1324. A poetic festival at Toulouse called _jeux floraux_, to which all
the poets of the _Langue d'Oc_ were invited, where the composer of the
best poem was to receive a violet of fine gold. The celebrated
troubadour, Arnaud Vidal, won the prize.
1381. JOHN BALL, a priest and compeer of the notorious Wat Tyler,
preached to Tyler's army from the proverbial rhyme:
"When Adam dalfe and Eve span,
Who was then a gentleman?"
1410. ALEXANDER V, pope, died. He was originally a beggar, but found
means to cultivate his mind, and rose by degrees in the church till he
reached the pontifical chair. He is distinguished as a man of great
firmness, liberal and munificent.
1481. MAHOMET II, sultan of Turkey, died. He took Constantinople from
the Christians, thereby driving many learned men into the West, which
was a great cause of the restoration of learning in Europe.
1493. The pope issued a _great bull_, by which the infidel world was
divided between Ferdinand and Isabella on the one hand, and the
Portuguese on the other. That is, the Spanish were granted the full
right to all countries inhabited by infidels which they should discover
west of an imaginary line drawn from pole to pole, at a distance of 100
leagues westward of the Azores, while the Portuguese were to have all
east of that line.
1568. DOMINIQUE DE GOURGES, having destroyed the Spanish settlements in
Florida, embarked for France. The Spaniards had seized the French
settlements in the same places, and murdered the inhabitants. Gourges
fitted out three vessels and 150 soldiers at his own expense to revenge
their death, and repair the honor of his nation. The Spaniards were well
fortified to the number of 400 in their forts; but de Gourges resolutely
pressed forward, and after a desperate assault carried the forts. Those
who escaped the massacre were hung upon the same trees on which the
Frenchmen had previously been hung. The Spaniards had placed over their
victims a label, signifying, "_I do not this as to Frenchmen, but as to
Lutherans_." De Gourges replaced it with a tablet of fir wood, on which
was graven the following: "_I do not this as to Spaniards, nor as to
mariners, but as to traitors, robbers and murderers_."
1573. A border feud at Reedsquair, between the English and Scottish
marchmen, in which the former were completely beaten. This skirmish was
the last of any note between the two nations.
1621. Sentence of fine and imprisonment passed upon lord Bacon in the
house of peers for bribery.
1649. ISAAC DORISLAUS assassinated; a Dutchman who went from Leyden to
England and read lectures on history at Cambridge. He was alternately
royalist and republican during the civil wars; and was stabbed to the
heart by some enthusiastic royalist while on an embassy to Holland.
1655. The English took the island of Jamaica from the Spanish.
1664. The earl of Tiviot, governor of Tangier, surprised and defeated by
the Moors.
1697. KALDAN, khan of the Eleuts, who had for several years eluded the
formidable armies sent against him annually from China, accompanied by
the emperor himself, being finally reduced to the last extremity, and
abandoned by his best subjects, put an end to his life by poison.
1702. Lord CORNBURY commenced his administration of the government of
New York.
1711. RICHARD CHISWELL, a noted English printer and an extensive
publisher, died.
1733. RICHARD COX, lord chancellor of Ireland, died. He published a
history of that kingdom.
1747. Naval battle between the English fleet under Anson and Warren, and
the French fleet under M. de la Jonquiere, which was convoying six East
India ships and a number of transports and merchantmen to Canada. After
a regular and well fought battle, the French struck their colors. The
loss of the French killed and wounded was 700; that of the British 500.
The trophies of the victory were six men of war and all of their East
India ships, and between four and five thousand prisoners. The treasure
taken on board these vessels was afterwards conveyed to the bank of
England in 20 wagons. The French loss by this defeat was estimated at
one million and a half.
1759. A young woman in England who had laid a considerable wager that
she could ride 1000 miles in 1000 hours, finished her match in a little
more than two-thirds of that time. At her coming in the country people
strewed flowers in her way.
1763. GEORGE PSALMANAZAR, a literary impostor, died. He was a native of
France, and obtained a thorough education. After various adventures he
arrived at London under the character of a Japanese converted to
Christianity, was patronized by the great, and undertook to translate
the catechism into Japanese, and wrote a history of the country. Some
absurdities were detected, when he confessed himself an impostor, and
afterwards subsisted by turning his pen to better employment.
1765. Sujah ul DOWLAH defeated at Calpy, in India, by the British.
1776. Sir PETER PARKER'S squadron of 20 sail arrived at Cape Fear river,
with lord Cornwallis.
1784. ANTHONY BANEZET, a philanthropist of Philadelphia, died. He was a
native of France, and early engaged in mercantile pursuits, which he
abandoned to devote his attention to objects of benevolence and
philanthropy, in which he continued during a long life.
1793. Battle of Famars, in which the allies drove the French from their
camp with great loss.
1794. JAMES WILLIAM THOURET guillotined; he was president of the
national assembly when Louis XVI accepted the constitution of 1791.
1797. The first commencement of Union College for conferring degrees in
the arts and sciences.
1797. BONAPARTE invaded Venice pretending that the Venetians had
illtreated the French. This issued in republicanizing Venice and Genoa.
1799. BENJAMIN FLOWER, printer of the _Cambridge Intelligencer_, was
fined £100 and ordered by the house of lords to be imprisoned 6 months,
for some freedom with the speech of bishop Llandaff.
1802. PETER ELMSLY, a partner of the celebrated Paul Valliant, and
himself an importer of books and no mean critic and linguist, died.
1810. Lord BYRON, in emulation of Leander, swam the Dardanelles, from
Abydos to Sestos. The distance, including the length he was carried by
the current, was upwards of four miles; though the actual breadth is
barely one.
1813. Havre de Grace, Maryland, burnt by the British.
1814. BONAPARTE arrived at the island of Elba, and Louis XVIII made his
entrance into Paris.
1814. THOMAS COKE, a methodist bishop in the United States, died. He
became one of the assistants of Mr. Wesley, and was active in the
service of the church. He wrote a _Commentary on the Bible_, _History of
the West Indies_, _&c._
1816. JAMES MCHENRY, confident of Gen. Washington, and for some time
secretary of war, died at Baltimore.
1818. Capt. Ross sailed from Shetland, on his first voyage for the
discovery of the north-west passage.
1839. FERNANDO PAER, an Italian dramatic composer, died at Paris. He was
a native of Parma; his pieces have been performed in Germany, France and
Italy, with success.
1840. JAMES MORISON, self-styled _The Hygeist_, died at Paris, aged 70.
He was the inventor of the vegetable universal medicines, known as
_Morison's Pills_, from which he realized great profits, and is said to
have paid the English government in ten years £60,000 for medicine
stamps.
1849. A serious insurrection occurred at Dresden, in Saxony, but was in
a few days put down.
1852. SARAH COLERIDGE died; the accomplished and only daughter of S. T.
Coleridge. She translated from the Latin the curious works of
Dobrizhoffer on Paraguay, 3 vols., and completed the editorial care of
her father's _Literary Remains_, begun by her husband.
1853. JOHN B. GIBSON, an eminent Pennsylvania jurist, died at
Philadelphia, aged 73; at which time he was judge of the supreme court.
1856. ADOLPHE CHARLES ADAM, the noted French music composer, died at
Paris, aged 54.