Part 4

1778. CHARLES LINNE (or Linnæus), the Swedish botanist, died, aged 71. In his twenty-fourth year he conceived the idea of a new arrangement of plants, or a sexual system of botany. In 1732 the Academy of Sciences at Upsal appropriated 50 Swedish dollars to send him on a tour through Lapland, and with this small sum he made a journey of more than 3500 miles, unaccompanied, traversing the Lapland desert, and enduring many hardships. A series of offices and honors were conferred upon him, till in 1753 he was created a _Knight of the Polar Star_, an honor never before conferred on a literary man; and in 1761 he was elevated to the rank of nobility.

1778. A collection amounting to £3815 was made for the 924 American prisoners in England. Dr. Franklin, at Paris, applied to the British ambassador for an exchange of prisoners, but his lordship was pleased to return only the following answer: "no application received from rebels unless they come to implore his majesty's pardon."

1782. Ostenburg, near Trincomalee, in the island of Ceylon, taken from the Dutch by the British Admiral Hughes.

1795. The French, under Pichegru, crossed the Waal on the ice at different points.

1800. WILLIAM NEWCOME, archbishop of Armagh, died, aged 79. He rose gradually in the church to the primacy of Ireland; was a worthy man, and author of a great number of theological works.

1801. CIMAROSA, the celebrated Italian musician, died.

1803. The Hindostan, East Indiaman, lost on the Culvers, off Margate, in a dreadful storm.

1805. Letters of marque and reprisal issued by Great Britain against Spain.

1807. Breig in Silesia surrendered to the French and Bavarians; 3 generals, 1400 Prussians, and considerable magazines were captured.

1810. In the night the mercury in three thermometers froze at Moscow and withdrew into the ball. At Iraish it was observed at -44½° of Fahrenheit immediately before it froze.

1811. MARIE JOSEPH DE CHENIER, a French poet, died. By flattering the passions of the people he soon gained great popularity, and during the revolution was one of the most violent democrats.

1815. Cumberland island, Georgia, taken possession of by Capt. Barrie of the British ship Dragon. Same day British sloop of war, Barbadoes, Capt. Fleming captured privateer schooner Fox, of 7 guns and 72 men from Wilmington.

1817. TIMOTHY DWIGHT, president of Yale college, died, aged 65. He entered Yale college at the age of 13, and became a tutor at 19. His health becoming impaired, by the advice of his physicians he traveled, walking 2000 and riding 3000 miles in the course of a year. It had the effect to restore his constitution completely. His published works consist of theology, poetry and travels. His biography is interesting; he was an uncommon character.

1829. GREGORIO FUNES, a patriot of La Plata, died at Buenos Ayres. He was actively engaged in the South American revolution from its commencement. He was also an author.

1839. ALEXANDER COFFIN, the last survivor of the original proprietors who settled the city of Hudson in 1784, died, aged 99. He was highly respected for his talents, integrity and usefulness.

1839. Earthquake at Martinique, which did great damage, particularly at Fort Royal, where only 18 houses were left standing, of 1700, and 900 hundred sufferers were dug out of the ruins.

1843. FRANCIS S. KEY, district attorney of the United States and author of the national song, the _Star Spangled Banner_, died in Baltimore.

1853. Russia, Austria and Prussia, after considerable delay, finally acknowledge Napoleon III as emperor of France.

1853. The caloric ship Ericsson made her trial trip from New York to the Potomac.

JANUARY 12.

400. B. C. XENOPHON, with the 10,000, forced a passage through the defiles of Armenia.

1519. MAXIMILIAN I, emperor of Germany, died. He was elected king of the Romans 1486, and ascended the imperial throne 1493. Under him the Turks were checked in their enterprises against Germany, and repelled from his hereditary territories.

1598. The Marquis DE LA ROCHE received from Henry IV a commission to conquer Canada. He sailed from France with a colony of convicts from the prisons. He landed them on the Isle of Sable, and sailed for Acadie, from whence he returned to France. The survivors of the colony, twelve in number, were taken off seven years afterwards, and presented to the king in their sealskin clothes and long beards. He gave them fifty crowns each and pardoned their offences.

1640. An engagement of four days' duration near the Island Tamaraca, Brazils, between the Dutch and Portuguese, in which the latter were defeated and the Dutch admiral killed.

