Part 74

1434. COSMO DE MEDICI reentered Florence from exile, and was received with the most extravagant demonstrations of public joy, and became, in fact, the prince of the state, accumulated enormous wealth, and lived in regal magnificence.

1489. JOHN WESSELIUS, a Dutch ecclesiastic, died. His learning and abilities were so great, that the pope sent for him to Rome, and offered him what he should ask for. He merely requested a Greek and Hebrew Bible in the Vatican.

1535. Was published the first edition of the _Whole Bible_ in the English language, being the translation of Miles Coverdale.

1590. JAMES CUJACIUS, an eminent French lawyer, died. He rose from obscurity, and by his indefatigable industry, without the assistance of a master, perfected himself in Greek and Latin literature, and particularly in civil law. His works were published at Paris, in 10 vols. folio.

1595. JOHN MAITLAND, lord Thirlstane, an eminent statesman under James VI of Scotland, died.

1609. HENRY HUDSON, having explored the river to where it divided itself into several branches, returned to its mouth on this day--put to sea with all sails set, to report the tidings of his valuable discovery.

1660. FRANCIS ALBANO, an eminent Italian painter, died at Bologna, aged 82. He particularly excelled in expressing the delineations of female and infantine beauty; his pieces are dispersed in the cabinets of Europe, and highly esteemed.

1691. LOUIS ABELLY died; a French ecclesiastic, who devoted himself principally to literature, and left numerous works behind him.

1692. CHARLES FLEETWOOD, lord deputy under Cromwell, died, aged 74. He married the widow of the gloomy Ireton; hesitating to declare at once for the king, he was allowed to end his days in obscurity.

1693. Battle near Marseilles, in France, between the French under Catinat, and the allies under Victor Amadeus and Eugene of Savoy. The allies were defeated, with the loss of all their artillery, and 8,000 men; the duke of Schomberg was mortally wounded.

1704. ALEXANDER SELKIRK, a Scottish mariner, put ashore on the desert island of Juan Fernandez, by orders of captain Pradling, with whom he had a quarrel. He was allowed a fowling piece and ammunition, and a very few necessaries. In this desolate situation he continued three years, subsisting on goats, fish and fruits.

1743. JOHN BAPTIST DU HALDE, a learned French Jesuit, died. He is the author of a description of China and Tartary, a valuable work, compiled from the curious and interesting observations of the missionaries of his fraternity.

1744. HENRY CAREY, an English dramatic poet, and music composer, died by suicide. Besides his poems, he wrote _Chrononhotonthologos_, to ridicule the style of tragedy then in vogue, and produced the _Dragon of Wantley_, as a burlesque on Italian opera.

1777. Battle of Germantown, in which the Americans were defeated, with the loss of 200 killed, 600 wounded, and 400 taken. British loss, killed and wounded, 600. The disastrous termination of this affair, was owing to the darkness of the day, which embarrassed the operations of the Americans.

1780. The ships Resolution and Discovery, the circumnavigating ships which sailed under Cook and Clerke, returned, but without either of their original commanders. Both were dead.

1790. ANN LETTS died, at South river, N. J., aged 107.

1794. Battle of Maciejowice, in Poland; the forces under Kosciusko overthrown.

1795. The Parisians attacked the national convention, on account of the re-election of two-thirds of the members of that body. They were repulsed by the troops under Bonaparte, who now first signalized himself. About 8,000 of the citizens were killed.

1799. Brunnen, in Switzerland, taken from the French by the Russians under Suwarrow. This affair, however, terminated the progress of the invaders.

1806. SAMUEL HORSLEY, a learned English prelate, died. He engaged in a sectarian controversy with Priestley.

1812. Ogdensburgh attacked by the British, who were repulsed.

1812. American entrenched camp of Col. Newman attacked by the Indians, who were repulsed, with the loss of 30 warriors, among them three principal chiefs and their young king.

1813. American general HARRISON attacked by the Indians, at Chatham, whom he repulsed, and pursued four miles. He took on this occasion 2,000 stand of arms, a quantity of clothing, and several cannon; also three vessels laden with munitions.

