Part 72

1621. MARY SIDNEY, countess of Pembroke, an eminent poetess and patron of literature, died.

1626. LANCELOT ANDREWS, bishop of Winchester, died; an eminent English prelate.

1638. DE VRIES sailed from Holland on his third expedition to America, with colonists, to settle Staten Island, which he had secured two years before.

1666. SCHAH ABAS, king of Persia, died. He came to the throne at the age of 13; was valiant and enlightened, and promised by deeds of benevolence and liberality to rival the greatest heroes of antiquity, when he was cut off at the age of 37. He died of _lues Veneris_.

1689. Count FRONTENAC arrived at Canada to reassume the government of the province.

1732. MICHAEL ERNEST ETTMULLER died; a German professor of anatomy at Leipsic, and author of several learned and curious treatises on medical subjects.

1758. ROBERT CLAYTON, a learned English prelate and antiquary, died.

1764. ROBERT DODSLEY, an eminent English bookseller and author, died. He commenced life as a footman, but his natural abilities brought him into notice, and recommended him to assistance.

1765. RICHARD POCOCKE, bishop of Meath, died; a celebrated traveler, and author of the _Description of the East_, with observations on Palestine.

1777. JOHN HENRY LAMBERT, a German mathematician, died. He was the son of a poor tailor, but became one of the most learned men of his time by his own unaided exertions.

1777. The American colonel, Ethan Allen, captured near Montreal by the British. He had 15 men killed, and surrendered 38, of whom 7 were put to death.

1786. EDWARD IVES, a celebrated English traveler, died. The account which he published of his travels through Europe and Asia contains much information.

1791. WILLIAM BRADFORD died; an eminent printer of Philadelphia, and an officer in the revolutionary war.

1792. JAMES CAZOTTE, mayor of Pierry, in France, guillotined. He had previously been saved from the mob by the heroic conduct of his daughter, a girl of 17, who shared his misfortunes.

1804. JOSEPH WILLARD, president of Harvard college, died; whose attainments in Greek learning have been equaled by few in America.

1806. BONAPARTE left Paris, to open the campaign against Prussia.

1806. Action between the British squadron, admiral Hood, and a French squadron. Several French frigates were captured; Hood lost his right arm.

1808. RICHARD PORSON, an eminent English professor, died. He possessed great reputation as a Greek scholar and critic, and yet his learning scarcely produced him a living.

1814. The pope issued a bull prohibiting all secret societies, particularly those of freemasons.

1815. JOHN SINGLETON COPLEY, a distinguished American painter, died in London.

1815. First daily paper printed at Albany, N. Y.

1839. Treaty between France and Texas signed at Paris.

1840. Marshal MCDONALD, one of Bonaparte's distinguished generals, died at his chateau near Guise, in France. He was a kinsman of the celebrated Flora McDonald who was instrumental in aiding the escape of the pretender from the Isle of Skye.

1842. RICHARD COLLEY WELLESLY, marquis of Wellesly, and eldest son of the earl of Mornington, died, aged 82.

1854. WILLIAM HENRY PARTLETT, an English artist, died at sea, aged 44; author of _Views in Switzerland_, and other similar works of merit.

1855. JOHN GIFFORD, a British admiral, died at Southampton, aged 90. He had been in the service more than 75 years, was present at the relief of Gibraltar in 1781, and distinguished himself in many important engagements.

SEPTEMBER 26.

33. St. STEPHEN is said to have been stoned this day, Paul consenting.

329. Constantinople founded, about the same day that Solomon dedicated his temple at Jerusalem, 1005 B. C.

1087. WILLIAM II, surnamed Rufus, proclaimed and crowned king of England.

1415. Harfleur, a town in France, surrendered unconditionally to Henry V of England, after a siege of five weeks, and their defences had been demolished.

1417. FRANCIS ZABARELLA, an Italian cardinal, died; noted for his great learning and virtues.

1534. CLEMENT VII (_Julius de Medicis_), pope, died. It was in consequence of his refusing to ratify the acts of Henry VIII, and the issuing of a bull of excommunication against that monarch, that England was separated from the Roman church.

1635. ADRIAN METIUS died; a learned Dutch mathematician and author.

1722. WILLIAM MASSIEU died; a French writer, much admired, who after becoming blind met his death by a stroke of apoplexy.

1747. The leaden coffin of the noted Dr. Sacheverel, and Sally Salisbury, with 150 others, stolen from the church.

1766. The dividends on East India stock advanced in England from 6 to 10 per cent, in consequence of the success of lord Clive.

