Part 92

1699. The protestants of Germany here introduced the Gregorian or _new style_ of supputation, by the omission of ten days, concluding this year.

1715. The Pretender (_Chevalier de St. George_), son of James II of Scotland, the deposed king of England, arrived at Peterhead, and was proclaimed king of England.

1719. ANDREW BRADFORD issued the first number of the _American Weekly Mercury_, the first paper printed in Pennsylvania, and the second in the United States.

1722. PIERRE VARIGNON, a distinguished French architect and mathematician, died. He was professor of mathematics, and an able writer on that science.

1723. JAMES BASNAGE, a French protestant minister, died. He was a man of talent and erudition. His works are numerous and valuable, particularly his _History of the Jews_, 15 vols.

1729. MICHAEL BARON, the Roscius of the French theatre, died.

1753. A Mr. BRAITHWAITE died at Carlisle, England, at the age of 110. In 1652 he commenced singing in the cathedral, and at the time of his death had continued singing one hundred years.

1768. CHARLES LITTLETON, bishop of Carlisle, died; an eminent English antiquary.

1788. PERCIVAL POTT, a very eminent English surgeon, died.

1789. A number of ice islands, of great magnitude, discovered, which had been wafted from the southern polar regions. The ship Guardian struck them near the cape of Good Hope, on her passage to Botany bay. These islands were wrapt in darkness; they were 150 fathoms long, and more than 50 fathoms above the surface of the waves. A fragment from the summit of one of them broke off, and plunging into the sea, caused a tremendous commotion in the water, and dense smoke all around it.

1796. Kehl, a fortress on the Rhine, surrendered by the French, under Dessaix, to the Austrians, under the archduke Charles, after a siege of 51 days, and a blockade of 115. The garrison were permitted to withdraw, with their artillery and baggage, with drums beating and colors flying.

1798. BONAPARTE arrived at Suez, with several officers and men of science, and, having forded the Red sea, visited the fountains of Moses. Whilst here he received a deputation from the monks of mount Sinai, and countersigned the charter they had received from Mahomet.

1803. Louisiana taken possession of by the Americans.

1807. Embargo; the ports of the United States closed against British commerce.

1812. JAMES CLINTON, an American general, died. He was a firm and undeviating patriot of the revolution.

1812. PETER HENRY LARCHER, a French writer, died. He translated some of the principal Greek classics.

1813. The Indians attacked and defeated at Ecchanachaca, by the Americans under general Claiburn, who destroyed the town, 200 houses, with a large quantity of provisions.

1818. PHILIP FRANCIS, an English statesman, died. He was an active promoter of the impeachment of the famous Warren Hastings, and was considered by some as the author of _Junius's Letters_.

1822. WILLIAM LOWNDES, a distinguished orator and patriot, of South Carolina, died at sea.

1828. WILLIAM HYDE WOLLASTON died, aged 62; one of the ablest and most renowned of English chemists and natural philosophers. Very little of his personal history is known, his biography not having been written (1846).

1832. FRANCIS HUBER, a Swiss naturalist, died, aged 82. He lost his sight at the age of 17. Notwithstanding this difficulty in the way of scientific pursuits, with the assistance of his wife, he wrote and published a very accurate work on the habits of bees, and some other works.

1835. EDMUND FRY died in London, at a very advanced age. He was a member of the society of Friends, originally bred to the medical profession, but was more generally known as an eminent and learned type founder.

1835. DAVID HOSACK, an eminent physician, died at New York, where he was professor of the theory and practice of physic, and was held in high estimation as a man of talent, learning and worth.

1838. HUGH JAMES ROSE, a talented and eloquent English divine, died. Besides numerous works of which he was the author, he projected the _British Magazine_, and edited the _Theological Library_.

1842. 250 troops from Texas invading Mexico, were defeated and taken prisoners.

1854. MARTIN JOSEPH ROUTH, president of Magdalen college, died at Oxford, England, aged 99; a man of great learning, talent and virtues.

1854. The British parliament passed a law permitting the enlistment of foreigners, as officers and soldiers, in her majesty's service.

1855. VALERIAN KRASINSKI, one of the most distinguished members of the Polish emigration, and an eminent author, died at Edinburgh, Scotland.

DECEMBER 23.

486 B. C. The accession of Xerxes the magnificent to the Persian throne, _Nar. Era_, 263. When Darius Hystaspes, his father, was cut off, he had reigned 36 years, from the _thoth_ of N. E. 227, corresponding with the first day of January B. C. 521. The year 485, in which he died, is remarkable for two facts, the conquest of Syracuse under Gelon, and a comic work by Epicharmus, who added the Greek letters _chi_ and _theta_ to his native alphabet.

