432. B. C. METON, the Athenian astronomer, began his famous _lunar
cycle_ of 19 years (then marked by successive letters in gold, which are
now called the golden numbers), with the new moon nearest to the summer
solstice falling upon the 16th of Scirophion.
48 B. C. POMPEY, in passing through the Archipelago, stopt at Mitylene
to receive his wife, the exemplary Cornelia, and there conversed with
Cratippus, the philosopher, _on the nature of providence_.
1213. King JOHN received Pandulph, the pope's legate, in whose presence
he subscribed an instrument by which the sentences of interdict,
excommunication and deposition were revoked, conditionally that he
reversed all his former acts of oppression.
1520. Massacre of the Mexicans by Alvarado, during the absence of
Cortez. This happened on the great festival of their god
_Huitzilopochtli_, in the month Toxcatl, the emperor being then a
prisoner of the Spaniards in his palace, and the principal nobles
gathered there for the dance, when the Spaniards fell upon them with the
utmost fury. The victims were unable to defend themselves or escape by
flight, and the slaughter was terrible. An insurrection immediately
followed, and the quarters of the Spaniards were assaulted with such
determined energy that they were compelled to hasten the return of
Cortez, and led to the disaster of the 1st July (q. v.)
1539. A bill brought into the English parliament vesting in the crown
all the property of the monastic institutions. This was followed by the
fall of 644 monasteries, 90 colleges, 2,374 chantries, and 110
hospitals. The revenue of these establishments amounted to £161,000.
1568. Battle of Langside hill, Mary queen of Scots defeated by the
regent Murray, and fled to England.
1607. Jamestown, Virginia, settled. Three small ships, with 105 persons
intended to form a settlement, under Sir Christopher Newport, took
possession of a peninsula in Powhatan river, and gave it the name of
Jamestown. Though they had to strive against appalling difficulties, and
were several times on the verge of losing or abandoning the enterprise,
they were ultimately established, mainly through the great exertions and
talents of Capt. John Smith, one of the most remarkable persons
connected with the early history of the country, and indeed one of the
most remarkable of an age prolific of memorable men. Jamestown was for a
long time the capital of the state, but has sunk into ruin, and is
almost desolate. Two or three old houses, the ruins of an old steeple, a
churchyard, and faint marks of the rude fortifications, are the only
memorials of its former importance.
1614. MARGUARD FREHER died. His books on law, criticism and history are
numerous and respectable.
1619. JOHN VAN OLDENBARNEVELDT, a Dutch statesman, beheaded. Zeal for
his country led him to oppose the arbitrary measures of the stadtholder,
for which he was accused of treason and condemned at the age of 72. (See
April 14.)
1625. CHARLES I issued a proclamation for "settling the plantation of
Virginia." The colony was reduced under the immediate direction of the
crown, and the commission to the new governor and council was
accompanied with arbitrary instructions. "The commerce of the colony was
restrained, and the persons of the colonists enslaved."
1649. WILLIAM CHAPPEL, bishop of Cork, died. His works have been
translated into English. To him is ascribed, among others, the
authorship of the _Whole Duty of Man_.
1704. LOUIS BOURDALOUE died; esteemed the best preacher that France ever
produced.
1728. Counsellor HAGEN, formerly secretary to the famous baron Gortz,
shot himself through the head. He left a letter to king George II, and a
paper stating "I am quite weary of eating and drinking, of shunning my
creditors, weary of being burthensome to my friends, weary of being
vexatious to my enemies, and lastly tired with myself."
1734. JAMES THORNHILL, an eminent English historical painter, died.
1736. The foundation of the Ratcliffe library laid at Oxford, England.
1781. ROGER BYRNE, the Irish giant, was buried. He weighed with his
coffin 578 lbs., and died of no other disease than suffocation
occasioned by a superabundance of fat, which stopped the play of his
lungs, and put a period to his life in the 54th year of his age. His
height, it is believed, was nearly 8 feet.
1760. A copy of Tendall's testament sold at Oxford for 20 guineas,
supposed to be the only copy of that edition unburned by Tonstall. This
book occasioned some prelates to say that they must root out printing or
printing would root out them.
1783. Society of Cincinnati established; originated by Gen. Knox, and
composed exclusively of officers who had served in the regular army
during the revolutionary war.
1790. Action in the port of Revel, between the Swedish fleet of 23 ships
and 18 frigates, and the Russian fleet of 11 sail and 5 frigates,
protected by several batteries and fortifications. A furious storm raged
at the time, which destroyed two Swedish ships.
1799. BARTHOLOMEW MERCIER, abbot of St. Leger, died; a learned French
author and a worthy man, whom the revolution reduced to poverty and
wretchedness.
1806. Broome county in the state of New York erected.
1814. Madam MURAT surrendered the fleet and arsenal at Naples, and
Ferdinand returned to his capital.
1814. British cannonaded and bombarded the town of Charlotte at the
mouth of Genesee river. It was successfully defended by Gen. Peter B.
Porter, with 150 volunteers and 350 militia.
1816. Treaty between the United States and the Sac Indians of Rock
river.
1825. CHARLES WHITWORTH, an English earl, died; employed by the
government as ambassador to different courts of Europe--a man of much
private worth and unquestioned talent.
1832. GEORGE LEOPOLD CUVIER, the French naturalist, died. His grand
work, the _Animal Kingdom_, forms an imperishable monument of his
genius.
1835. ELIZABETH COOK, widow of Capt. James Cook, the circumnavigator,
died near London, aged 94. She survived her husband 55 years, and was
highly esteemed for her virtues.
1835. JOHN NASH, the architect of Regent street, Buckingham palace, &c.,
London, died.
1836. Sir CHARLES WILKINS, an eminent oriental scholar, died.
1838. ZACHARY MACAULEY, a distinguished philanthropist, died at London,
aged 70. He edited the _Christian Observer_ from 1802 to 1816, with
ability, and for more than 40 years dedicated his eminent talents and
active energies in conjunction with other distinguished men to the
abolition of African slave trade.
1839. JOSEPH FRESCH, archbishop of Lyons, died. He was the uncle of
Bonaparte, and after the fall of the emperor resided at Rome in the
enjoyment of immense wealth, and one of the first picture galleries in
that city.
1841. The American Bible Society celebrated its 25th anniversary at New
York. The whole amount of receipts during the year preceding, was
$118,860·41; the number of Bibles and testaments published and
circulated through the efforts of the society since its organization,
_three millions_.
1849. A revolution at Carlsruhe, and the grand duke of Baden fled.
1852. GEORGE DOLLAND, an English astronomer and optician, died, aged 78.
His father and grandfather followed the same pursuits. He is the author
of the _Atmospheric Recorder_.