1814. SAMUEL JACKSON PRATT, a once popular English novelist and miscellaneous writer, died.

1815. CHRISTOPHER PHILIP OBERKAMPF died; founder of the manufactory of printed linens at Jouy, and of the cotton manufacture of Essonne, in France. He commenced a small business under great disadvantages, and in a short time collected a population of 1500 in a spot which had been almost a desert. His manufactures became of so much importance to the country, that the king granted him letters of nobility, and a statue was decreed him by the council-general, a mark of generosity which he declined.

1821. JOHN RENNIE died; a celebrated Scottish civil engineer and mechanist. The canals, bridges, and other public works in England, attest his abilities.

1830. YORK, count von Wartenburg, a Prussian field-marshal, died. He was one of the most distinguished generals in the wars against Napoleon.

1830. The independence of Belgium declared by the central committee at Brussels: "The provinces of Belgium, violently separated from Holland, shall constitute an independent state."

1833. RICHARD HEBER died; an Englishman of talents and learning, distinguished for his zeal in collecting books, a business which he followed assiduously during the last thirty years of his life. He left immense collections of rare and valuable works in various languages, in various cities in Europe.

1835. Third centenary, or three hundredth year from the printing of the first English Bible, that of Coverdale, generally celebrated in the different churches and chapels in England. This Bible, as appears from the colophon, was finished on this day, 1535.

1835. TELESFORO DE TRUEBE Y COSIA, a Spanish dramatist, died at Paris, aged 30. He resided principally in England, where he produced several dramas and novels. He wrote dramas in English, Spanish, and French, which were successfully produced at the several national theatres.

1851. EMANUEL GODOY (_Prince of Peace_), minister of Charles VI and VII of Spain, died at Paris, in the 87th year of his age.

1853. The Great Republic, a mammoth clipper of 4000 tons, and the largest merchant vessel in the world, was launched at East Boston, Mass.

1854. The greater part of the town of Memel, a Prussian seaport, was destroyed by fire, including its churches, custom-house, bank, and court-houses; loss estimated at $5,000,000.

OCTOBER 5.

678. JUSTIN II, emperor of the east, died. He was a weak prince, but had a wife to govern him and the empire with ability.

610. PHOCAS, a Chalcedonian noble who seized on the empire of the east by the murder of the emperor Maurice and his children, beheaded by Heraclius, governor of Africa, who conspired against him.

1056. HENRY III, emperor of Germany, died. After making war against Poland, Hungary and Bohemia, he passed into Italy, expelled three popes, and was crowned by a fourth.

1540. ELIAS EOBANUS died; an elegant German scholar and good poet.

1555. EDWARD WATTON, an English physician, died. He took his decree at Padua and practiced with great success in London. He is said to have been the first who paid particular attention to natural history.

1571. CLAUDE D'ESPENCE, an eloquent French ecclesiastic, died.

1582. The Gregorian, or _new style_, commenced in Spain, Portugal and part of Italy, this day being accounted the 15th.

1675. Springfield, Mass., attacked by the Indians. The Springfield Indians had so resolutely resisted the persuasions of Philip to join his exterminating expeditions, that the inhabitants felt the greatest security. They were not aware of any defection, till news was received from Windsor that 300 of Philip's Indians were concealed in their fort. The timely arrival of forces from the neighboring towns alone saved the village from entire destruction.

1690. Sir WILLIAM PHIPPS arrived before Quebec with a British force. He summoned the place on the following day, but the French governor, count Frontenac, refused to surrender; the fleet being dispersed in a storm, the expedition failed in consequence.

1710. An expedition of British and provincials appeared before Port Royal, in Canada, with 5 frigates and a bomb ketch. The force being equal to its reduction, Subcrease, the French governor, only waited the compliment of a few shot and shells as a decent pretence for surrender, when the place fell into new hands, and was called Annapolis in honor of the queen.

1733. _Zenger's Weekly Journal_ (2d paper at New York), was issued.

1740. JOHN PHILIP BARATIER, a German youth of most extraordinary genius, died at the age of 20. At the age of 4, besides his native language, he spoke French and Latin; at 6 Greek; at 8 Hebrew. He acquired also various branches of learning, and prepared a large work on Egyptian antiquities.

1759. Battle of St. Francis, an Indian village on the St. Lawrence, in lower Canada. Innumerable expeditions had been fitted out from this place to massacre and plunder the English settlements in New England, and the village was enriched by the scalps taken at those times. Major Rogers, an intrepid soldier, with 200 rangers, was despatched by general Amherst from Crown point to destroy the place. After a fatiguing march of twenty-one days he came upon the village when the savages were holding a dance, and made a grand assault at break of day, after their own manner. The Indians were taken so unexpectedly that little resistance could be made.

