26. AGRIPPINA, the mother of Nero, perished by order of her ungrateful
son. She married the emperor Claudius, whom she poisoned to raise Nero
to the throne.
1213. The first regular English parliament assembled by writ at Oxford.
1280. ALBERTUS MAGNUS, a Swabian philosopher of extraordinary genius,
died. His writings have been collected in 21 vols. folio.
1577. FRANCIS DRAKE sailed from England with five ships and 164 men,
professedly on a voyage to Egypt, but really with the intention of
sailing into the Pacific, where no English flag had ever been.
1591. BARNABAS BRISSONIUS strangled at Paris. He was an eminent French
lawyer, and ambassador to England.
1647. JOHN VICTOR ROSSI (_Janus Nicius Erythræus_) died; a Roman of
noble birth, who devoted himself to literary pursuits.
1653. ALOYSIUS JUGLARIS, an Italian Jesuit, died. He wrote 100
panegyrics on Jesus Christ, and 40 on Lewis XIII!
1680. The bill excluding JAMES, duke of York, from the succession to his
brother's throne, passed by the commons, was defeated in the house of
lords, all the bishops voting against it.
1695. In the neighborhood of Limerick and Tipperary, Ireland, a shower
of matter fell resembling butter or grease, and was gathered into pots
by some of the inhabitants. When laid on the hand it melted, but placed
by the fire it dried and became hard, emitting an offensive odor.
1712. A duel was fought in Hyde Park, London, when the duke of Hamilton
and lord Mohun were both killed.
1745. The town of Carlisle surrendered to the troops of the pretender to
the English throne.
1747. JOHN PETER DE MENDAJORS, a French historian, died. He wrote a
history of Gaul.
1751. HENRY SAINT JOHN, viscount Bolingbroke, a celebrated English
politician and philosopher, died, aged 80. A panegyrist has observed
that in his writings he united the wisdom of Socrates, the dignity and
ease of Pliny, and the wit of Horace.
1761. JOHN SAUVE DE LA NOUE, a French actor and dramatic writer, died.
It was on his account that Voltaire wrote the _Princess of Navarre_,
that he might act the chief character.
1763. The British parliament by a vote 273 to 111, resolved that the
_North Briton_, a paper conducted by the noted Wilkes, was a scandalous
and seditious libel, and ordered it to be burned by the common hangman.
Great riot in consequence.
1777. Fort Mifflin evacuated by the Americans, after a most noble and
gallant defence. The British fired 1,030 cannon shot at the fort during
the day.
1787. CHRISTOPHER GLUCK, an eminent German musical composer, died. He
introduced a new style of music into Paris.
1793. JOHN NICHOLAS HOUCHARD guillotined at Paris. He raised himself to
the highest rank in the army, and displayed his abilities in several
important victories.
1793. JEAN MARIE BAPTISTE ROLAND DE LA PLATIERE stabbed himself to the
heart on receiving news that his wife had been guillotined. His
knowledge of commerce and political economy led to his appointment of
minister under Louis, and under the republic.
1793. Fort Lewis taken by the Austrians under Wurmzer, and 4,000 French
and 112 cannons captured.
1794. JOHN WITHERSPOON, a signer of the declaration, died. He was a
Scotchman, who came over to take the presidency of Nassau Hall. His
influence upon literature was greatly beneficial, and his talents as a
preacher of the most popular kind.
1797. JOSEPH MILNER, a learned Scottish divine and historian, died, aged
54.
1802. GEORGE ROMNEY died; an eminent English painter.
1811. FREDERICK JAMES BAST, an eminent German scholar, died. He took
advantage of a diplomacy at Paris to make some valuable researches among
the treasures of the Vatican which had recently been transported there.
1812. The Cossacks under Platoff fell in with 12 pieces of French
cannon, and an immense train of carriages filled with plunder, abandoned
by the French army. The horses lay dead in their harnesses, and mingled
with them lay hundreds of human bodies, which had perished from the
intense severity of the cold, from hunger and fatigue, in their retreat
from Moscow.
1816. The bells of Notre Dame, Paris, were _formally baptized_ under the
names of the duke and Duchess of Angouleme.
1827. GEORGE TOMLINE, an eminent English bishop, died. His works display
great erudition.
1828. Cayuga and Seneca canal completed.
1848. General MESSENHAUSEN, the commander of the national guard at
Vienna, executed.
1849. The steam boat Louisiana exploded her boilers at New Orleans, when
60 persons were killed, and a great many wounded who afterwards died.
1852. The Lobos islands difficulty between the United States and Peru
was settled, by the withdrawal of the American pretensions.
1852. JOHN HAMILTON REYNOLDS, an eminent English poet, contemporary with
Byron, died in the Isle of Wight, aged 56.