1776. Congress appointed Benj. Franklin, Silas Dean and Thomas Jefferson, commissioners to the court of France. They were the first persons appointed by the United States to act in the capacity of ministers plenipotentiary, but as the country had not yet been acknowledged by any power, they were designated by the humble title of commissioners.

1777. The British army under lord Howe entered Philadelphia. Washington's army lay at Skippack creek, 18 miles distant from the city.

1780. The advance of Cornwallis' army, consisting of Tarleton's legion, engaged the Americans at Charlotte court house, under Col. Davis.

1789. EDMUND RANDOLPH commissioned the first attorney-general of the United States.

1799. Zurich, in Switzerland, taken by the French under Massena, and Lavater, while occupied in the streets assisting the distressed, received a shot in the side, of which he ultimately died. (Jan. 2.)

1811. A well 400 feet deep and 5 in diameter, exhibiting a fine specimen of ancient masonry, was discovered in the keep at Dover castle.

1812. GEORGE FREDERICK COOKE, an eminent English tragedian, died at New York, aged 57.

1812. The Russian army under Essen, entered Miltau, the French and Prussians under Macdonald, having previously evacuated it, leaving behind a vast quantity of provisions, and the whole mass of pelisses, which were the sum of the requisition upon Courland, and of vast importance to an army in so cold a region.

1813. Privateer schooner Saratoga, of New York, 10 guns and 116 men, captured by boarding, British packet ship Morgiana, 18 guns, 50 men, off Surinam.

1814. American privateer brig, Gen. Armstrong, attacked in Fayal roads, a neutral port, by the boats of three British ships. They were twice beaten off and several of the boats sunk. Capt. Reid was obliged to scuttle his vessel, and the British commander threatened to burn the town if she was not delivered up. American loss, 2 killed, 7 wounded; British loss, 120 killed, 130 wounded.

1815. Treaty of peace and alliance signed at Paris between the emperors of Austria, Russia and Prussia.

1822. JOHN OWEN, an eminent English divine, died. He was one of the originators of the British Foreign Bible Society, to whose establishment and extension he devoted his life with the greatest zeal.

1828. A monument erected at Charlestown, Mass., to the memory of John Harvard, founder of Harvard college, 190 years after his death. It is a monolith, 15 feet high and 4 feet square at the bottom; the expense of which was defrayed by a contribution of one dollar from each of the graduates of the college.

1828. JOHN G. C. BRAINARD, an American poet of considerable note, died, aged 32.

1842. RICHARD RIKER, for many years recorder of the city of New York, died, aged 69. He was a gentleman of the old school, and much respected.

1847. The valuable library of the royal society of Icelandic literature in Copenhagen was destroyed by fire. More than 2,000 unpublished MSS. were consumed.

1854. The French police organized at Paris on the plan of that of London; the number to be 2,900, to do duty day and night, under charge of two commissioners, at an annual cost of about $1,200,000.

1855. The corner stone of the Masonic hall laid in Philadelphia with ceremony, over 4,000 masons marching in procession.

SEPTEMBER 27.

489. THEODORIC, the Ostrogoth, defeated Odoacer, king of Italy, near Verona, who fled to Ravenna.

642. SIGEBERT, king of the East-Angles, assassinated. He was a munificent prince, noted as the founder of churches, schools and monasteries; supposed to have been the founder of Cambridge university.

1087. WILLIAM II, surnamed Rufus, crowned at Westminster. In his reign Malcolm of Scotland was slain at Alnwich by the earl of Northumberland, whose spear piercing Malcolm's eye, gave to Northumberland the surname of Percy (p' eye).

1106. Battle before the walls of Tinchebrai, between the two brothers, Henry of England and Robert of Normandy, in which the latter was defeated and imprisoned nearly thirty years.

1415. The reduction of Harfleur, in France, by Henry V, of England; he rifled the town of its affluent stores, and dismissed the inhabitants with five pennies.

1540. Pope PAUL III confirmed the order of the Jesuits, and authorized its establishment.

1563. NICHOLAS EPISCOPIUS (or rather Bishop), a celebrated printer of Basil, died at London, where he had fled from France to avoid persecution.

1566. MARK JEROME VIDA, a celebrated Latin poet, died, aged 96. Many tributes of praise have been paid to his genius and merits.

1615. ARABELLA STUART died insane in the Tower of London.

1700. INNOCENT XII (_Anthony Pignatelli_), pope, died. He protested against the system adopted by his predecessors, of paying particular honors to the relations of the popes, and condemned Fenelon's _Maxims of the Saints_.