1763. AUGUSTUS III, king of Poland, died.

1768. Great hurricane at Havana, destroyed 96 public edifices, and 4,048 houses; 1,000 inhabitants perished almost instantaneously.

1789. The estates general of France met at Versailles. This was indisputably the first day of the revolution, although the object of the meeting was to prevent such a catastrophe.

1803. The Constitution and Nautilus anchored in the bay of Tangiers, within half a mile of the circular battery, and amused the emperor of Morocco with the sound of their guns. This procured the release of the American consul, who had been confined to his house, guarded by two sentinels; and also the discharge of the American brig Hannah, of Salem, which had been wrongfully seized at Mogadore.

1804. A British squadron under Com. Moore attacked and captured Spanish ships La Medee 42 guns, La Fama 36 guns, and La Clara 36 guns; a frigate of 36 guns, La Marcedes, blew up, on board of which were several families returning to Spain, 280 men, and $811,000. On board the captured ships were found, besides a very valuable cargo of merchandise, 2,538,885 dollars, 3,593 bars tin, and 774 pigs copper.

1805. CHARLES CORNWALLIS, governor-general of India, died. Although overthrown at Yorktown, his character for courage, prudence and sagacity was unaffected, and he was afterwards sent as civil and military governor to Ireland.

1813. Battle of the Thames; the combined British and Indian forces under Proctor and Tecumseh, defeated by the Americans under general Harrison. On this occasion the celebrated Tecumseh was slain, as was believed in a personal rencounter with colonel R. M. Johnson; the latter received five wounds in this battle. American loss 7 killed, 22 wounded.

1813. Action on lake Ontario between the American fleet under commodore Chauncey, and the British squadron; five schooners of the latter were captured, and one sloop burnt.

1821. CLAUDIUS JOHN RICH, a learned English orientalist, died at Shiraz, in Persia, a victim to his ardor in the pursuit of science. He wrote _Memoirs of Ancient Babylon_, whose ruins he explored with indefatigable industry. His manuscripts, coins and gems were purchased by government, and are deposited in the British Museum.

1825. BERNARD GERMAIN STEPHEN DE LACEPEDE, a French naturalist, died. He was unmolested during the reign of terror, and Bonaparte heaped honors upon him. He holds a high station among modern naturalists.

1835. HORTENSE EUGENIE, duchess of St. Leu and ex-queen of Holland, died. She was the daughter of Josephine by her first husband, and married Louis Bonaparte.

1839. Destructive fire in Philadelphia, destroyed 52 buildings; said to have been the greatest fire ever known in Philadelphia.

1839. A fire at Aikin, S. C., destroyed 36 houses and stores, forming the whole business portion of the village.

1847. The first election of officers in Liberia, under the new constitution, took place. Gov. Roberts was chosen president of the republic.

1853. MAHLON DICKERSON, a New Jersey statesman, died, aged 83. He filled a great variety of public offices with distinguished ability.

1855. WILLIAM HENRY PERCY, a British rear admiral, died at London, aged 67.

1855. THOMAS LIVINGSTON MITCHELL, surveyor-general of New South Wales, died, aged 63. He surveyed the battle fields of the Peninsular war, in which he served, and was knighted in 1839 for his discoveries and surveys.

1855. Two asteroids, being the 36th and 37th, were discovered, one by Luther, at Bilk, the other by Goldsmith, in Prussia.

OCTOBER 6.

877. CHARLES II (_the Bald_), of France, poisoned. He succeeded to the French crown 840, and was elected emperor by the pope 875. The feudal government may be said to have begun under him.

1274. The English parliament restrained usury. The Jews in consequence were obliged to wear a badge.

1285. PHILIP III (_the Bold_), of France, died. He was proclaimed king while in Africa with his father on a crusade, where he defeated the Saracens, and concluded a truce with them for 10 years.

1470. HENRY VI, of England, released from the tower of London and again proclaimed king. He was imprisoned the second time in the following year and murdered.

1552. IVAN IV, czar of Russia, took the city of Kazan, and added that kingdom to his empire.

1713. _The Englishman_ appeared, conducted by the same authors as _The Spectator_, but was more political in its character.

