[A] Hecker’s Epidemics of the Middle Ages. Translated by B. G. Babington, M.D. Sydenham Society Edition. London: 1844.

John Caius, M.D. A Boke or Counseill against the Sweat. London: 1552.

John Caius. De Ephemer BritannicÂ. Reprint. London: 1721.

State Papers published by Royal Commission. 1830.

Hall. Vnion of the two Noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre and Yorke. 1548.

Grafton’s Chronicle. 1569.

Stow’s Chronicle, by Howes. London: 1611.

Fabian’s Chronicle. London: 1559.

Hollinshed’s Chronicle. London: 1587.

Chronicle of the Grey Friars of London. Edited by J. G. Nichols. Camden Society. 1852.

Diary of Henry Machyn, Citizen of London. Edited by J. G. Nichols. Camden Society. 1848.

Owen and Blakeway’s History of Shrewsbury. London: 1825.

Collection of English Topographical Histories. Various.

Sir H. Ellis. Original Letters. London: 1824.

Letters of the Kings of England. By J. O. Halliwell, F.S.A. London: 1848.

Harleian Manuscripts.

Cottonian Manuscripts. Titus, b. xi.

Lord Bacon’s History of Henry VII. Op. b. iii. London: 1740.

Anthony À Wood. History and Antiquities of University, Oxon. 1674.

Publications of the Parker Society. 1846-53.

[B] In 1491 and 92, a sweating plague is said to have prevailed in Ireland; according to the Annals of the Four Masters, its attack was of twenty-four hours duration. Ware says, but we know not on what authority, that it was brought out of England. (See Census of Ireland for the year 1851.)

[C] A remarkable notice of the occurrence of the sweat in the town of Galway, in the year 1543, is given by Mr. Hardiman in his local history. The fact was obtained from “Town Annals”, no longer accessible. We can only class it, as an isolated outbreak, with that of Chester in 1550. (Census of Ireland, 1851.)

[D] The manuscript above quoted, making the last Chester outbreak to have occurred in 1550, places the first in 1506. If we believe these annals to be incorrectly dated by a year, in that case the true date of the earlier visitation will be 1507, as given by several writers. The affirmation of Caius, that the disease appeared at Westchester (the old name for Chester) in 1551, favours this assumption. On the other hand, the Vale Royal, Ormerod, Hemingways and Lysons all agree in stating that 1550 was the year in which the town was severely visited by the malady. Whichever view we take, it would appear that one of the Chester visitations must have occurred in a year (1507 or 1550) not marked by a general epidemic, unless we gratuitously fix a charge of incorrectness on the early local annalists.

[E] It was a fatal inflammatory fever, followed in the survivors by loss of hair and nails, and dropsical effusions.