493 B. C. MENENIUS AGRIPPA met the plebeian seceders, encamped on the
Mons Sacer, near Rome, and delivered to them there the memorable
apologue of the belly and the members.
1150. A great frost in England mentioned by Matthew Paris, began on this
day and continued about two months and ten days, so that "both foot and
horse crossed the Thames." In that year all the prelates in council were
shut up by king Stephen for refusing to crown his son; more remarkable
for the appearance of Gratian's twenty-four years' labor, the
_Decretals_.
1165. MALCOLM IV, king of Scots, died of a lingering disease, at
Jedburgh, after a short reign. His subjects were rebellious, but by his
vigor he overcame them all.
1565. PIUS IV (_John Angelo de Medicis_) died. He was not of the
Florence family, but brother of the famous marquis de Marignan, and
distinguished as an ambassador. He evinced his zeal for the church by
his enmity against the Turks and heretics.
1641. ANTHONY VANDYCK, the celebrated Dutch painter, died. He was a
pupil of Rubens, and excelled his master in delicacy of coloring. His
pictures preserve in high perfection the dress and costume of the times.
1669. CLEMENT IX (_Julius Rospigliosi_) died of grief, at the loss of
Candia, which was taken by the Turks. His reign was disturbed by the
schisms of the Jansenists.
1674. EDWARD HYDE, lord of Clarendon, died at Rouen, in France, in
exile. His name is immortalized by the _History of the Rebellion_, a
splendid monument of his genius and impartiality, which he finished in
exile.
1680. Comet seen at Albany.
1683. JOHN OLDHAM, an eminent English poet, died of small pox. His
genius lay chiefly in satire.
1694. PAUL SIGNERI died at Rome; a theological writer, and a popular
preacher and active missionary of the Jesuits.
1702. HAAGEN SWENSDEN executed for stealing and marrying Mrs. Pleasant
Rawlins, an heiress.
1708. JOHN HIGGINSON died; the first minister of Salem, Mass.
1788. JONATHAN SHIPLEY, bishop of St. Asaph, died. He was a
distinguished prelate and eminent among his episcopal brethren for his
firm and determinate opposition to the American war.
1798. JOHN REINHOLD FORSTER, an eminent English writer on natural
history and philosophy, died at Halle, in Germany. He accompanied Cook
in his second voyage round the world.
1804. The British under admiral POPHAM attacked fort Rouge at the
entrance of Calais harbor with explosion vessels.
1808. The Chinese interdicted the English from trading until their
soldiery were drawn from Macao.
1808. The British rejected the French and Russian proposals for peace.
1811. Americans under general Harrison left the battle ground at
Tippecanoe, on their return to the United States.
1813. Battle on the Nieve, near Bayonne; the British under general Hope
attacked the French under Soult, without obtaining any decisive
advantage.
1814. JOSEPH BRAMAH, a very ingenious English engineer and mechanist,
died.
1815. The exiled emperor NAPOLEON, took possession of the villa of
Longwood. This year, at its dawn, found him sovereign of the little
island of Elba; ere the vernal equinox he was again emperor of France;
before the summer solstice he was finally defeated at Waterloo; the year
closed over him a solitary exile.
1816. The bank of England commenced paying specie on one and two pound
notes dated prior to 1812.
1824. Battle of Ayacucho, in Peru, between the royalists under La Serna,
9,310, and the patriots, 5,780, under Sucre, which terminated in the
total defeat of the former, who lost 1800 killed, and their general
taken prisoner. Loss of the patriots, 370 killed. This victory
accomplished the delivery of Peru from the Spaniards.
1824. JOSE LA SERNA, viceroy of Peru, wounded and taken prisoner at the
battle of Ayacucho, which put an end to his authority in that state. He
commenced his career in the artillery, and served at Saragossa under the
celebrated Palafox. His skill in the art of war did not avail him
against the determined bravery of the revolutionists.
1831. Disturbances in Ireland; the soldiers fired upon a mob of 2000
Irish; whereupon the mob rushed upon the soldiery and killed 19 out of
34.
1831. IBRAHIM PASHA completely defeated before St. Jean d'Acre.
1833. JOHN JEBB, bishop of Limerick, died. He was an accomplished
author, a learned theologian, and an amiable man. His publications,
though not numerous, were of high merit.
1835. President's message reached Boston in 26 hours and 50 minutes from
Washington. It was formerly announced as an instance of extraordinary
speed that the message reached Boston in 64 hours. In 1841 the message
reached New York in 8 hours 53 minutes, and probably was in Boston
within another 8 hours. Dr. Franklin once expressed an opinion that the
time would come when the mail might be conveyed from Philadelphia to
Boston in a fortnight, and _perhaps_ in a week. The regular time is now
24 hours.
1842. SAMUEL WOODWORTH, well known as an American poet, died in New
York. He was the author of the popular song, the _Old Oaken Bucket_.
1850. BEM, the Hungarian general, died at Aleppo.
1853. The men and women of Harbor creek, near Erie, Pa., turned out in
large numbers, tore up the rail road track, burnt the ties and bridges
over the culvert, and plowed down the track to its former level.
1854. The king of the Sandwich islands to prevent the overthrow of his
government by lawless violence, accepted the aid of the naval forces of
the United States, Great Britain and France.
1856. FATHER MATTHEW, called the apostle of temperance, died at Cork,
Ireland, aged 66. He devoted himself in early life to the regeneration
of his countrymen among the poorer classes who had fallen under the
tyranny of strong drink.