1715. THOMAS BURNET, a learned and ingenious English writer, died; author of the _Sacred Theory of the Earth_, which was very popular.

1719. GEORGE SMALRIDGE, bishop of Bristol, died; an elegant theological writer.

1729. Great fire in Constantinople, which consumed 12,000 houses. 7000 persons are said to have perished in the flames.

1730. LAWRENCE EUSDEN, an English divine and poet, died. He was preferred to the laureateship.

1731. A gang of felons, 130 in number, were taken from Newgate, and put aboard a ship to be transported to America, to colonize the country. In the next century they sent their felons to Botany Bay, and their paupers to America, several shiploads having been discharged on the coast, entirely destitute, directly from poor-houses.

1736. RENE DUGUAY TROUIN died; a celebrated French admiral, who displayed the greatest skill, united with the most consummate wisdom.

1741. DOMINIC PERENNIN died at Pekin; a French Jesuit, who was sent on a mission to China, where he was well received by the emperor.

1743. The first act of governor Clinton was to dissolve the legislature, and issue writs the same day for convening another.

1749. JOHN SARGENT, a noted missionary among the Indians, died at Stockbridge.

1751. A mosaic pavement and other relics of Roman antiquity discovered at Avenches, in the canton of Bern.

1759. ISAAC MADDOX, bishop of Worcester, died. He rose to preferment from a very low station in life, and was conspicuous for the many benevolent institutions which he promoted.

1772. JAMES BRINDLEY died; an extraordinary mechanical genius, particularly successful in planning and executing projects of internal navigation, which were done without any drawing or model.

1775. EDWARD LOVIBOND died; an English poet of considerable talents.

1777. The American frigate Delaware, 32 guns, anchored within 500 yards of the unfinished British batteries at Philadelphia and seconded by another frigate and some smaller vessels commenced a heavy fire upon them. She grounded and struck her colors, and the other vessels were compelled to retire.

1782. HYDER ALLY defeated by the British under sir Eyre Coote.

1783. STEPHEN BEZOUT died; a French writer on mathematics, navigation and algebra.

1799. Rome, the eternal city, surrendered to the British.

1805. WILLIAM MOULTRIE, a distinguished officer of the revolution, died. He was a member of congress at the commencement of the war, and made a brave defence of Sullivan's island in 1776.

1810. Battle of Sierra Busaco, in Portugal; the French under Massena defeated with a loss of about 5000, by the British and Portuguese under Wellington, who lost 1000.

1811. Battle of Aldea de Ponte; the French under Marmont attacked the British general Cole; but were unsuccessful.

1811. BONAPARTE established a maritime conscription in the Hanseatic towns.

1812. Americans under colonel Newman defeated a party of Indians under king Paine, who was killed. A second attack was made by 200 Indians to recover his body, in which they succeeded, but with great loss.

1813. Americans under general Harrison landed in Canada, and in one hour took possession of Malden, evacuated by general Proctor after burning the fort and stores.

1832. Battle of Galeneta, in Mexico, between the partisans of general Montezuma, 5000 men, and those of Bustamente, 3500, in which the former were completely defeated.

1833. Deaths at Tampico, Mexico, by cholera and yellow fever, during the season to this date 2000, out of a population of 5200.

1833. RAMMOHUN ROY, a learned Bramin, died in England. He published works in Sanscrit, Arabic, Persian, Bengalee and English, and was acquainted with ten languages.

1835. GERVAISE DE LA RUE, a celebrated French antiquary, died at a very great age. He wrote various learned works relating to the poetry and literature of the middle ages.

1841. NICHOLAS BROWN, a wealthy and munificent merchant, died at Providence, aged 73. He graduated in 1786 at the college of Rhode Island, of which institution he afterwards became the benefactor, in consequence of which its name was changed in 1804 to Brown University.

1848. MICHAEL HOFFMAN, an American statesman, died at Brooklyn, N. Y., aged 60. He was a physician in Herkimer co., and was long a member of congress from that district. He held other offices, and was noted for stern integrity.

1848. Count LAMBERG, the imperial commissioner, appointed to take chief command in Hungary, was slain by the Hungarian population at Pesth, where he had recently arrived.

