316 MATTHEW 0 Ï ^WESTMiySTEB. A.D. 1250. In the meantime, the holy party of the Christians (since the Saracens often triumphed according to their wish) was weakened in no slight degree, but these losses were happily made amends for by the successes in Spain. The castle of Antioch was besieged by insurgents, and was attacked and assaulted by them, as they advanced as far as the vineyards and farm lands of the citizens, and even to the walls of the city. This year Easter fell on its proper time, that is, on the twenty-seventh of March, doing that which had never once happened before, in the last year of this fifty. And all the elements (which is a notable and significant circumstance) in this last year of the period of fifty years, suffered an irregular and unusual confusion. Fire like lightning was often seen during the winter season, and thunderbolts fell in a terrible manner, and shone in a way contrary to the usual course of nature. The air was confused and darkened, as if laden with the thunder and lightning, and inundations of rain, already mentioned. The water and the sea transgressed its accustomed bounds, and in the sea where there used to be deep water, dry land was now seen ; and the places on the borders of the sea were laid waste. And in the land of England, and especially in the north, there were repeated strange earthquakes ; and in Savoy, too, there was a great destruction of cities, towns, mountains, castles, and churches, and also of many thousand men that were swallowed up in a terrible and unheard-of manner. Ndw since the Blessed Virgin bore her child, The sun had rolled on his revolving orb In twenty-five timesfifty revolutions ; Tet during all that time it ne'er was seen That Easter on the twenty-seventh of March Did fall before, till this last year arrived, Yet in this year it fell so, as I've said, Nor did men ever, whensoever born, In all the other ages put together So many marvels see, as this produced. With this year, too, brother Matthew proposed to close his commentaries, on account of certain impending dangers. For if truth is spoken of powerful persons, and if a man's writings are commended, there was his prepared for him ; if their good deeds are passed over, or described as evil deeds, his whole worth will be mutilated and bitterly reproved and condemned