176. MARCUS ANTONINUS entered Rome in triumph, after his German victories on the Danube, accompanied by his monstrous son Commodus.

400. Naval battle of the Hellespont, and defeat of Gainas the barbarian; who was despatched in Thrace.

558. CHILDEBERT I, king of France, died. His great military exploit was the defeat of the king of Burgundy.

679. DAGOBERT II, king of Austrasia, assassinated.

1588. HENRY DE LORRAINE, duke of Guise, assassinated by order of the king. He was a turbulent and seditious subject of Henry III, of France.

1620. The Plymouth settlers having fixed upon a place for a town, on a high ground facing the bay, where the land was cleared and the water excellent, as many as could conveniently went on shore, and felled and carried timber to the spot designated for the erection of a building for common use.

1622. REDEMPTUS BARENZANO, a Piedmontese monk, died. He was professor of philosophy at Anneci, and a correspondent of the great Bacon.

1631. MICHAEL DRAYTON, an English poet, died. His works which were numerous, and of great merit, were collected in 1748 in one volume folio.

1632. JOHN COTTON, the first minister of Boston, died. He was a good scholar and a pious, able and benevolent man.

1688. JAMES II, king of England, escaped from England to Calais, in France, and was declared to have abdicated his throne.

1715. The _Freeholder_, first No., appeared, in a great degree political. In this work the labors of Addison as an essayist were brought to a close.

1721. WILLIAM MUSGRAVE died; an eminent English physician and antiquary, and secretary of the Royal society.

1747. The colonial house and records at Boston destroyed by fire.

1757. British privateer _Terrible_, captain William _Death_, of 26 guns and 200 men, captured a large French ship, after an obstinate battle, in which he lost his brother and 16 men killed. A few days after he fell in with the privateer _Vengeance_, 36 guns and 360 men, who recaptured the prize, and having manned her, both ships bore down on the Terrible, whose main was shot away by the first broadside. After a desperate engagement, in which the French captain and his second were killed, with two-thirds of his company, the Terrible was boarded, when no more than 26 persons were found alive, 16 of whom had lost a leg or an arm, and the other 10 were badly wounded. The ship itself was so shattered that it could scarcely be kept above water. There was a strange combination of names in this affair; the _Terrible_ was equipped at _Execution_ dock; was commanded by _Death_, who had _Devil_ for his lieutenant and _Ghost_ for surgeon.

1777. WASHINGTON had 2,898 men unfit for duty, "owing to their being barefooted and otherwise naked." His whole force fit for duty amounted to 8,200.

1783. SAMUEL COOPER, one of the most celebrated divines and politicians of New England, died.

1783. General WASHINGTON delivered up his commission to congress at Annapolis.

1789. CHARLES MICHAEL DE L'EPEE, a celebrated French teacher of the deaf and dumb, died. He devoted his time and money to the education of indigent mutes. Sacrificing his own comfort to promote theirs. Some of his pupils obtained academical prizes by poetical and literary works.

1804. Battle of Biezun; the French under Grouchy defeated 8,000 Prussians, and took 500 prisoners and 5 cannon.

1814. Battle at Villaret's plantation, near New Orleans, between 2000 Americans under general Jackson and about 4000 British under general Keene. American loss 213; British loss 305.

1816. Bible societies prohibited in Hungary.

1825. SAMUEL PARKES, an English chemist, died. He was no less distinguished for his benevolence than for his ardor, diligence and perseverance in the pursuit of science.

1832. Civil war in Mexico terminated by a convention at Zalaveta, of delegates from the armies of Bustamente and Santa Anna.

1846. JAMES STEVENSON, one of the oldest of the Seneca chiefs, and a friend of Red Jacket, died on the Cattaraugus reservation, aged 81. He was the son of an English officer, who vainly tried to persuade his beautiful Indian wife to accompany him to England.

1854. Simoda, Japan, destroyed by an earthquake. A wave from the bay overflowed the town, and on its return left but 16 buildings out of a thousand standing.

DECEMBER 24.

361. GEORGE of Capadocia, Arian bishop of Alexandria, was assassinated in consequence of his oppression.

705. ÆLFRID, king of Northumberland, died.

