The Year 1348 and two following Years are recorded in all our Chronicles, as remarkable for a most formidable Pestilence which devastated Europe[78], and is said to have been attended with this singular Circumstance, that the Children born after the Pestilence had begun, were found to be deficient in the usual Number of Teeth. It may be enough to quote from our English Annalists, the Chronicle of _Caxton_. Speaking of the 23rd Year of King _Edward_ the Third, the Historian says[79]: “¶ And in the xxiij Yere of his Regne, in yᵉ East Partyes of the Worlde, there began a Pestylence and Deth of Sarasyns and Paynyms, that so grete a Deth was never herde of afore, and that wasted away the People, so that unneth the tenth Persone was left alive. ¶ And in the same Yere, about yᵉ South Countrees there fell so moche Rayne, and so grete Waters, that from Chrystmasse unto Mydsomer there was unnethes no Daye nor Nyght but that rayned somewhat, through which Waters yᵉ Pestilence was so enfected, and so haboundant in all Countrees, and namely, about yᵉ Court of Rome, and other Places, and See Costes, that unneth there were lefte lyuyng Folke for to bury them honestly yᵗ were deed. But made grete Diches and Pyttes yᵗ were wonders brode and depe, and therin buryed them, and made a Renge of deed Bodyes, and cast a lytell Erth to couer them aboue, and than cast in another Renge of deed Bodyes, and another Renge aboue them. And thus were they buryed, and none other wyse, but yf it were so yᵗ they were Men of grete Estate, so that they were buryed as honestly as they myght.” And again[80], “And in this same Yere,” [24 _Edw._ III.] “and in the Yere afore, and in the Yere nexte folowynge, was so grete a Pestylence of Men from the Eest in to the West, and namely through Botches, yᵗ they that sekened, as on this Daye, dyed on the thyrde Daye after, to yᵉ whiche Men yᵗ so dyed in this Pestylence had but lytell Respyte of theyr Lyggynge. Than Pope _Clement_ of his Goodnes and Grace, gave them full Remyssyon and Forgyuenes of all theyr Synnes that they were shryuen of, and this Pestylence lasted in _London_ fro Mighelmasse vnto August nexte followynge, almost an hole Yere. And in these Dayes was Deth without Sorowe, Weddynges without Frendshyp, wylful Penaunce, and Derth without Scarsete, and Fleynge wᵗout Refute or Sucour, for many fledde from Place to Place bycause of the Pestylence, but they were infected, and might not escape yᵉ Deth, after yᵗ yᵉ Prophete _Isaie_ sayth, Who that fleeth fro the Face of Drede, he shall fall into the Dyche. And he yᵗ wyndeth him out of yᵉ Dyche, he shall be holden and tyed with a Grenne. But whan this Pestylence was cesed, as God wolde, unnethes yᵉ tenth Parte of the People was left on lyue. ¶ And in yᵉ same Yere began a wonders thynge, that all yᵗ were borne after yᵉ Pestylence had two Cheketethe in ther Heed lesse than they had afore.”