1322 B. C. The great Canicular cycle of the Egyptians, consisting of
1460 years, began with the sun in Cancer, 15 days after the summer
solstice. Its first revolution was just completed with the reign of
Adrian, 138 A. D.; its second in the time of Shakspeare, 1598. The
famous expedition of the Argonauts, and the foundation of the Pythian
games, are events which chronologists have placed _sixty years_
afterwards.
44 B. C. The customary games in memory of Cæsar's victories were
exhibited by Octavius upon this day, dedicated to Venus Mater, when he
produced the hero's golden spectatorial chair. The anniversary is
interesting from the fact of a comet having appeared near the _Great
Bear_, which was visible for seven days.
1031. ROBERT (_the Wise_), king of France, died. He refused the crown of
the empire and of Italy, satisfied to rule his own subjects, for whose
happiness he labored earnestly.
1164. PETER LOMBARD, bishop of Paris, died; called _Master of the
Sentences_, from a work of his by that name, which has been ably
commented on by succeeding divines.
1546. The emperor CHARLES V placed the protestant confederates under the
ban of the empire; whereupon they declared war upon him. (See July 15.)
1553. Lady Jane Grey's _nine days' usurpation_ terminated.
1620. Massacre of the protestants in the Valteline in Switzerland. It
began on this day and extended to all the towns of the district; it was
a labor of three days.
1650. JOHN PRIDEAUX, an English prelate, died. He rose from the ranks of
poverty and dependence to be bishop of Worcester; and sunk back again to
his original level rather than compromise with the republicans.
1655. ROBERT BROOKE died; he was the first settler in Patuxent,
Maryland.
1691. ADRIAN AUGUSTIN DE BUSSY DELAMET, a French ecclesiastic, died. He
was of a noble family, and wrote among other things a _Dictionary of
Cases of Conscience_, 2 volumes folio.
1704. PEREGRINE WHITE, the first-born of Plymouth colony, died at
Marshfield, aged nearly 84.
1752. JOHN CHRISTOPHER PEPUSCH, an eminent Prussian musician, died in
England. His abilities were so early displayed, that at the age of 14 he
was employed to teach music to the prince royal at Berlin.
1759. The English general, PRIDEAUX, commanding the enterprise against
Niagara, while directing the operations of the siege, was killed by the
bursting of a cohorn.
1779. DOUGAL GRAHAM (_the Rhymer_), chronicler of the events of the
rebellion of 1741, died.
1788. Action off Hoogland between the Russian fleet of 17 ships, and
Swedish fleet of 15. It continued from 5 P. M. till near midnight, and
ended in the defeat of the Russians, who had one ship sunk and one of 74
guns and 780 men captured. The Swedish fleet was inferior to the
Russian in the size of the vessels as well as in number.
1794. A revolutionary tribunal established at Geneva, in Switzerland;
about 2,000 persons arrested; 200 on the proscription list escaped.
1814. General BROWN moved his whole force upon fort George, but not
being supported by the fleet on account of Com. Chauncey's illness, fell
back on the 22d to Queenstown.
1814. The British fort St. Joseph taken possession of by colonel
Croghan.
1814. Privateer general ARMSTRONG arrived at New York, having captured
11 vessels.
1819. JOHN PLAYFAIR, a celebrated Scottish mathematician, died. He was
also eminent as a geologist and geographer. His largest work is a system
of geography in 5 volumes.
1825. WILLIAM BROWN, a celebrated gem engraver, died. He was first
patronized by Catharine of Russia, and subsequently by the king of
France; but the storm of the revolution drove him from Paris to London,
where he executed many excellent works.
1843. The Chinese city Chin-keang-foo was captured by the British forces
under sir H. Pottinger.
1844. JOHN HALSAM, a British author on insanity, died in London.
1852. The obsequies of Henry Clay celebrated with the greatest pomp and
magnificence in New York. The city was shrouded in mourning, business
was suspended, and the shipping wore their colors at half-mast.
1854. CAROLINE BOWLES, widow of Southey, died at Buckland, England; a
poetess of some merit.
1855. A great portion of the village of Chamouni, in Savoy, destroyed by
fire.
1857. THOMAS DICK, a Scottish astronomer, died near Dundee, aged 83. His
_Christian Philosopher_ and some other works are popular in both
continents.