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.