129 B. C. Three ambassadors from John Hyrcanus, the Jewish pontiff, were
received at Rome, when the senate decreed a renewal of the league of
amity and assistance with that "good and friendly people," and dismissed
the delegates with presents.
1554. JOHN WYATT and a number of others executed for an insurrection and
riot, on account of Queen Mary's marriage with Philip II of Spain.
1593. JAMES AMYOTT, grand almoner of France, died; a writer on various
subjects, but chiefly known as the translator of _Plutarch's Lives and
Morals_.
1623. JUAN MARIANA, a Spanish historian, died. He wrote several works,
theological and historical; the most considerable of which is his
_History of Spain_.
1649. The Rump parliament voted the house of peers to be useless and
dangerous, and accordingly that branch of the legislature and the office
of king, were abolished by two brief resolutions.
1685. CHARLES II, king of England, died. At the time of the death of his
father he was a refugee at the Hague, on which he immediately assumed
the royal title. In 1660 he entered London amidst the universal
acclamations of the people. He was a confirmed sensualist and
voluptuary, says Lardner, and owing to the example of him and his court,
his reign was the era of the most dissolute manners that ever prevailed
in England. His career was terminated by a fit of apoplexy, at the age
of 55. It was during this reign that the great plague and the great fire
of London occurred. He was the twenty-sixth king of England.
1693. A party of about 700 French and Indians fell upon the Mohawk
villages near Schenectady, and took about 300 prisoners in the English
interest, without doing much other damage. They were pursued by Col.
Schuyler with a party from Albany, and several skirmishes ensued. The
French escaped by crossing the north branch of the Hudson, on a cake of
ice. They lost in this enterprise 80 men killed, and were reduced to
great want before they got home.
1696. A plot to assassinate WILLIAM III of England, was discovered.
1736. Earthquake in New England.
1738. JOSEPH MITCHELL, a Scotch dramatic poet, died.
1740. CLEMENT XII (Laurence Corsini), pope of Rome, died. He was very
popular, and corrected many abuses in the church.
1755. MAURICE JOHNSON, a noted English antiquary, died.
1756. Birthday of AARON BURR, at Newark, N. J. His father was the Rev.
William Burr, second president of New Jersey college at Princeton, and
his mother a daughter of the celebrated Jonathan Edwards, third
president of that institution. His wife is well known.
1777. Great Britain granted letters of marque and reprisal against
America.
1778. The French avowed the independence of the United States, by
concluding a treaty of defensive alliance with them.
1778. New York acceded to the confederation.
1783. LAUNCELOT BROWN died. He invented a new system of horticulture,
and carried ornamental gardening to a high degree of perfection. Many
delightful places of resort in England will stand for ages as memorials
of his superior taste and abilities.
1783. The first ship which displayed the thirteen stripes in any British
port, was recorded at the London custom house. She was loaded with 587
butts whale oil, belonged to the island of Nantucket, and was manned
wholly with American seamen.
1788. Massachusetts adopted the constitution of the United States, being
the 6th state which ratified that instrument. The vote stood 187 to 168.
1792. The city of Morocco, which had shut its gates against the emperor
Muley Yazid, was attacked by his forces and carried. The greatest
excesses were committed by the soldiery, against friends as well as
foes, and the Jews were as usual given up to be plundered. (See 12th and
16th.)
1796. The state of Vermont adopted its constitution.
1798. The bank of England subscribed £200,000 to assist government to
repel the threatened invasion. By the assistance of manufacturers, &c.,
this sum was increased to £1,500,000.
1799. British ship Arago, Capt. Bowen, captured off Mahon, at midnight,
the Spanish frigate Santa Teresa, 42 guns and 350 men.
1800. The duke of ORLEANS (Louis Phillip, afterwards king,) asked pardon
of Louis XVIII, and swore that he was ready to shed the last drop of his
blood in his service. He was graciously received.
1803. GIAMBATTISTA CASTI, a Florentine historian, died, aged 82. His
works are full of wit and originality, and some of them have been
translated into English.
1804. JOSEPH PRIESTLY died. He was the son of a Calvinistic clothier, in
whose rigid principles he was educated. His heresy ripened into
unitarianism. His publications had already made him extensively known,
when in 1766 he became acquainted with Franklin, by whom he was
encouraged to compose a work on electricity. This was followed by
several scientific works, till in 1794, on the anniversary of the
capture of the Bastile, the mob at Birmingham, where he then resided,
proceeded to his house, which, with his library, manuscripts and
apparatus, fell a prey to the flames. Finally, goaded by party enmity,
he sought an asylum in the United States, and took up his residence at
Northumberland, Pa. Here his devotion to his favorite pursuits brought
on a disease, which hastened the end of his existence, in the 71st year
of his age. His works amount to about 70 volumes, octavo.
1806. Action between the British fleet under Admiral Duckworth, and the
French under Lessiegues, off St. Domingo, which resulted in the
destruction of the latter, consisting of four large ships of war.
1807. The French under Murat, defeated the Prussians under Hoff, in
Prussian Poland.
1811. The prince regent of Great Britain took the oath prescribed by the
regency act, and was installed.
1813. The United States government ordered all alien enemies to report
themselves to the marshals of the districts in which they resided.
1814. Lord CASTLEREAGH, with other diplomatic characters, met at
Chartillon-sur-Seine, for the negotiation of peace.
1815. Full pardon granted to the Barratarian pirates by the president of
the United States, in consequence of their fidelity and courage in the
defence of New Orleans.
1832. The crew of the United States frigate Potomac, made an attack upon
Qualla Battoo, in Sumatra. The town was destroyed and 150 Malays killed;
loss of the Potomac 2 killed, 14 wounded.
1833. PIERRE-ANDRE LATREILLE, a French naturalist, died at Paris. He
particularly distinguished himself in entomology.
1834. The celebrated and enterprising traveler, Lander, died of a shot
wound in Africa.
1853. President CAVALLOS resigned, and Gen. Lombardini chosen president
of Mexico with dictatorial powers.
1853. The insurrection of Mazzini at Milan, which was unsuccessful.
1853. WILLIAM PETER, British consul at Philadelphia, died. He translated
the _Prometheus_ of Æschylus, was an accomplished scholar and talented
poet.