Europe where the sun dares scarce appear
For freezing meteors and congealed cold.
CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE,
London, 1578
The lights and windows in the vault of the heavens often grow dark and will no longer shine and shed light on the world’s larceny / and they are longing with us for our salvation . . . the sun / the moon / and other stars / shine / less brightly than before / there is no true and lasting sunshine / no steady winter and summer / fruits and things growing from the earth no longer ripen as well / or are as healthy as they most likely used to be.
REVEREND DANIEL SCHALLER, Stendal, in Prussia, 1595
’Twas a harsh cold winter here / you could catch birds and game with your hands.
’Twas a hot and arid summer / and the crickets devoured everything in the field / which caused great price increases.
CHRISTOPH SCHORER, Memmingen, in Germany, 1660