46 B. C. JULIUS CÆSAR, arrived at Rome from Utica, celebrated the
fourfold triumph in a quadriga of white horses, for the victories over
the Gauls, over Ptolemy in Egypt, over Pharnaces in Pontus, and over
Juba in Africa; entertained the people with naumachian and pentachlic or
circensian games during 40 days; rewarded and feasted them at 22,000
tables; was declared consul the fourth time, and dictator for ten years;
and to place him on the summit of human glory, his statue was erected in
the capitol opposite to that of Jupiter, with the globe at his feet. He
commenced in this year his reformation of the calendar, called, from the
long intercalation, the year of confusion.
40. PETRONIUS, in his account of Trimalchio, has preserved a _Roman
newspaper_, (diurna acta) for this day. "On the 26th July 30 boys and 40
girls were born at Trimalchio's estate at Cuma. At the same time a slave
was put to death for uttering disrespectful words of his master. The
same day a fire broke out in Pompey's gardens, which began in the night,
in the steward's apartments."
1346. The English under Edward III, captured the opulent city of Caen,
in France, and pillaged the country around.
1469. Battle of Banbury (or Hedgecote), in which the royalists under
Pembroke were defeated by the Yorkshire rebels. Pembroke was taken and
put to death, and earl Rivers beheaded.
1470. Post office first established in Paris.
1471. PAUL II (PETER BARBO), pope of Rome, died. He was a Venetian
noble, and on coming to the throne gratified the cardinals with the
purple habit, the red silk cap, and the mitre, which had hitherto been
worn only by the sovereign pontiff.
1546. Emperor CHARLES V and pope PAUL III secretly leagued against the
protestants.
1560. JAMES BONFADIUS, a polite writer of Italy, executed. He incurred
the enmity of some powerful families at Geneva by the freedom of his
remarks in his writings, who wrought his ruin.
1581. PHILIP excluded by edict from all sovereignty over the united
provinces of the Netherlands.
1592. ARMAND GONRAULT DE BIRON, marechal of France, killed. From the
humble rank of a page he rose through all the gradations of the army, to
the highest dignity under the sovereign. He distinguished himself in the
service, and was killed by a cannon ball at the siege of Epernai.
1630. CHARLES EMANUEL (_the Great_), duke of Savoy, died; an ambitious
prince and brave warrior.
1653. "This day," says Dugdalo, "the fair bell called _Jesus's bell_, at
Litchfield, was knocked in pieces by a presbyterian _pewterer_, who was
the chief officer for demolishing the Cathedral."
1659. The island of Montreal invaded by 1200 Indians, who burned all the
plantations, and made a terrible massacre of men, women and children,
upon whom they committed every barbarity. "Ils ouvrirent le sein des
femmes enceintes," says Charlevoix, "pour en arracher le fruit qu'elles
portoient, ils mirent des enfans tout vivants à la broche, et
contraignirent les mères de les tourner pour les faire rôtir." They
killed 1000 and took 26, who were afterwards burnt.
1680. JOHN WILMOT, earl of Rochester, died; a dissolute English nobleman
of the reign of Charles II, and the favorite companion of the king. He
was a poet, and one of the greatest wits of the day.
1687. A party of French built fort Niagara.
1691. RICHARD INGOLSBY, captain of an independent company, was sworn
into the office of president of the council of New York, or as
lieutenant-governor, on the decease of Sloughter, instead of the
administration coming to Dudley, as of right it should.
1738. WILLIAM THOMAS, an English divine, died; distinguished as a man of
letters and an antiquary.
1758. Louisbourg, which had been restored to the French by treaty, was
again taken by the British under admiral Boscawen and lieutenant-general
Amherst, and its fortifications have since been demolished.
1759. Ticonderoga abandoned by the French, and occupied by the British
under general Amherst.
1766. WALLIS, the navigator, sailed on his great voyage.
1772. JOHN GRÆME died; a Scottish poet and miscellaneous writer of
considerable merit.
1775. Maryland convention met at Annapolis, and resolved to support the
measures of Congress. They also ordered $266,666 in bills of credit to
be struck, and that 40 companies of minute men should be raised.
1775. Congress first established a post office: the route extended from
Falmouth, New England, to Savannah, Georgia, and Franklin was appointed
post master.
1788. The printing office of Thomas Greenleaf, in New York, was much
damaged and his types taken away by a mob. When the two great political
parties were forming, subsequent to the organization of the government,
that which opposed the administration attacked the measures of
Washington with a great degree of virulence in Greenleaf's paper. He was
opposed to the federal constitution.
1788. New York adopted the constitution of the United States,
recommending amendments. Ten states had already given their assent to
it, nine being required before it could be adopted by congress.
1789. Lafayette added to his cockade the white of the royal arms,
declaring at the same time that the tri-color should go round the world.
1793. STANISLAUS CLERMONT TONNERE, a French nobleman, massacred at Paris
for his opposition to the Jacobin club.
1798. A remarkable mirage was seen at Hastings, England. The French
coast distant 50 miles was at 5 P. M. brought close to the feet of the
observers.
1803. An iron railway from Wandsworth to Croydon, in England, was opened
to the public for the conveyance of goods.
1803. British ship Thunderer, captain Bedford, captured the French
privateer Venus, of Bordeaux, pierced for 28 guns, but mounting only 16.
1806. British frigate Greyhound and sloop Harrier captured off Macassar
the Dutch frigate Pallas, 36 guns, and two large East Indiamen, laden
with spices.
1812. Battle of Kobrine; the Saxons under general Klingel, defeated by
the Russians, and himself, together with 70 officers, 2500 men, &c.,
captured; Russian loss 1000.
1814. The Americans under general Ripley and P. B. Porter burnt
Bridgewater mills and bridge, and the British barracks there.
1830. CHARLES X, of France, issued three ordinances, dissolving the
newly elected chamber of deputies, suppressing the liberty of the
press, and altering the law of election. This gave rise to a revolution
which terminated in his dethronement, and the elevation of Louis
Philippe.
1838. The Bolivian troops under Moran having left Lima on the previous
day, Nieto and Orbegozo entered the city with about 2000 men and
declared the constitution of 1835, Orbegozo being named provisional
dictator.
1847. JOB DURFEE, a jurist of Rhode Island, and author of _What cheer;
or Roger Williams in exile, &c._, died at Tiverton.
1848. FRANCIS R. SHUNK, governor of Pennsylvania, died, aged 60.
1848. After several days of hard fighting, the Piedmontese under Charles
Albert were totally defeated by the Austrians under Radetsky, and
retreated to Milan.
1852. The Irishmen in New York made an unsuccessful attempt to rescue
Thomas Kaine, in the custody of the United States marshal, and claimed
by the British government, under the treaty, as a fugitive from justice.
1855. The pope declared the laws which had been enacted in Piedmont, to
the detriment of religion and the power and liberty of the church, to be
void and of no effect; and that all who supported them incurred the
greater excommunication; also that the recent laws in Spain concerning
the church property to be null and void.
1856. The boiler of the steam boat Empire State, exploded on the passage
from Fall river to New York, killing and wounding several passengers.