]