1156. PETER (_the Venerable_), a French ecclesiastic, died. He was sprung of a noble family, and became general of the order of Cluni. He was a man of great learning and exemplary piety.

1247. ROBIN HOOD, the English outlaw, has his death placed on this day (See Nov. 18).

1460. Battle of Wakefield Green; the Lancasterians under Margaret queen of Henry IV, defeated Richard duke of York, who was slain.

1525. VASQUEZ DE GAMA, the Portuguese navigator, died at Cochin in Malabar. He discovered the course to the East Indies, by the cape of Good Hope.

1535. EURICIUS CORDUS died; a German physician and poet, the friend of Erasmus.

1560. At Lillebone, Lower Seine, France, a fiery meteor fell, attended with red rain.

1565. A Dutch church was opened at Norwich by order of queen Elizabeth.

1650. Edinburgh castle taken by Cromwell, said to be the first time ever reduced.

1664. A comet styled a blazing star appeared in England.

1704. First eruption on record of the peak of Teneriffe.

1728. Second newspaper established in Philadelphia, called the _Universal Instructor in all Arts and Sciences and Pennsylvania Gazette_, by Samuel Keimer. The first press had been established by Bradford about six weeks after the city was founded.

1736. Plot discovered to destroy the whole family of Brunswick Wolfenbuttel.

1740. DANIEL WATERLAND, an eminent English divine and polemical writer, died.

1771. CHARLES JOHN FRANCIS HENAULT, an eminent French chronologist, died. His great work, the result of forty years' study, has gone through many editions and been translated into the Chinese and several European languages.

1775. JOHN CAMPBELL, king's agent for the province of Georgia, died. He was an eminent writer on biography, history and politics.

1793. The French convention decreed that the houses in Toulon should be leveled with the ground.

1794. South Hadley canal, or Connecticut river, opened. It was constructed to overcome a fall of 53 feet in the river; is upwards of 2 miles in length, including a cut of 300 feet in length through solid rock, 40 feet deep and 18 wide. The descent into the river was made by an inclined plane 230 feet in length, traversed by a carriage with six wheels, which was regulated by a water wheel. It was altogether quite an original affair.

1798. ROBERT MERRY, author of the _Pains of Memory_, died at Baltimore.

1800. An attempt to assassinate Bonaparte at Paris by an infernal machine.

1804. MARTIN VAHL, a Norwegian naturalist, died. He extended his researches over various parts of Europe and the African coast.

1805. American exploring party under Capts. Lewis and Clark, went into winter quarters in huts on the shore of the Pacific, near the mouth of Columbia river.

1806. Battle of Nasielsk; the Russians under Kaminski defeated by the French under Davoust.

1806. Battle of Kursonet, on the Wrka; 15,000 Cossacks defeated by the French under Nansouty.

1808. THOMAS BEDDOES, an eminent English physician, died. He is known by his perseverance in making experiments to cure consumption by the application of pneumatics.

1814. Preliminaries of the treaty of peace between England and the United States signed at Ghent.

1824. CHRISTOPHER ARETIN, a learned German writer, died. On the abolition of the monastries in 1803 he was appointed to examine their libraries.

1830. STEPHANIA FELICITE DE GENLIS, a celebrated French authoress, died, aged 84. For the last thirty years of her life, her inexhaustible pen continued to pour forth a variety of works of which space is here wanted to enumerate even their names. The whole of her literary progeny falls little short of an hundred volumes, and are characterized by fertility of imagination and purity of style.

1831. A volcanic island, recently formed near Sicily, disappeared.

1832. The citadel of Antwerp, with 3,500 troops, surrendered to the French, after a brave resistance of 26 days. The French had thrown up 14,000 metres of trenches, and fired 63,000 rounds, by which 695 were wounded and 108 killed.

1836. FRANCISCO ESPOZ Y MINA, a distinguished Spanish constitutional general, died.

1836. Great snow storm in England, which blocked up the roads so as to prevent all traveling, and many lives were lost. In some places the snow drifted to the depth of forty feet, and in others avalanches buried houses and their inhabitants.

1846. ERASTUS ROOT, a distinguished statesman in the state of New York, died while on a visit to New York city, aged 74.

1849. PATRICK FRAZER TYTLER, the Scottish historian, died.

1849. Great fire at San Francisco; property destroyed valued at a million and a half of dollars.

1851. The principal room of the library of Congress was destroyed by fire.

DECEMBER 25.

The commencement of what is usually called the vulgar era, was four years prior to the date now used as the beginning of the Christian era.