1678. A remarkable darkness at noon in England.

1777. General MERCER died of the wounds of the battle of Princeton.

1781. The states general of Holland issued letters of marque and reprisal against England.

1793. ARTHUR LEE, a distinguished American statesman, died at Urbana, Va. The long and faithful services which he rendered his country during his arduous struggles for independence, in the alternate character of ambassador and statesman, are universally known and acknowledged.

1794. JOHN GEORGE ADAM FORSTER died, aged 40. He was of Scotch descent, born in Prussia, studied at St. Petersburg, taught German and French in England, accompanied Cook in his voyage round the world, accepted the professorship of natural history at Hesse Cassel, was appointed historiographer of a Russian expedition round the world; this project being frustrated by the Turkish war, he went to Germany, and residing at Mentz when the French took that city 1792, was sent by the republicans to request a union of that city with France. During his absence the Prussians retook the city, by which he lost all his property, including his books and papers, and died soon after. The Germans number him among their classical writers.

1795. In consequence of a great thaw, the communication of the main army of the French under Pichegru and the four divisions that crossed the Waal the day before on the ice, was totally interrupted during two days.

1795. Mr. PITT recommended in the British parliament that a premium be given by government to large families.

1805. British frigate Doris, Capt. Campbell, lost on the Diamond rock, Quiberon bay. The crew saved themselves and blew up the frigate.

1805. The thermometer at Danbury, Ct., stood at 19° below zero; being the coldest weather known there since 1780.

1807. A fatal explosion at Leyden, in Holland. A vessel containing 40,000 pounds of powder, moored before the house of Prof. Rau, exploded with a tremendous crash. Upwards of 200 houses were overthrown, besides churches and public buildings, 150 persons killed and 2000 wounded.

1809. Cayenne surrendered by the French, to the British and the Portuguese under Capt. Yeo.

1815. National fast in the United States.

JANUARY 13.

857. ETHELWULF, son of Egbert, sometimes styled the first king of England, died. In his reign the tax called Peter's pence was levied.

1399. The Tartars, under Tamerlane, pillaged the imperial city of Delhi, and two days after wantonly massacred the entire Indian population.

1400. RICHARD II of England murdered. He came to the throne at the age of 11, and after a turbulent reign of 22 years, was deposed and imprisoned.

1404. It was enacted at this short parliament of Henry's that no chemist shall use his craft to multiply gold or silver.

1560. JOHN DE LASCI, a learned Pole, died.

1618. GALILEO discovered the fourth satellite of Jupiter.

1669. JOHN BOCHIUS, a Dutch poet, died. He excelled in Latin, and is called the Virgil of the Low Countries.

1691. GEORGE FOX, founder of the sect of quakers, died, aged 67. His father was a poor weaver, and George was apprenticed to a shoemaker; but he left his employment and wandered about the country in a leather doublet, and finally set up as a teacher. He visited different countries, and had the satisfaction to see his tenets taking deep root in his life time.

1705. A house in London where fireworks were manufactured, blew up, and destroyed 120 houses, and killed 50 persons.

1711. The last No. of the _Tatler_ appeared (No. 271).

1715. Great fire in Thames street, London; many lives lost.

1716. ELIZABETH PATCH died at Salem; the first female born in the old colony of Massachusetts.

1717. MARIA SYBILLA MERIAN, the distinguished painter, and writer on entomology, died at Amsterdam.

1738. The famous convention of Pardo signed.

1759. Execution of the conspirators against the life of the king of Portugal. The whole family of the Marquis Tavora was executed, and the name suppressed for ever.

1797. British ships Indefatigable, 44 guns, and Amazon, 42 guns, had a night action of six hours, in the bay of Audierne, with the French 74 gun ship Les Droits des Hommes, 1600 men; the latter was driven on shore, and the crew made prisoners; Gen. Renier and 750 men were lost in the action. The Amazon was also lost in the action.

1798. Lieut. Lord Camelford shot Lieut. Charles Peterson, at English harbor, Antigua, for disobedience of orders, was afterwards tried and acquitted.

1798. The Swiss cantons armed against France.

1809. The French under Marshal Victor defeated the Spanish under Castanos at Cuenca.

1811. The British merchant ship Cumberland, Captain Barrat, beat off 4 French privateers, and took 170 men who had boarded her.