1748. The British under admiral Boscawen raised the siege of Pondicherry, in Hindostan, after a loss by battle and sickness of 1,065. Loss of the French garrison 200, and 50 sepoys.

1761. WILLIAM PITT, the British statesman, having resigned the ministry, a pension of £3,000 was settled upon him for three lives, and the title of baroness of Chatham conferred upon his wife.

1762. The British under admiral Cornish and general Draper, took Manilla, the capital of the Philippine islands, by storm. Several ships and a large quantity of military stores fell into their hands. The town was ransomed by four millions of dollars.

1767. FRANCIS WISE, an English divine and antiquary, died. His researches led to the publication of several learned works.

1777. The British under sir Henry Clinton, about 3,000 men, attacked and carried forts Clinton and Montgomery, defended by governor Clinton. The post having been designed principally to prevent the passing of ships, the works on the land side were incomplete and untenable, and were carried by the bayonet. Most of the garrison effected their escape, with the loss of 300; British lost about an equal number. Count Grabouski, a Polish nobleman in the American service, was killed.

1778. WILLIAM WORTHINGTON died; an English prelate and theological writer of merit.

1780. HENRY LAURENS, who had been taken on his passage from America to Holland, was committed to the tower of London for high treason. He was afterwards liberated.

1783. Treaty of peace between Great Britain and the United States proclaimed.

1789. LAFAYETTE preserved the royal family from the popular excitement. The king was then conducted to Paris, where he accepted the "declaration of the rights of man."

1794. British, general Graham, surrendered Guadaloupe by capitulation to the French.

1794. Fall of the _mountain party_ in the French national convention.

1802. SIMON DE MAGISTRIS died at Rome; well known for his deep acquaintance with the Hebrew, Greek and Latin, and whose services to literature were liberally rewarded by the pope.

1813. Moravian town, on the river Thames, destroyed by the Americans under general Harrison, after which he marched to Detroit, where peace was negotiated with a number of vanquished tribes of Indians.

1821. ALEXANDER MURRAY, a distinguished naval officer, died. He fought in 13 battles in the army and navy during the war of the revolution. On the organization of the navy under the new government, he was one of the first officers recalled into service. To the highest firmness and resolution he united a remarkable mildness and serenity of temper.

1836. WILLIAM MARSDEN, a learned English orientalist, died. He published a dictionary and grammar of the Malayan language, and other works of acknowledged merit.

1839. JESSE BUEL, an eminent agriculturist, died. He was several years member of the legislature and a candidate for governor of New York in 1836. He was also a practical printer, and had filled the office of printer to the state. He was a useful citizen, and highly esteemed in public and private life.

1841. A revolution in Mexico; Santa Anna entered the capital at the head of 10,000 men; displaced Bustamente, and established himself at the head of the government.

1843. JAMES LEONARD CATHCART died at Washington, aged 77. He entered the continental navy at an early age, was a midshipman during the revolution, and was captured by the Algerines and held eleven years in captivity. He turned his knowledge of that country to good account afterwards in the service of the government in quelling piracies, &c.

1848. Insurrection in Vienna; the emperor with his family left the city, escorted by a few troops.

1853. SIMEON GREENLEAF, a distinguished law teacher, died at Cambridge, Mass., aged 70. His law works attest his diligence and ability in his profession.

1857. SAMUEL HUESTON, for many years publisher of the _Knickerbocker Magazine_, died in New York.

OCTOBER 7.

929. CHARLES III (_the Simple_), of France, died. His abilities were unequal to his station; he was defeated in battle by Hugh, and confined seven years in prison, in the castle of Peronne, where he died.

1492. The ship Nina, rigged with latteen sails and usually ahead of the others, supposing she had discovered land, hoisted her flag and fired a Lombardo. This was soon found to be an illusion; the insubordination broke forth among the crews, when Columbus, with the two Pinzons, commanders, was compelled to enter into an _agreement_ with those murmurers, to return in case land was not discovered in three days.

1521. Date of king Henry VIII's diploma from the pope as Defender of the Faith, for his treatise _De Septem Sacramentis_.

1565. THOMAS CHALONER, a noted English ambassador, died. He wrote a work on _The right ordering of the English Republic_, and has the honor of having discovered the first alum mines in England.