98. Christ mass was first used as a festival.

283. MARCUS AURELIUS CARUS, the Roman emperor, killed by lightning, beyond the Tigris.

400. GAINAS, a Goth of great valor, killed. He became a general under Arcadius, and desolated Thrace, because refused a church for the Arians.

496. CLOVIS, the first Christian king of France, crowned at Rheims; a glorious day among the Franks.

800. CHARLES, king of France, crowned at Rome emperor of the West. It was the commencement of a new Roman era, and he took the name of _Charlemagne_.

830. LEO V, emperor of Constantinople, assassinated. He was an Armenian, who became a general by his valor in the Roman armies, and prevailed on his troops to proclaim him emperor.

1066. WILLIAM, the conqueror, was crowned at London, amid a tumult, and the better to secure the obedience of the citizens, granted them a charter.

1440. GILLES DE RETZ, the famous _Bluebeard_, executed at Nantes for his horrible crimes. The ruins of his castle, La Verriere, are seen on the banks of the Erde, in the Lower Loire.

1476. GELEAS MARIE SFORZA, duke of Milan, assassinated. He rendered himself unpopular by his ferocity and debauchery.

1618. The first house erected at Plymouth, Mass., by the puritan settlers, after having spent more than a month in selecting a place for settlement. The company was divided into 19 families, and to each person was assigned a lot, half a rod in width, and three rods in length, for houses and gardens.

1658. CROMWELL dispersed several congregations, met to celebrate the birth of the Savior.

1676. MATTHEW HALE, a learned English judge, died. He was conversant with almost every branch of science, and has left valuable works in law, philosophy and religion.

1678. JOHN NEWTON died; an English mathematician and chaplain to Charles II.

1698. JAMES HOUBRACKEN, the celebrated Dutch engraver, was born at Dordrecht.

1712. WILLIAM KING, an English poetical and political writer, died. His most useful work is an account of the heathen gods and heroes, necessary for the understanding of the ancient poets.

1715. JAMES, the pretender to the English throne, landed at Peterhead, and formed his court.

1740. JOHN SOANEN, an eminent French ecclesiastic, having been deposed from his bishopric, died in exile.

1741. ROBERT SANDERSON died; an English writer, distinguished as the continuator of _Rymer's Fœdera_, from the 16th to the 20th volume.

1758. JAMES HERVEY, an English divine of exemplary virtue and piety, died. His _Meditations_ and _Letters_ are well known.

1762. Great riot at Drury lane theatre, because the managers would not admit at half price after the 3d October.

1770. HENRY MILL, an ingenious English mechanic, died. He is said to have been unrivaled in the science of hydraulics.

1777. Vermont became an independent state. It was first settled in 1725, and claimed as part of New Hampshire.

1796. KOSCIUSKO, with other Polish prisoners, liberated by the emperor Paul, when he came to America.

1801. HESTER CHAPONE, an elegant English poetess and moral writer, died. Her works will long be popular.

1813. Violent eruption of mount Etna.

1816. Treaty between the United States and the dey of Algiers.

1822. A hurricane in Iceland, which overthrew the churches. The new volcano of Oefields Jokkelen, spouted burning stones and ashes.

1827. ENRICO ACERBI, an Italian surgeon and medical writer, died.

1837. JOHN AUSTIN died at Philadelphia, aged 67; a native of Barbadoes, formerly a surgeon in the British army, and a practitioner at Barbadoes and Demarara, where he was greatly esteemed.

1853. JOHN MACRAE WASHINGTON, a brave American military officer, was swept from the wreck of the San Francisco, aged 60. After the close of the Mexican war he commanded an expedition across the plains of Mexico to the Pacific, and acted as military governor one year.

DECEMBER 26.

795. ADRIAN I, pope, died. He was a Roman patrician, who on his elevation to the pontificate highly embellished St. Peter's church, and displayed his benevolence and humanity during a famine occasioned by the inundation of the Tiber.

1135. STEPHEN crowned king of England on St. Stephen's day.

1292. JOHN BALIOL performed homage to Edward of England at New Castle.

1300. EDWARD I of England forbade the circulation of crockards, pollards, rosaries, and other foreign coins, as sterlings. They were all called in and a new _sterling_ money coined, so called from the Easterlings, who were the first coiners of silver of that fineness in England.

