70. Capture of Jerusalem by Titus, the 8th day of the month Gorpieus,
(Elul) upon his daughter's birthday.
1419. PETER D'AILLY, a French ecclesiastic, died. He was of an obscure
family, and rose by his merit to the office of cardinal.
1503. ALEXANDER VI (_Roderick Borgia_), pope, died. He was of infamous
notoriety before his elevation to the pontificate, and is supposed to
have been poisoned by a draught which he had prepared for some of his
guests.
1540. Nuptials of HENRY VIII and CATHARINE HOWARD, his fifth spouse. By
"a notable appearance of honor, cleanness and maidenly behavior," she
won the heart of old Harry, whose marriage with Anne of Cleves was
annulled the 9th of July previous.
1588. EDWIN SANDYS, archbishop of York, died. He assisted in the
translation of what is called the _Bishop's Bible_, and was one of the
nine divines appointed by Elizabeth to dispute with nine catholics
before the parliament.
1588. The English fleet under lord Howard attacked the Spanish armada.
The engagement began at 4 o'clock in the morning and continued till 6 at
night, and resulted in a total defeat of the armada. The Spanish
admiral, apprehending the entire destruction of his fleet, resolved to
sail northwards and make the circuit of the British isles. When he had
rounded the Orkneys, the fleet was dispersed by a storm; horses, mules
and baggage were thrown overboard to lighten the ships, some of which
were wrecked, some sunk in the North sea, others wrecked on the coast of
Scotland, and more than thirty were driven by another storm upon the
coast of Ireland, where many of the crews were barbarously murdered. The
duke of Medina finally reached Santardu with sixty-five sail in a
shattered condition, out of 150 sail of noble vessels which entered the
British channel, many of them of the largest class.
1641. Though Sabbath, both houses of the English parliament sat to
prevent the king from going to Scotland.
1776. Force of the northern American army, under Washington, 10,514 fit
for duty, 3,668 sick, 2,946 on command, 97 on furlough--total, 17,225.
The small pox was committing great ravages at this time, 5,500 having
died of it since April; inoculation being prohibited in general orders.
1778. Fort Boonesborough invested by 450 Canadians and Indians. The fort
was garrisoned by 50 men, who defended it with great spirit against
every stratagem till the 20th, when the siege was abandoned, and its
capture never again attempted.
1780. The combined fleets of France and Spain captured five East
Indiamen and fifty merchant ships bound for the West Indies.
1792. JOHN LEAKE, an English physician, died; founder of the Westminster
lying-in hospital, and an esteemed author.
1794. The entrenchments of Pellingen, a series of redoubts raised by the
Austrians in the most advantageous situations, in order to cover Treves,
were carried by the French.
1804. ROBERT MACFARLANE, a Scottish miscellaneous writer, died. He
translated Ossian into Latin.
1805. RICHARD WORSLEY, governor of the isle of Wight, died. During a
tour in Europe he made a fine collection of statues and antiques, of
which he published a description.
1808. JOHN BROOME, lieutenant-governor of the state of New York, died,
and was buried in the presbyterian church yard in Wall street, in the
city of New York.
1811. British under admiral Stopford took Batavia and a great part of
the island of Java.
1812. The United States troops under general Hull evacuated Canada and
entered Detroit.
1814. First meeting of the British and American commissioners at Ghent,
to treat for peace.
1816. The meetings of freemasons and other secret societies prohibited
by the king of Naples under penalty of banishment, fine and
imprisonment.
1827. GEORGE CANNING, an eminent English statesman, died. He was of
humble origin, but rose to the premiership by his great talents, and
sustained himself against a powerful opposition.
1828. FREDERIC BOUTERWEK, a German litterateur, died; author of
_Geschichte der neueren Poesie und Beredsamkeit_, containing separate
critical histories of the belles-lettres of Italy, Spain, Portugal,
France, England and Germany, from the revival of letters to the close of
the 18th century, 12 vols.
1836. FREDERICK CARL LUDWIG SICKLER died at Heldburghausen; an eminent
archæologist, and author of various learned works on archæology,
antiquities and philology.
1838. The Chilian squadron of 32 vessels landed 5000 men at Ancon, and
demanded two millions of dollars, which not being granted, they advanced
and took Callao and Lima, after an action in which 2000 were killed.
Gomarra was proclaimed president, and Orbegozo fled to the mountains.
(See July 26.)
1840. CHARLES OTTFRIED MULLER, of Gottingen, died at Athens, from an
illness brought on by fatigue and exposure in copying inscriptions, and
making excavations at Delphi. The object of his investigation was
connected with a great work on which he was engaged, upon the general
history of Greece. He was buried on the summit of a little hill above
the academy. (July 31.)
1851. SAMUEL EMERSON, an eminent physician, died at Kennebunk, Me., aged
87.
1853. A strike at Stockport, England, for an advance of ten per cent in
wages, ceased, 20,000 workmen resumed their labors, having accomplished
their object.
1856. Mrs. MATTHEWS (madame Vestris), long a celebrated dancer and
pantomimist, died in England, aged 59. Her maiden name was Lucia
Elizabeth Bartolozzi; she married Armand Vestris in 1813, and it was
under this name that she was well known in Europe and America. She
married Matthews in 1838.