1814. British and Prussians repulsed in an attack on Antwerp; part of the suburbs were burnt.

1814. The emperor of Russia and king of Prussia crossed the Rhine to invade France; the emperor of Austria, who had arrived the evening before at Cassel, went out to meet them, and they entered Basil, in Switzerland.

1814. General thanksgiving throughout Great Britain for the successes gained over Bonaparte.

1814. Capt. Barrie of the British ship Dragon, took the fort on Point Peter and the tower of St. Mary's, in Georgia; they afterwards destroyed the fort.

1817. The ship Georgianna, of Norfolk, experienced a tremendous shock in the Gulf stream supposed to be by earthquake; the day was calm.

1822. JOHANN GOTTLIEB SCHNEIDER, a German philologist and naturalist, died, aged 72; a voluminous author.

1836. KARL CHR. TRAUG. TAUCHNITZ, an eminent German printer, died, aged 75. At the age of 35 he commenced business for himself with a single press; but his establishment soon became very extensive, including a letter foundry and book store. He was most indefatigable in improving and perfecting whatever he undertook, as his publications attest. His founts of oriental type were unsurpassed in Germany.

1838. Chancellor ELDON died.

1840. Steam boat Lexington burnt, on her passage from New York to Stonington. Of 145 persons on board, only four escaped with their lives. Among the sufferers were many highly esteemed and valuable members of society.

1848. A severe battle took place at Chillianwallah between the British and Sikh forces without decisive results.

1854 An earthquake at Finana in Spain, crumbling down the Alcazaba, an ancient Moorish castle, prostrating houses and causing chasms in the streets, and loss of lives.

JANUARY 14.

1526. Treaty of Madrid between the emperor Charles V, and Francis I of France, by which the latter obtained his liberty.

1604. The episcopal divines and puritans held a conference at Hampton court in the presence of King James.

1611. EDWARD BRUCE, a Scottish statesman, died. He occupied some of the highest offices under the government, and his services were important in establishing the peaceable accession of James to the English throne.

1622. PIETRO SARPI, better known as Father Paul of Venice, died, aged 90. He employed the latter part of his life in writing a history of the council of Trent, in which he has developed the intrigues connected with the transactions of that famous assembly, with a degree of boldness and veracity, which renders the work one of the most interesting and important productions of the class to which it belongs.

1634. Of seven sailors left at Spitzbergen in the fall of 1633, by the Dutch fishermen, for the purpose of wintering there, the first of the number died. The journal which they kept relates that they sought in vain for green herbs, bears and foxes, in that desolate region. In November the scurvy appeared among them. Their journal ended February 26, and they were all found dead on the return of their countrymen in spring. (See April 16.)

1696. MARIE DE RABUTIN SEVIGNE, a French woman of quality, died, aged 70. Her _Letters_ (11 vols. 8vo.) are models of epistolary style, and have been translated into English.

1738. The famous convention of Pardo signed.

1739. The pope issued an edict against the assemblies of freemasons, under penalty of the rack and condemnation to the galleys.

1742. EDMUND HALLEY the astronomer, died, aged 86. He devoted himself to mathematics with great success, and spent much time abroad in astronomical observations and experiments. His astronomical pursuits tended greatly by their results to improve the art of navigation.

1753. GEORGE BERKLEY, bishop of Cloyne in Ireland, died, aged 85. He appeared as an author before his twentieth year. He devoted seven years and a considerable part of his fortune in an effort to establish a college at Bermuda, for the education of Indian preachers, which miscarried. He published several philosophical, mathematical and theological works, and is said to have been acquainted with almost every branch of human knowledge.

1781. French took the island of Nevis.

1783. CERVETTO, an Italian of extraordinary musical genius, died at London, aged 103. He was a member of the orchestra of Drury lane theatre.

1784. Congress ratified the definitive treaty of peace.

1792. JOSEPH JACKSON, a celebrated English type founder, died. While an apprentice his master had carefully kept from his view the mode of making punches, but by boring a hole through the door he got an occasional glimpse of the art, and succeeded.

1795. Intense frost in Holland, which enabled the remainder of the French army to cross the Waal.

1795. The French were repulsed in an attack on all the posts of the allies, from Arnhem to Amerongen. In the night the allies retreated to Amersfoort, leaving 300 sick behind them.

