Part 15

1545. FRANCIS DE BOURBON, Count Enghien, killed. He was a celebrated general in the service of Francis I, and was killed by accident.

1555. THOMAS WYAT beheaded. He took the lead in an unsuccessful insurrection against the "bloody Queen Mary."

1589. ANDREW DUDITH, a Hungarian divine, died. He was employed by Ferdinand II, in important affairs of state, wrote on physic, poetry, &c., and was a highly esteemed character.

1603. ANDREAS CÆSARALPINUS, an Italian philosopher and physician, died at Rome.

1619. BARTHOLOMEW ZIEGENBALG, a celebrated German missionary, died. He was sent to India by the king of Denmark, but meeting with some opposition from the Danish authorities there, he placed himself under the countenance of the British East India company, published a dictionary of the Malabar language, and was fulfilling the object of his mission with great zeal and success, when he was suddenly interrupted by death at the age of 36.

1679. THOMAS GOODWIN, a theological writer of the puritan school, died, aged 80. He was one of the members of the assembly of divines at Westminster, and attended Cromwell on his death bed.

1717. MAGNUS STEINBOCK, an illustrious Swede, died at Frederickshaven. He distinguished himself by his valor under Charles XII, and in the absence of the king from Sweden, he managed the affairs of the government with uncommon wisdom and moderation.

1750. A brilliant borealis appeared at Cork, about seven in the evening. The tide at the same time rose far above its ordinary height.

1766. STANISLAUS I, king of Poland and elector of Saxony, died. He was an author, and a good ruler, though an unfortunate one.

1775. The daily consumption of _pulque_, the fermented juice of the maguei, in the city of Mexico, according to the custom house record, was 6000 arrobas (150,000 lbs.), and the daily consumption of tobacco for smoking, was reckoned at 1250 crowns. The population then exceeded 200,000.

1779. St. Vincents surrendered with considerable stores, to the Americans under Col. Clarke. British taken, 79.

1780. Action between the British ship Resolution, 74 guns, and French ship La Prothee, 64 guns, which resulted in the capture of the latter.

1792. JOSHUA REYNOLDS, the English painter, died in London, aged 69. He rapidly acquired opulence by his profession, and on the institution of the royal academy, was elected president. The lectures which he delivered before this society have become a standard work.

1796. NICHOLAS STOFFLET, the celebrated Vendean chief, shot at Angers. At the beginning of the French revolution he was a private soldier, but became one of the most intrepid and daring chiefs of the royal army of La Vendee, and had been in no less than 150 actions, 10 of them pitched battles; and in more than 100 of them he proved victorious. He met his fate with characteristic fortitude.

1796. BONAPARTE appointed commander-in-chief of the army of Italy.

1798. Rockland county N. Y., erected.

1798. The pope withdrew from Rome to Sienna, having been deprived of his temporal possessions by the French.

1800. JOSEPH WARTON, an English prelate, died. He was also an ingenious poet and critical writer.

1805. British frigate Leander, fell in with and captured the Ville de Milan, and her prize the Cleopatra, captured a few days previous. (See 17th.)

1814. The blacks under Christophe, took by assault fort Sabourin, in St. Domingo.

1821. The counties of Monroe and Livingston N. Y., erected.

1822. BENAVIDES executed; an outlaw and pirate, who for several years proved the scourge of the southern part of Chili, where he perpetrated the most horrid cruelties upon every age and sex that fell in his way. In 1818 he had been condemned to be shot, and was supposed to have been killed; but although shockingly wounded and left for dead, he recovered and became a fiend incarnate.

1827. WALTER SCOTT disclosed himself publicly for the first time as the _Great Unknown_, at a dinner of the Edinburgh theatrical fund, himself in the chair.

1831. GERTRUDE ELIZABETH MARIA, a favorite German vocalist, celebrated the anniversary of her 83d year at Reval, where Goethe offered her a poetical tribute.

1836. Battle of fort Alamo in Texas, in which the Mexican army of 4000, who made the assault, were repulsed.

1840. JAMES MAURY died at New York, aged 95. He was the first consul from the United States to Liverpool, to which office he was appointed by Washington, and which he held for nearly half a century.

1847. Battle of Buena Vista in which the Mexican army, numbering more than four to one of the Americans, was completely defeated. Many of the American officers were slain.

1848. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, ex-president of the United States, died in the Capitol at Washington. It may well be questioned whether any statesman in the world was better informed.