1530. ZAHIR-EDDIN MOHAMMED BABER, founder of the Tartar empire in Hindostan, died, aged 47. He made the first irruption into Hindostan in 1505, which was unsuccessful; but in 1524 he again undertook the invasion, defeated and killed the sultan in battle, and extended his conquests far and wide with astonishing rapidity. He was one of the most distinguished sovereigns that ever sat upon an Asiatic throne.

1552. CHARLES V raised the siege of Metz, with the loss of 30,000 men.

1679. THOMAS BLOUNT, an English barrister at law, died; distinguished for his talents and learning, and as a respectable writer.

1729. HONORE TOURNELY, a distinguished French ecclesiastic, died. He was professor of philosophy at Douay, and a popular preacher.

1731. ANTHONY HOUDART DE LA MOTTE, an ingenious French critic and miscellaneous author, died. His works consist of epic poetry, tragedy, comedy, lyric, pastoral, and fable; besides a vast variety of discourses, critical and academical.

1732. WILLIAM LELAND, of Lisnaken, in Ireland, died, aged 139. He was alike remarkable for his stature and longevity.

1762. EVERARD TITON DU TILLET, a French Jesuit, died; distinguished for his learning, and for a brazen Parnassus which he planned and erected in honor of Louis XIV.

1771. CLAUDE ADRIAN HELVETIUS, a French writer, died. He was a wealthy and benevolent man, but his works were irreligious.

1776. Battle of Trenton, New Jersey. The Americans under Washington crossed the Delaware on a cold and stormy night, and surprised the Hessians at sunrise. Col. Rhalle and 20 men were killed and the remainder surrendered, to the number of 1,000. Of the Americans 2 were killed and 2 frozen to death. This well judged and successful enterprise revived the depressed spirits of the colonists and produced an immediate and happy effect in recruiting the American army.

1780. JOHN FOTHERGILL, an eminent London physician, died. He was of the sect of quakers, and distinguished himself by his public and private benefactions, his encouragement of science, and attention to the health, the police and the conveniences of the city, as well as his great medical skill.

1782. HENRY HOME, lord Kaimes, died. He was one of the senators of the college of justice in Scotland, and eminent as a critical and philosophical writer.

1784. OTHO FREDERIC MULLER, a Danish naturalist, died. His works show much method and great accuracy.

1797. JOHN WILKES, a famous English politician and an elegant scholar, died. He was a member of parliament, lord mayor of London, and afterwards chamberlain.

1800. MARY ROBINSON died; an elegant English poetess, novelist and dramatic writer.

1806. Battle of Pultusk in Poland, between the Russians under Beningsen and the French under Lannes. The latter were defeated with the loss of 8,000; Russian loss 5,000. The French drew back with such haste that the advancing Cossacks were unable to overtake their rear guard next day. Lannes was glanced by a ball, and had two aids killed.

1806. Battle of Soldau; French under Ney defeated the Prussians under Lestocq.

1806. Battle of Alawa, in Prussian Poland; French under Marchand gained a brilliant victory.

1806. Battle of Golymin; Russians defeated by the French under Murat and Davoust. The Russians on this eventful day lost 80 cannon, 12,000 men, and a great amount of baggage, &c.

1811. Destruction of Richmond theatre, in consequence of the scenery taking fire, when 123 persons perished, among whom was the governor of the state, and a great number of females.

1812. JOEL BARLOW, an American poet and statesman, died at Garnowitch, in Poland, while on an embassy from the United States to Bonaparte. His principal work is the _Columbiad_, a poem.

1820. JOSEPH FOUCHE, duke of Otranto, died. He was one of the most flagrant of the French revolutionists; but had the adroitness to escape punishment by shifting his opinions with every variation of the public sentiment and policy.

1831. STEPHEN GIRARD, a wealthy Philadelphia banker, died. He was a native of France; was first a cabin boy, then mate of a ship, then keeper of a toy shop, afterwards a merchant, and finally a banker. He left an estate of ten or fifteen millions, which was bequeathed to charitable and public purposes.

1843. Rev. JAMES HARVEY LINSLEY, a writer in the _American Journal of Science_, died at Stratford.

1851. The town of Lagos, on the coast of Africa, destroyed by an English force, with a loss of 30 killed and 60 wounded, because the native chief refused to sign a treaty for the effectual suppression of the slave trade. The chief was deposed, and another substituted in his place.

1851. A large portion of the Chinese part of Hong-Kong destroyed by fire, including all the printing offices, the finest edifices and public buildings; involving the loss of nearly 500 houses and many human lives.

DECEMBER 27.

100. JOHN (_the Evangelist_) died at Ephesus, aged 94.