1849. Great fire at Owego, N. Y., which destroyed the place so completely that but three shops were left standing.

1849. The fortress of Comorn, in Hungary, one of the strongest in Europe, taken by the Austrians.

1854. The steamer Arctic, captain Luce, when about 50 miles distant from cape Race, came in collision with the French screw steamer Vesta, in a dense fog, by which her bows were stove in, and she filled and sunk in about five hours. The Arctic had 410 persons on board, including the crew, of which 22 passengers and 65 of the crew were saved, and 212 passengers and 110 of the crew were lost; of the 61 women and 19 children on board, not one was saved. The conduct of the crew is said to have been selfish, mutinous and dastardly.

1855. JOHN ADAMSON died at New-Castle-upon-Tyne, aged 68; an English author of a work upon the life and writings of Camoens, and devoted to literary and scientific pursuits, and to antiquarian research.

SEPTEMBER 28.

490 B. C. Battle of Marathon is said to have occurred at the full of the moon on this Julian day. (See Aug. 6.)

351. Battle of Murza, on the Drave, in which the emperor Constantius defeated Magnentius in a most desperate conflict.

855. LOTHAIRE I, emperor of Germany, died. He seized the person of his father, and confined him in a monastery, and waged a bloody war with his brother, during which 100,000 men fell in a single battle.

1014. Nearly the whole of Flanders was immersed by a storm.

1066. WILLIAM OF NORMANDY (_the Conqueror_) arrived at the coast of England, on his memorable invasion.

1197. HENRY VI, emperor of Germany, died. He had the meanness to detain Richard of England, who had been shipwrecked on the coast of Dalmatia. With the large sum of money obtained for the ransom of his illustrious captive he made war against Sicily, and plundered and desolated the country.

1396. Battle of Nicopolis; the Turks under Bajazet achieved a famous victory over the king of Hungary. The greater part of an army of 100,000 confederate Christians were slain, or driven into the Danube, and Sigismund, escaping by the river and the Black sea, returned after a long circuit to his exhausted kingdom. A _rout_ preserved Europe.

1567. JOHN STAININGER died at Braunau, in Austria; he was remarkable for the length of his beard, which reached to the ground.

1582. GEORGE BUCHANAN, a learned Scottish historian, has his death placed on this day by several authorities. (See Feb. 28.)

1616. JOSHUA SYLVESTER, an English poet, died.

1667. JAMES GOLIUS, an eminent Dutch orientalist, died. He traveled into several countries, and published some learned works.

1670. The London royal exchange, having been rebuilt, was opened.

1687. The Venetians under Morosini bombarded Athens, when a bomb fired the powder magazine kept by the Turks in the Parthenon. This noble building, which had stood nearly 2000 years, and was then nearly perfect, was by this calamity reduced to a ruin, and with it perished the ever memorable remains of the genius of Phidias. In attempting to remove the chariot of victory, which stood on the west pediment of the Parthenon, it fell and was dashed to pieces. Though the ancient edifices of the Greeks suffered much from the Turks, the siege of Morosini did infinitely more damage to the Parthenon than it had sustained during the 2000 years of its existence. A fine basso relievo, supposed to belong to the frieze of the building, has lately been discovered.

1708. The French defeated near Wynnendale, yet by means of 2000 horsemen each with a bag of powder behind him, contrived to throw supplies into Lisle.

1728. HENRY BROWN obtained a patent from the English government for an improvement in the manufacture of cannon.

1742. HUGH BOULTER, primate of Ireland, died, leaving behind him an enviable reputation. During the great scarcity of 1741 in Ireland, 2500 persons were daily supported at his expense.

1742. JOHN BAPTIST MASSILLON, a famous French ecclesiastic, died. His name has almost become proverbial as a powerful master of eloquence. (18th?)

1763. JOHN BYROM, an English poet, died. He was also famous as the inventor of a system of short hand writing.

1768. The commissioners of the customs having solicited the presence of a regular force in Boston, two British regiments, escorted by seven armed vessels, arrived from Halifax and took up quarters in the town.

1776. CADWALLADER COLDEN, lieutenant-governor of New York under the British dynasty, died, aged 88. He was a Scottish physician; his publications were numerous in botany, medicine, history and philosophy.

1777. General WAYNE, with a detachment of 1500 men, on the left wing of the British army, was surprised and defeated with a loss of about 300.

1778. A regiment of American cavalry stationed at Tappan on the Hudson river, was surprised while sleeping, by the British under general Gray, who rushed upon them with their bayonets, and giving them no quarter, 67 were killed, wounded and taken.

1779. The famed Houghton collection of pictures (lord Walpole's) was purchased by the empress of Russia, and shipped for Petersburg.