1851. JOANNA BAILLIE, the Scottish poetress, died, aged 89. She was born at Bothwell, near the Clyde, and lived in seclusion with her maiden sister.

1854. The steamer from Stonington arrived at New York, having been detained in the sound by ice during three days.

1856. A freshet commenced in the Ohio, which caused great destruction of property, among which were several steam boats.

FEBRUARY 24.

303. DIOCLETIAN issued the first general edict of persecution against the Christians, by which all their religious edifices in the empire were to be leveled to their foundations, and the church property confiscated and sold to the highest bidder. This abominable decree was instantly torn from its column by a Christian of rank, who for his audacity was burnt or rather roasted, by a slow fire.

1383. JOHN WICKLIFFE presented seven articles to parliament containing his doctrines.

1468. JOHN GUTENBERG, the inventor of printing, died. In connection with Faust he contributed greatly to the improvement of the art, then in a very rude state.

1495. JEM, son of Bayazid I the Osman sultan, died. He was defeated by his brother in a contest for the throne, and took refuge with the knights of St. John at Rhodes, who sent him to France, where he was kept in confinement several years, and then delivered up to the pope, Alexander VI, by whom he was poisoned.

1525. Battle of Pavia in Italy. The imperialists under Bourbon, Pescara and Lannoy defeated the French and captured their king, Francis I, whom they sent prisoner to Madrid. The king fought with heroic valor, killing 7 men with his own hand.

1540. CHARLES V of Germany entered Ghent, which had been in a state of insurrection; 26 of the principal citizens were put to death. He was born at this place on this day 1500.

1541. PEDRO DE VALDIVIA, having been sent by Pizarro with 200 Spaniards and a numerous body of Peruvians to Chili for the purpose of settling such provinces as he should conquer, succeeded in overcoming the resistance of the natives and founded the city of Santiago.

1563. FRANCIS of Lorraine, duke of Guise, assassinated. He distinguished himself in the wars with Charles V and the English; and in the reigns of Henry II and Francis II of France, completely governed the kingdom. After the death of Francis, he espoused the side of the catholics in the civil wars.

1587. THOMAS CAVENDISH passed the straits of Magellan.

1645. A treaty of peace, which was begun at Uxbridge on the 30th January, between the commissioners of Charles I, and those of the parliament, was broken off.

1665. A Dutch impostor whipped thro' the streets of London; possibly only a little eccentric.

1665. Deerfield, Mass., purchased of the Indians. The deed, which is still extant, was given "for the use and behoof of Major Eleazar Lusher, Ensign Daniel Fisher, and other English at Dedham, their associates and successors," by Chauk alias Chague, the sachem of Pocomptuck, and his brother Wassahoale, and witnessed by Wequonnock. It reserves to the Indians the right of fishing in the rivers, hunting wild animals, and gathering nuts. It is capable of proof, that the early settlers in New England, as well as New York, made it a matter of course to purchase the lands upon which they settled, in nearly all instances, and at prices which were considered a fair equivalent at the time by the Indians. It may be mentioned as a matter of curiosity, that the salary of the first minister settled at this place was £60, to be paid in wheat at 3s. 6d., peas at 2s. 6d., corn at 2s. per bushel, and salted pork at 2½d. per pound.

1667. THOMAS ADAMS died. He was born at Wem in England; went to London, where he established himself in business as a draper; and in 1645 rose to the high honor of lord mayor of that city.

1676. Attack on Medfield, Mass., by a party of about 300 Indians. The loss of Lancaster, a short time previous, had put the neighboring towns on their guard, and Medfield had obtained a small garrison of soldiers for greater security, although within 22 miles of Boston. The Indians during the night had secreted themselves, according to custom, under the fences and behind trees about the villages, so that the people were shot down as they came out of their doors and their houses immediately set on fire. The soldiers being lodged in different parts of the town, could not get together until about 50 buildings were on fire. Some were killed as they attempted to pass to their neighbors for shelter, and in some instances, the husband flying with one child and the wife with another, one of them fell into the hands of the savages or was killed, while the other escaped. Two or three discharges of a field piece put the whole horde to flight, who as they passed the river fired the bridge to prevent pursuit. Loss 18 killed, and many wounded and carried away for torture. (Holmes says Feb. 21.)

