515 B. C. The Jewish passover, a festival in commemoration of the
destruction of the first born of the Egyptians, while the houses of the
Jews were spared, was celebrated in the new temple.
1551. NICHOLAS UDALL obtains a patent to print the works of Peter Martyr
and the English Bible.
1552. JOHN LELAND, styled the father of antiquaries, died in London. He
applied himself to his favorite pursuit with so much ardor as to impair
his reason. He was the most accomplished writer of the age.
1556. LEWIS ALEMANNI, a Florentine statesman, died. He was at the head
of the faction that sought to expel the Medici; but finding himself
unable to keep his popularity, he fled to France, where he was employed
as a diplomatist.
1587. JOHN FOX, the martyrologist, died, aged 70. His attention was
early turned to the reformation, and he studied the early writers with
so much devotion that his seclusion and frequent absence from church
excited the persecution of his enemies, and occasioned him a great deal
of misfortune.
1593. Shakspeare's poem of _Venus Adonis_ entered in the books at
Stationer's Hall.
1610. ROBERT PARSONS, an English Jesuit, died at Rome. His abilities
procured him the patronage of the pope, and he was employed in educating
missionaries to convert protestants in England. He possessed the
elements of turbulence and intrigue to a great extent, but his
operations were entirely unsuccessful.
1630. Manors in America created.
1640. PETER KIRSTENIUS, a German physician, died at Upsal. He applied
himself with great assiduity to literature and science, acquired 26
languages, and published among other things an Arabic grammar.
1676. Sudbury, Mass., attacked by the Narragansetts. Several houses and
barns were burnt, and a small party who had hastened from Concord to
their relief were intercepted and cut off. Another party of 50, sent
from Boston for the relief of Marlborough, which the Indians had totally
destroyed the day before, went in pursuit of the enemy, were drawn into
an ambush and suddenly surrounded by a body of 500. The gallant leader
and his brave band fought with desperate valor to the last man: but
they fell a prey to the numbers, the artifice, and the bravery of their
enemies. The Indians lost about 120.
1689. Sir EDMUND ANDROS, governor of Massachusetts, seized and
imprisoned by the people, and the old magistrates reinstated. This
revolution was brought about after the colonists had borne the
impositions of the new administration about three years, on the
circulation of a rumor that a massacre was intended by the governor's
guards.
1689. GEORGE JEFFREYS, baron Wem, the infamous lord chancellor under
James II, died. He was never formally admitted to the bar, yet continued
to practice unrestrained until he attained the highest employments in
the law. He was one of the advisers and promoters of all the oppressive
and arbitrary measures of the reign of James II, till the revolution
transferred him to the tower, where he died.
1710. ALEXANDER LAINEZ, a French poet, died. His pieces possess great
vivacity and elegance.
1710. Four Indian chiefs from eastern New England and Canada, arrived at
London and were carried in the royal coaches to their audience with the
queen.
1768. Madame BONTEMS, a French poetess, died at Paris. She was respected
for her wit and knowledge; she published a translation of Thompson's
_Seasons_.
1781. British evacuated Camden, S. C., after burning the jail, mill,
several houses, the greater part of their baggage and stores, and a
large quantity of private stores. They left 31 American and 58 British
soldiers, and 3 officers, all too badly wounded to be removed.
1782. Naval action between the French and British fleets, in which
Rodney of England defeated and took prisoner Count de Grasse of France.
1791. LOUIS XVI and the royal family arrested by the populace, while on
their way to St. Cloud, and compelled to return to Paris.
1794. CHARLES PRATT, earl of Camden, died, aged 80. He was an eminent
English statesman and judge, and particularly distinguished himself by
his animation and eloquence in parliament.
1794. JEAN JOSEPH DE LABORDE, a wealthy French merchant, guillotined. At
the breaking out of the American revolution, he alone furnished the
government with twelve million livres in gold at Brest, which enabled
the expedition under Rochambeau to set sail. He sustained an admirable
character and bestowed immense sums for charitable and benevolent
objects. He fell a sacrifice to the fury of the revolution, at the age
of 70, for no offence but that of being rich.
1796. SIDNEY SMITH was taken prisoner on the French coast, and sent
strongly guarded to Paris.
1797. Austria made peace with France, ceding the Netherlands, free
navigation of the Rhine, &c., to France.
1802. ERASMUS DARWIN, an English poet, died. He studied medicine at
Edinburgh, and first appeared before the world as a poet in 1781, by the
publication of the _Botanical Garden_. He has left behind him the
character of an able man of great eccentricity. His publications tended
to materialism, and although popular for a time, have nearly fallen into
oblivion.
1831. JOHN ABERNETHY, an eminent English surgeon, died. During his
studies he was remarkable rather for the oddity of his conversation and
manners, than for any indications of genius; and passed by the name of
the _ostler_, on account of his attending the lectures in the dress of a
groom. His medical and surgical works are numerous, and his eccentricity
was proverbial.
1838. Enactment of the New York general banking law.
1842. CHARLES BELL, a distinguished medical author, and brother to the
anatomist, John Bell, died at Edinburgh.
1847. The American army carried the heights of Cero Gordo with much
loss, but took many prisoners.