1780. Americans under general Marion attacked a party of tories at Black Mingo; several were killed and others taken.

1789. THOMAS DAY, an eminent English writer and eloquent speaker, killed by a fall from his horse.

1791. The French ships Recherche and L'Esperance under admiral D'Entrecasteaux and Hunon Kermadoc, sailed from Brest in search of La Perouse. The expedition was extremely unfortunate, both commanders dying on the voyage, and the ships and crews were seized by the Dutch governor at Java.

1795. The British under general Stuart took Jaffnapatam in the East Indies.

1803. RALPH GRIFFITHS, an English writer, died; known in the republic of letters as the projector of the _Monthly Review_, begun 1749, and which became so popular as to procure him a comfortable independence, upon which he retired.

1839. WILLIAM DUNLAP, a portrait and historical painter, died at New York, aged 74. He also wrote several valuable historical works, besides biographies and dramas.

1842. Captain ENOCH PREBLE, a skillful seaman and eminent philanthropist, died at Portland, Me.

1843. SHOBAL L. VAI CLEVENGER, an American sculptor of high reputation, died at sea, aged 31.

1848. EDWARD R. TYLER, editor of the _New Englander_, died in New Haven, Ct., aged 48. He was for many years engaged with ability and usefulness as a congregational minister at Middletown and at Colebrook.

1850. The North Star, which was sent out from England in 1849, arrived at Spithead on her return. She was imprisoned in the ice from Oct. 1, 1849 to Aug. 1, 1850.

1852. WILLIAM FINDEN, a celebrated English engraver, died at London of heart disease, aged 66.

1853. A deputation from the protestant alliance waited upon lord Clarendon to state the case of Miss Cunningham, arrested at Lucca for distributing an Italian version of the _Bible_ and _Pilgrim's Progress_, and to urge the government to procure her immediate liberation.

1853. The ship Annie Jane, from Liverpool, was driven on the Barra island, one of the Hebrides, and of 450 passengers 348 were drowned.

1854. The United States sloop of war Albany, James T. Gerry, commander, sailed from Aspinwall and was never more heard of.

1854. GEORGE FIELD, an English philosopher, died, aged 77; well known for his success in the application of science to the arts.

SEPTEMBER 29.

1066. WILLIAM (_the Conqueror_) landed in England, at Pevensey, in Sussex, and made the conquest of the country, and revolutionized its institutions.

1399. RICHARD II resigned his right to the crown, publicly acknowledging his incapacity to reign.

1494. COLUMBUS met with his brother Bartholomew at the town of Isabella in the West Indies, after a separation of fourteen years, during which the latter had paid an unsuccessful visit to the court of England.

1513. Fall of Tournay, in Belgium, which closed the campaign of the English under Henry VIII.

1526. Rome taken by the partisans of cardinal Calonna, when the palace of the Vatican, the church of St. Peter, and the pope's ministers and servants were plundered.

1560. GUSTAVUS VASA, king of Sweden, died. He recovered the kingdom from the Danish yoke, and established the protestant religion in his country.

1564. The earl of LEICESTER was ennobled, on which occasion it is said coaches were first brought to London.

1604. The act of king JAMES against _witches_ went into operation.

1622. CONRAD VORSTIUS died; a learned German protestant divine and polemical writer, who succeeded Arminius in the divinity chair at Leyden.

1720. The great _South sea bubble_, a scheme for paying off the national debt of England, burst and involved an incredible number of people in utter ruin. The capital of the company was about $168,000,000.

1759. Volcano of Jorullo, in Mexico, by which a mountain was thrown up in a single night to the height of 1224 feet in the midst of a large plain. The volcano is surrounded by numerous conical hills, from which smoke is continually issuing.

1760. The astronomer MASKELYNE was sent by the English government to St. Helena, and Mr. MASON to Bencoolen, to observe the transit of Venus on the 6th June, 1761. Three astronomers were sent from France for a like purpose.

1764. Battle between the Irish White boys and English troops near Kilkenny. Several killed on both sides.

1772. JOHN BENJAMIN MICHAELIS, one of the minor German poets, died in his 25th year.

1778. American frigate Raleigh, after gallantly engaging two British men of war some time, ran on shore, and was captured.

1791. The national assembly of France dissolved itself.

1793. FRANCIS ROZIER, an eminent French agriculturist, killed by a bomb at Lyons, which fell on his bed, while he was asleep. He published a work on agriculture in 10 volumes quarto.