

An abnormal girl was born at this time in the vicinity of Verona. Although the child had but one head, it had two posteriors and two organs of generation; also four arms, of which two were large and useful, and the other two small and useless. Also two abdomens in the region of the stomach. The parents led the child about in Italy, begging money of those who would see it.

The Padus (Po) and Tiber, and other rivers of Italy were so swollen by rains in the month of November that they overflowed, doing much damage to those inhabiting their banks. Then the waters receded they carried with them many dead animals which became putrefied and polluted the air, causing a great plague.

On the death of King Henry in Spain the dominions were divided between Ferdinand, son of John the king of Aragon (who had espoused Elizabeth, sister of Henry), and Alphonso, king of Portugal, who then acted as guardian for said Henry and his sister’s daughter. In the following year King Ferdinand of Spain gave battle to the king of Portugal, compelling him to flee from the field at Numantia.

Johannes Königsberger (Regiomontanus), a German, not inferior to Anaximander of Miletus, or the Syracusan Archimedes, highly informed, and experienced in the Greek and Latin tongues, and an ornament and a credit to the Germans, was at this time engaged by Matthias, the Hungarian king, and by those of Nuremberg, because of his superior skill in astronomy and other scriptural knowledge. He was held in great honor and esteem in Germany, Hungary and Rome. As a result of his commendable and brilliant ingenuity and enlightened understanding, he made an excellent calendar, and wrote sundry other things pertaining to astronomy. He also introduced a number of new tables, and perfected the theories of Gerard of Cremona. Finally Pope Sixtus called him from Nuremberg to Rome to reform certain matters pertaining to astronomy. There he died, leaving certain tables that were published and are still available.

Niccolo d’Este, who fought against Ercole for the control of Ferrara, was driven out of the city, imprisoned, and finally slain.

In A.D. 1476, in the village of Nicholas Hausen, in the noble land of Franconia, a herdsman and disturber took it upon himself to preach against the papacy and the clergy, stating that their life was shameful, and that the people should pay them neither tithes nor tolls, and that the rivers and forests were free to every man. He also made other unseemly statements, and claimed that the Virgin Mary had revealed all these things to him. In consequence he attracted a great concourse of people who came there to hear this disturber, who preached long sermons against the clergy on the holidays. Rudolph, bishop of Württemberg, sent several spies to Nicholashausen, who took him to Würtzburg and burned him. And thus these pilgrimages were put to a stop. When the movement was revived the authorities of Nuremberg, under severe penalties, compelled their people to discontinue these pilgrimages to Nicholashausen. This action on the part of the authorities met with particular favor at the hands of Pope Sixtus according to a papal letter sent to them on the subject.