1684. Birthday of HANDEL, the music composer, at Halle.

1684. Boundary line between New York and Connecticut partially run.

1716. The earls of DERWENTWATER and KENMUIR beheaded on Tower hill, for treason in favoring the cause of the Pretender.

1721. JOHN SHEFFIELD, duke of Buckingham, died; a celebrated general, critic and poet.

1724. A great storm attended with an uncommon tide, was experienced in New England. The tide in some places rose ten feet higher than it was ever known before, and rendered many of the streets of Boston navigable.

1740. Providential delivery from death of a society of monks at Palermo.

1752. ISAAC WOOD, an English painter, died. His principal pieces are in oil and black lead upon vellum.

1758. Battle of Hoya in Westphalia, between the allies and French.

1762. Tremendous hurricane and fall of snow in England. Nearly 50 persons perished in the fields, and several whales were driven on the Essex and Kentish coasts.

1766. STANISLAUS, the last duke of Lorrain and Bar, as an independent Duchy, died in consequence of burns from his robes de chambre having accidentally caught fire.

1777. WILLIAM DODD, an English divine, convicted of forgery, and sentenced to be hanged.

1777. JOSEPH, king of Portugal, died. He was of the house of Braganza, ascended the throne in 1750; his reign was turbulent and unfortunate.

1781. EDWARD CAPELL died; known as the editor of an edition of Shakspeare in 10 vols., and 4 large quarto vols. of "Notes and various readings of Shakspeare."

1785. CHARLES BONAPARTE, father of Napoleon, died, leaving his family in straightened circumstances.

1797. Resumption of hostilities in Italy between the French and Austrians.

1799. GEORGE CHRISTOPHER LICHTENBERG, a famous German writer, died. His commentary on Hogarth is said of itself to immortalize his fame.

1809. Drury-lane theatre burnt. It had been previously burnt, and rebuilt 1671 by Sir Christopher Wren at a cost of £200,000.

1810. HENRY CAVENDISH, an English philosopher, died. He made the important discovery of the composition of water. Of diffident and retiring manners, he devoted his days to experiments and improvements in the arts and sciences. It has been said that he was the richest among the learned, and the most learned among the rich men of his time. He left a fortune of £5,000,000.

1813. Action between United States sloop Hornet, Capt. Lawrence, and British man-of-war brig Peacock, Capt. Peake, off Demarara. The action commenced at half past 5 P. M. and continued 15 minutes, when the Peacock showed signals of distress. Exertions were made to keep the vessel afloat till the prisoners could be got off, but she sunk carrying down 13 of her crew and 3 Americans. The loss of the crew of the Peacock could not be ascertained; but the captain was killed in the latter part of the engagement, and the vessel was literally cut to pieces. The Hornet lost 1 killed and 4 wounded; and the vessel received trifling damage, except in her rigging.

1815. ROBERT FULTON died, aged 50. He was born at Little Britain, Pa., and early discovered a genius for painting and mechanics; and he subsequently studied painting in London, under Benjamin West. He also resided several years in Paris; after which he returned to America, and presented to the world the phenomenon of the steam boat.

1821. JOHN KEATS, an English poet, died, aged 25. He was of humble origin, but was possessed of a fine genius. His productions were made the subject of severe and unmerited criticism by Gifford, who had leaped from a cobbler's bench into an editor's stool, and presided over the pages of the _Quarterly Review_. These gross attacks preyed upon his mind and hastened his death.

1821. ITURBIDE issued his proclamation, called the plan of Iguala, for the pacification of the state of Mexico. It contemplated the independence of Mexico, and still to preserve its union with Spain.

1826. RICHARD DALE, an American naval officer, died. He was born in Virginia, 1756, and at the age of 12 went to sea. During the war of the revolution he was captured, and imprisoned, but found means to escape, and joined the celebrated Paul Jones. Under Jones he distinguished himself in the sanguinary and desperate engagement between the Bon Homme Richard and the British frigate Serapis, and was the first who reached the deck of the latter when she was boarded and taken. In 1802 he settled in Philadelphia, where he passed the remainder of his days.

1828. JACOB BROWN, who acted so prominent a part in the war of 1812 between England and the United States, and for some time commander-in-chief of the United States army, died at Washington.

1838. CARL HEINRICH LUDWIG POLITZ, died at Leipsic. He was professor in the university, and an eminent writer on statistics, history and politics.