1797. Battle of Rivoli in Italy. The contest was continued three days, and decided the fate of Mantua. The French under Joubert were victorious over the Austrians.

1798. Five English gentlemen who had been sent to investigate the title of Vizier Ally, were by his orders assassinated at Benares in India.

1801. ROBERT ORME died, aged 73; historiographer to the East India company.

1801. An embargo laid in England on all Russian, Swedish and Danish ships. More than 100 Swedish and Danish vessels were immediately seized.

1809. Formal treaty of peace, friendship and alliance between Great Britain and Spain.

1813. An engagement off Pernambuco between the United States privateer schooner Comet, Capt. Boyle, 14 guns and 120 men, and three British vessels of 24 guns, convoyed by a Portuguese ship of 32 guns and 165 men. The Portuguese were beaten off, and the British vessels captured. She also captured three other vessels on the passage.

1814. Treaty of peace signed at Kiel between Denmark and England.

1814. CHARLES BOSSUT, a French mathematician, died, aged 84. He studied under D'Alembert, and rose to eminence. On the breaking out of the French revolution he lost the offices he had acquired, and subsisted by his writings. He was a contributer to the _Encyclopedie_.

1815. Com. DECATUR, sailed from New York in the frigate President.

1822. The Grand Duke CONSTANTINE declined, by letter to his brother Alexander, the succession to the throne of all the Russias.

1831. HENRY MACKENZIE, the novelist, died, aged 86. He studied the law, at the same time cultivating elegant literature. His first effort was a tragedy, which was favorably received; his first novel appeared in 1771, in which he was eminently successful. Scott entitles him the Scottish Addison.

1834. WILLIAM POLK, a revolutionary officer, died. He held the rank of colonel at the close of the war, and was the last surviving field officer of the North Carolina line. He was among the small band of patriots who declared independence in Mecklenburg county, N. C., May 20th, 1775.

1838. Navy island evacuated by the Canadians, &c., under Mackenzie and Van Rensselaer, 510 in number. The arms belonging to the United States were surrendered, as also the cannon belonging to the state of New York.

1852. T. HUDSON TURNER died, aged 37; one of the ablest of the British archæologists.

1854. JOSHUA BATES, a distinguished New England clergyman, died, aged 77. He was twenty-three years president of Middlebury college.

JANUARY 15.

69. SERGIUS GALBA, the Roman emperor, assassinated, at the age of 72. He was the successor of Nero, and reigned but three months.

936. RODOLPH, king of France, died, in the 14th year of his reign, and was succeeded by Lewis the Stranger.

1549. The liturgy of the English church established by parliament. All the divine offices were to be performed according to the new liturgy, and infringements were to be punished by forfeitures and imprisonments, and for the third offence imprisonment for life. Visitors were appointed to see that it was received throughout England. From this time we may date the era of the Puritans.

1655. DANIEL HEINSIUS, a Dutch philologist, died. He made great progress as a student, under Scaliger, and was appointed to a professorship at Leyden. He was also successful as a Greek and Latin poet.

1559. Queen ELIZABETH, crowned at Westminster, by the bishop of Carlisle, who was the only person that could be prevailed upon to perform the ceremony.

1672. JOHN COSIN, bishop of Durham, died; a lover of literature and prodigal in his expenditures on book-binding. He ordered that all his books should be rubbed once a fortnight to prevent their moulding.

1693. An army of six or seven hundred French and Indians set out from Montreal to invade the Mohawk castles. (See Feb. 6.)

1730. Gov. MONTGOMERIE granted the city of New York a new charter. Although that city had been put under the government of a mayor in 1665, it was not regularly incorporated until 1686.

1773. At Duff house, the residence of the countess dowager of Fife, the first masquerade ever seen in Scotland was exhibited.

1777. Vermont declared itself a free and independent state. It had been settled as a part of New Hampshire, but was claimed as a part of New York, and so decided to be by the British crown. But by the dissolution of the bonds which had held America in subjection to the crown of Britain, they considered themselves free from New York, to which the most of them had never voluntarily submitted; and being, as they said, reduced to "a state of nature," they assumed the right to form such connections as were agreeable to themselves. Accordingly they formed a plan of government and a code of laws, and petitioned congress to receive them into the Union.