1571. Battle of Lepanto, a naval action between the Turks, and Venitians assisted by the Germans and Spaniards under Don John of Austria. The Turks were utterly defeated with the loss of 25,000 killed, 10,000 taken, and all their great commanders slain, and 200 galleys taken or destroyed. The Christians lost about 10,000 men. This was the greatest sea fight of modern times, and being the first signal victory achieved over the Turks, diffused the greatest joy over Christendom.

1577. GEORGE GASCOINE, a celebrated English poet in the time of Elizabeth, died. He served with credit in the wars of the Low Countries; and wrote the first English comedy in prose.

1612. GIOVANNI BATTISTA GUARINI, a celebrated Italian poet, died. The _Pastor Fido_ has immortalized his name.

1651. JAMES SIRMOND died; a French Jesuit and a voluminous theological writer.

1681. NICHOLAS HEINSIUS (_the Swan of Holland_), died. He was eminent as a statesman, poet and critic.

1708. Battle near Lesno, between 40,000 Russians under Peter the great, and 16,000 Swedes under Lewenhaupt, who was marching with men and supplies to relieve Charles XII. He was defeated after five engagements, which were fought in three days, and reached Charles with only 5,000 men. The Russians took 5,000 carriages, and much of the artillery and baggage.

1753. Sir DANVERS OSBORN arrived at New York from England, to supersede Clinton as governor of the province. (See Oct. 12.)

1759. JOSEPH AMES, a celebrated typographical historian, died. He was originally a ship chandler, who late in life took to the study of antiquities, and became secretary of the society of antiquaries.

1763. The king of France, viewing the extensive and valuable acquisitions in America secured by the treaty with Great Britain, granted letters patent under the great seal, to erect within the countries and islands ceded to him, four distinct and separate governments, namely, Quebec, East Florida, West Florida, and Granada.

1765. First congress of American colonies met at New York.

1777. Second battle of Stillwater, which was an attempt of the British to secure a retreat to the lakes. Darkness put an end to the action, after the Americans had gained decisive advantages. A great number of the enemy were killed; 200 taken, including several officers of distinction; 9 cannons and the encampment of a German brigade, with all their equipage. The loss of the Americans was inconsiderable. British general Frazer and lieutenant-colonel Breyman were killed.

1780. Battle of King's mountain, South Carolina, in which 300 British were killed and wounded, and 800 prisoners, and 1500 stand of excellent arms taken. Maj. Ferguson, who commanded the British, was killed, gallantly defending his post.

1787. HENRY MELCHIOR MUEHLENBERG died; pastor of the first Lutheran church in Pennsylvania, and distinguished for his learning.

1788. JOHN BROWN, an English physician, died; known as the founder of the Brunonian system of medicine, which classes all diseases under two heads, those of deficient and those of redundant excitement.

1792. GEORGE MASON, a distinguished Virginia statesman, died at his domain of Gunston hall.

1794. ANTOINE JOSEPH GORSAS, a Girondist, guillotined at Paris. He was a school master, a man of letters, and the editor of a paper, through which he became one of the first instigators of the revolution, and actively promoted some of its important events.

1794. Bois-le-duc, one of the strongest bulwarks of the famous Dutch barrier along the left bank of the Meuse, surrendered to the French revolutionary army; by which several other fortresses were hemmed in and rendered useless.

1795. JOHN GEORGE ZIMMERMAN, a Swiss philosopher, died at Hanover, where he was first physician to his Brittanic majesty. His work on _Solitude_ is a popular book in our own language.

1796. THOMAS REID, professor of moral philosophy at Glasgow, died, aged 89; highly distinguished as a mathematician and metaphysician.

1807. BONAPARTE called for a second conscription of 80,000 men for this year.

1810. Coimbra in Portugal, held by the French, was attacked by the British under colonel Trant and carried. Trant took 80 officers and 5,000 men prisoners, mostly sick and wounded.

1812. Battle of the Moskwa. The French army of 150,000 under Napoleon was opposed by a Russian army of about the same number, under Kutusoff. The attack began early in the morning and continued until late in the afternoon, when the Russian army retreated, no pursuit being made by the French; while the field of battle was strewed with 50,000 dead and dying. The Russians acknowledged a loss of 25,000, among whom was Bagration.