1843. JOHN OWENS, a soldier of the old French war and also of the American revolution, died, aged 107.

1848. Revolution at Paris.

1852. DAVID KENNISON, the last of the Boston tea party, died at Chicago, aged 117.

1854. ROBERT ARMSTRONG died, aged 64; proprietor of the _Washington Union_ newspaper.

1854. At Niagara falls two men fell from the suspension bridge, a distance of 240 feet and were dashed to pieces.

FEBRUARY 25.

52 B. C. POMPEY elected sole consul of Rome.

1030. ADALBERO, a French ecclesiastic, died. He has left a character suited to bold and unscrupulous intrigue.

1464. The Lancasterians defeated by the Yorkists at Heagley Moor, the _white rose_ triumphing over the _red_.

1523. WILLIAM LILY, an English grammarian, died at London of the plague. He is highly praised by Erasmus, who revised the syntax of his grammar, for his uncommon erudition in the languages, and admirable skill in the instruction of youth.

1601. ROBERT DEVEREUX, earl of Essex, executed. He obtained the favor of the queen, Elizabeth, and distinguished himself on many occasions. But having committed some indiscretions which required reprimanding, his pride was wounded, which led him to open rebellion. His fate has formed the subject of four tragedies.

1634. ALBERT, count Wallenstein, generalissimo of the Austrian army during the thirty years war, assassinated.

1643. A barbarous massacre in the night of the Indians who were encamped at Pavonia, opposite the Dutch fort of New Amsterdam, instigated by Gov. Kieft. About 80 Indians lost their lives, and many enormities were enacted by the Dutch.

1676. The Indiana assaulted the town of Weymouth, Mass., and burned several houses and barns. This was a disastrous year with the colonists. The Indians had risen in their utmost power, with the determination of utterly extirpating the English, and almost every day witnessed the smoke of town or cluster of dwellings on fire.

1703. DANIEL DE FOE prosecuted as the author of a book entitled, _The shortest way with the dissenters_, and his book burned by the hangman.

1712. NICHOLAS CATINAT, an illustrious French general under Louis XIV, died.

1713. FREDERICK I, of Prussia, died. He was elector of Brandenburg, and ambitious of raising his duchy into a kingdom. To accomplish this object, he joined Leopold, emperor of Germany, in a war against several states.

1723. CHRISTOPHER WREN, the English architect, died, aged 91. He built St. Paul's and fifty other churches and monuments, which had been destroyed by the great fire of 1666.

1724. POPE INNOCENT XIII died.

1754. RICHARD MEAD, an eminent English physician and patron of learning, died, aged 81. His library sold for about $75,000. His income from his profession was about $25,000 a year.

1761. JOSEPH FRANCIS DESMAHIS, a French author of great celebrity, died.

1768. Mangalore, a seaport belonging to Hyder Ally, taken by the British.

1776. Battle of Trenton. The American army under Washington crossed the Delaware in the night during a violent storm of snow and rain, and attacked the British on the north and west parts of the town. A detachment had been ordered to cross the river and secure a bridge to prevent the escape of the enemy; but owing to the extreme difficulty of crossing, this part of the plan failed, and about 500 escaped. British loss 20 killed, 1000 prisoners; American loss 2 killed, 2 frozen, 5 wounded.

1779. The splendid bridge at Puerto Santo, in Spain, fell and killed a great number of persons while the priests were in the act of consecrating it.

1781. Battle near Haw river in North Carolina, between the Americans under Pickens and Lee, and a considerable body of royalists under Col. Pyle. The latter were cut to pieces, without the loss of a man by the former.

1781. The French and Spanish fleets encountered a furious storm off cape Francois in the West-Indies. Several ships sunk or foundered, and about 2200 men perished.

1782. Denmark acknowledged the independence of the United States.

1798. The French under Brune entered the canton of Berne in Switzerland.

1799. El Arish in Egypt surrendered to the French under Bonaparte.

1805. WILLIAM BUCHAN, an eminent Scottish physician, died near London. He was educated for the pulpit, but made choice of the medical profession, which he pursued during a long life. In 1771 he published his _Domestic Medicine_; it has been attended with a degree of success scarcely equaled by any other book in our language, and is translated into every European tongue.

1807. Battle of Peterswalde, between the French and Russians, in which the latter were defeated, with the loss of their general, Baron De Korff, his staff and 400 men prisoners.

