198. DECIUS CLAUDIUS ALBINUS, a Roman who assumed the imperial purple in
opposition to Severus, was slain in battle on the river Rhone.
1401. WILLIAM SAUTRE, an English clergyman, was burned for heresy, by
the clergy, with the permission of Henry IV. This is said to have been
the first execution in England on account of religion. (Timperley says
March 10.)
1549. A bill passed the English parliament allowing clergymen to marry,
on the ground that it was a less evil than compulsory chastity.
1553. ERASMUS REINHOLD died; an eminent German astronomer and
mathematician, and professor at Wittemberg.
1567. MILES COVERDALE, bishop of Exeter, buried. He was ejected from his
see by queen Mary, and thrown into prison, from which he was liberated
by Elizabeth. He assisted Tindal in the English version of the Bible,
1537.
1592. EDWARD COKE chosen speaker of parliament.
1597. THOMAS BENTHAM, an English bishop, died; celebrated for his
knowledge of the Chaldee and Hebrew tongues.
1619. LUCILIO VANINI, a learned Italian, burnt. He early devoted himself
with ardor to letters, studying philosophy, law, theology and astrology,
at Rome and Padua. He traveled throughout every country of Europe,
occupying himself with instruction; but wherever he appeared, he became
obnoxious to suspicion on account of his religious views. In 1617 he
went to Toulouse, where he was accused of atheism and sorcery, and
condemned to the flames. He was drawn to the place of execution, when
after his tongue was torn out, he was strangled, and burnt at the age of
34. His punishment appears to have been entirely undeserved, and has
given him more celebrity than his writings.
1622. HENRY SAVILE died, a learned English divine, historian and critic;
Greek tutor to Queen Elizabeth.
1638. Insurrection of the Edinburgh presbyterians, who threw off their
allegiance, and entered into a covenant or association against the
government, which they compelled all people to subscribe; several Scotch
bishops were forced to fly to England.
1644. The Scots, consisting of 18,000 foot, 2,000 horse, and above 500
dragoons, passed the Tweed at Berwick in behalf of the parliament.
1671. CHARLES CHAUNCEY, president of Harvard college, died, aged 80. He
was a nonconformist divine, who emigrated to America; a learned and
venerated man.
1697. FRANCIS BERNARD, an English physician, died; eminent for his
learning, and his valuable collection of books.
1717. PETER ANTHONY MOTTEUX, died in London on his birthday (supposed to
have been murdered). He was a French refugee, settled in England, where
he became an eminent dramatic writer, and translated Don Quixotte.
1734. Battle of Gaustalla between the French and the imperialists under
count Konigsegg; the latter of whom were defeated with the loss of 5,000
men including the prince of Wirtemberg.
1743. La Guaira, in South America, attacked by the British under
Knowles. He captured one ship, and blew up a magazine but did not
succeed in his principal object, which was the total destruction of the
shipping. Spanish loss 700.
1767. FRANCIS BOISSIER DE SAUVAGES, a French physician and botanist,
died. His reputation was so great that he was called the Boerhaave of
Languedoc.
1778. Capt. JAMES WILLING took possession of Natches in the name of the
U. S.
1788. THOMAS CUSHING, of Massachusetts died. He was early engaged in
political life, and in 1763 appointed speaker of the council where, by
his moderate and conciliatory conduct he was enabled to effect a great
deal of good as a mediator between the contending parties. On the
breaking out of disturbances he was sent to the first congress, and
continued to fill some office till his death, when he was lieutenant
governor.
1790. Marquis DE FAVRAS executed. His judges were intimidated by the mob
shouting during the trial, _a la lanterne_.
1792. MATTHEW TAIT died at Auchinleck, aged 123.
1793. Lieuts. GIBBS and MOUNTESY with 21 men of the Lowestoffe frigate
seized the tower of Martelli in Corsica, and hoisted the British flag
for the first time in that island.
1794. French frigate La Fortunee burnt to prevent her falling into the
hands of Lord Hood.
1797. JAMES DODSLEY the renowned and rich London bookseller died. He
sold 18,000 copies of Burke's _Reflections on the French Revolution_.
1798. The Irish rebellion, as the discontents were called, commenced.
1799. JEAN CHARLES BORDA, a French mathematician, died. He made many
improvements in hydraulics, and his experiments for the advancement of
science were numerous and successful.
1801. Action off Gibraltar between the British frigate Phebe 36 guns,
and the French frigate L'Africaine, 44 guns and 715 men. The Frenchman
lost 200 men killed and 143 wounded, and was captured. British loss 1
killed and 12 wounded.
1802. NICHOLAS JOSEPH SELIS, a distinguished French poet, died.
1806. ELIZABETH CARTER, an English poetess, died, aged 89. She acquired
nine foreign languages; but the reputation of this learned lady was
established by a complete translation from the Greek of the works of
Epictetus, with notes.
1807. Admiral DUCKWORTH, with 8 ships of the line and 4 frigates,
together with fire ships and gun boats, effected the daring pass of the
Dardanelles, without loss, and appeared before Constantinople, which
until then had never seen an enemy's fleet. The Turks fired stone shot
from their batteries upon the fleet, some of them weighing upwards of
800 pounds. The Turkish squadron, consisting of a 64 gun ship, 4
frigates, 3 corvettes, a brig and 2 gun boats, were burnt.
1811. Duke of Albuquerque, ambassador to England from the regency of
Spain, died at London.
1816. WM. REESE died in Dublin district, Md., aged 108.
1816. A bridge of wire, 400 feet in length, for foot passengers having
been constructed over the Schuylkill, was passed for the first time.
1821. Florida ceded to the United States by Spain.
1837. THOMAS BURGESS, bishop of Salisbury, died. He was the son of a
grocer, and rose by his own merits. He was a man of extensive learning,
and a voluminous author; was instrumental in founding the royal society
of literature; and St. David's college founded by him for the education
of Welsh ministers, is an enduring monument of his benevolence. To this
institution, he bequeathed the whole of his extensive library.
1843. MICHAEL J. QUINN, well known to general readers as the author of
_A Visit to Spain_, &c., died at Boulogne-sur-mer, France.
1844. GILBERT, a servant of Washington at the great battle of the
Monongahela, died at Stanton, Va., aged 112. He was also with the
general at the surrender of Cornwallis, and was accustomed on holidays
to appear in regimentals during his life, to the great edification of
the boys.
1852. WILLIAM WARE, an eminent unitarian scholar and divine, died at
Cambridge, Mass., aged 54.
1856. The ship John Rutledge from Liverpool to New York encountered an
iceberg and sunk. Of five boats which left the ship, only one was picked
up, with but one living man on board, the survivor of thirteen who had
died one by one of cold and starvation.