1778. Nootka sound and the Sandwich islands discovered by Captain Cook.

1780. First exportation of woolen goods from Ireland to a foreign market.

1780. Unsuccessful attack by the Americans under Lord Stirling on the British at Long island.

1781. The traitor ARNOLD succeeded in burning some stores at Smithfield.

1783. WILLIAM ALEXANDER, Lord Stirling, an officer in the revolutionary army, died at Albany, aged 57. He was of Scotch descent, and from early youth a mathematician. Throughout the war he acted an important part, and was warmly attached to Washington. He left behind him the reputation of a brave, discerning and intrepid officer, and an honest and learned man. He was generally styled Lord Stirling, and was considered the rightful heir to the title and estates of that earldom in Scotland.

1794. A desperate engagement off the island of Corsica between three Sardinian ships and two Barbary xebecs. One of the xebecs was captured, but the other, rather than surrender, was blown up; upon which the prisoners taken, Turks and Algerines, 92 in number, were put to death.

1795. The French attacked the British outposts at Rhenen.

1795. The French national convention liberated Gen. Miranda and Capt. Lacrosse from prison.

1799. A revolution at Lucca in Italy, without bloodshed. Titles and exclusive privileges were abolished, the sovereignty of the people proclaimed, and a contribution of two millions of livres levied on the nobility alone, which was immediately presented to the French general Serrurier.

1805. ABRAHAM HYACINTHE ANQUETIL DU PERRON, the French orientalist, died, aged 74. He studied theology, but afterwards devoted himself with ardor to the study of the eastern languages. In 1754 he embarked for India, and with difficulty succeeded in finding some priests to instruct him in the sacred language of the Parsees. He returned to Paris in 1762 with a number of manuscripts, and proceeded to arrange them for publication. During the revolution he shut himself up with his books; but continued labors and an abstemious diet exhausted his constitution. He was a learned and excellent man.

1807. Battle between the forces under Christophe and Petion for the governorship of Hayti, which had been assumed by Christophe as the oldest general, on the death of Dessalines; but Petion had been subsequently duly elected. Christophe was defeated after a fierce encounter. A separation of the republic followed. Petion instituted a pure republic, while Christophe founded a monarchy.

1810. Masquerades and masked balls prohibited in the city of New York.

1815. The United States frigate President, Com. Decatur, captured by four British vessels, after a sharp action, and a chase of 18 hours. Loss of the Americans 22 killed, 59 wounded; British loss 11 killed, 14 wounded.

1825. ROBERT GOODLOE HARPER, an American statesman, died. He was born in Virginia, of poor parentage; acquired the rudiments of a classical education; served a campaign in the revolutionary army; after which he entered Princeton college. He subsequently settled in South Carolina, in the practice of the law, and acquired great reputation as a professional man and a politician.

1827. JEAN DENIS LANJUINAIS died. He was a staunch defender of liberal principles, and opposed first the arrogant pretensions of the privileged class, although himself one of their number: afterwards he arrayed himself against the intrigues of Mirabeau, the violence of the mountain party, and the usurpations of Bonaparte, in the face of destruction. The object of his wishes was constitutional liberty. He escaped the axe of the revolution, and was even promoted to office by Napoleon.

1834. The city of Leira, in Portugal, taken by Count de Saldanha, and the garrison, of Miguelites about 1500 in number, made prisoners.

1836. CHARLES LEWIS, one of the most eminent book binders in Europe, died. The splendidly bound books in the duke of Sussex's library are of his workmanship.

1842. JOSEPH HOPKINSON died. His speeches in congress on the Seminole war were much admired. He was author of the song, _Hail Columbia_.

1844. The Fontaine Moliere, a monument to the great French dramatist, at Paris, inaugurated. It combines a public fountain with a monument, and stands opposite the house in which Moliere died.

1849. Reporters excluded from an adjourned meeting of a convention of the southern states.

JANUARY 16.

1543. An act of the English parliament was passed forbidding women, apprentices, &c., &c., to read the New Testament in English.

1556. CHARLES V of Germany, (Don Carlos I of Spain) resigned the crown of Spain to his son Philip, after a reign of 40 years. Of all his vast possessions he only reserved to himself an annual pension. It was under him that Cortez conquered Mexico.

1580. An act of the English parliament inflicting a penalty of 20 pounds for absenting from church.