1814. Action between the British frigate Erotas and French frigate Clorinde, 44 guns. The captain of the Erotas and 4 men were wounded and 22 killed. The Clorinde was captured the next day by the British ships Dryades and Achades, her loss supposed to have been 120 men.

1816. A number of sailors belonging to the American squadron in the Mediterranean, having been permitted to go on shore at Port Mahon, were attacked by the Spanish guard and several killed and wounded.

1816. FREDERICK WILLIAM BULOW, count von Dennewitz, a Prussian general, died. He is famous for his victories in the last French and German war, the art of which he had learnt scientifically in early youth. He was also devoted to literature and the fine arts, and esteemed as a citizen and a man.

1817. Schooner Ocean of New York sunk at sea. Isaac Roget, a merchant of high standing in New York, was convicted in conjunction with others, of having loaded her at Havre de Grace with 97 boxes of stones, with a view to defraud the insurance officers of $58,000.

1819. FRANCESCO MANUEL, a Portuguese poet, died. His opinions being rather too liberal for the times, he was summoned to appear before the inquisition, but instead of obeying the mandate he resisted the officer sent to arrest him, and fled to Paris, where he resided till his death. It has been said of him that no poet or writer since the time of Camoens had done so much for the language.

1822. WILLIAM PINCKNEY, a distinguished American statesman, died. It is said that he possessed almost unequaled legal science and eloquence.

1829. A violent hurricane in the island of Barbadoes, by which the whole of the eastern end of the island was devastated, and great damage done to the shipping.

1831. The Poles defeated near the walls of Warsaw by the Russians, with the loss of 5000 men. Russian loss 4,500.

1841. PHILIP P. BARBOUR, an eminent American statesman and judge, died at Washington, aged 60.

1841. The Bogue forts and the city of Canton captured by the British. The number of Chinese killed and wounded was very great; 1000 were captured. Canton was almost deserted by its inhabitants.

1850. TAU KWANG, emperor of China, died, aged 69.

1856. Peace congress met at Paris, and agreed upon an armistice till the 31st of March.

FEBRUARY 26.

747 B. C. The era of Narbonassar (a king of Babylon) called also the Egyptian year, began on the first day of the month Thoth, corresponding with this day in the Julian calendar. The years are vague, containing 365 days without intercalation, so that in the year 31 B. C. the beginning of the year fell on the 29th August, and at the end of 1460 years it ran through all the Julian months.

The Mexican year began also on the 26th February. It is also certain that the Mexican calendar conformed greatly with the Egyptian.

387. In consequence of a sermon preached by John Chrysostom on drunkenness and blasphemy, a sedition broke out at Antioch. The statues of Theodosius and the imperial family were thrown from their pedestals and demolished by the tumultuous citizens.

398. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, or the preacher with the golden mouth, elected archbishop of Constantinople.

1426. JOHN DE BROGNI died; originally a swine herd in Savoy; he distinguished himself for learning, virtue and piety, and was raised to the dignity of cardinal.

1512. ROBERT FABYAN, an English historian, died. He was brought up to a trade, became a merchant, and an alderman of London. His _Chronicle_ was burnt by Wolsey.

1553. Four English noblemen, namely, RALPH VANE, MILES PARTRIDGE, MICHAEL STANHOPE and THOMAS ARUNDEL, were executed as accomplices to the duke of Somerset.

1611. ANTHONY POSSEVIN, a Jesuit, died at Ferrara. He was distinguished as a preacher, and employed by the pope in embassies to different countries.

1616. GALILEO appeared before Cardinal Bellarmine to renounce his heretical opinions; and having declared that he abandoned the doctrine of the earth's motion, and would neither defend nor teach it, in his conversation or his writings, he was dismissed from the bar of the inquisition.

1638. CLAUDE MEZIRIAC, a Jesuit, died; known as a poet in several languages.

1686. GODFREY, count d'Estrades, died.

1696. CHARLES SCARBOROUGH, an eminent English physician and mathematician, died. He succeeded Dr. Harvey as lecturer on anatomy and surgery.

1723. THOMAS D'URFEY, an English poet, died. He was a man of sparkling talents, but his poetic and dramatic pieces are now forgotten. His _Pills to Purge Melancholy_ is yet upon the shelves of many English libraries.

1726. EMANUEL MAXIMILIAN, elector of Bavaria, died. He distinguished himself under the emperor Leopold, was placed at the head of the Hungarian army, and made governor of the Low Countries by the king of Spain.