Years. Months. Days.
Pius VI., who reigned 24 6 14
Hadrian I. " 23 10 17
Pius VII. " 23 5 6
Alexander III. " 21 11 23
St. Silvester I. " 21 0 4
There is one numerical curiosity of a very remarkable character, which
I must not omit.
The ancient Chamber of Deputies, such as it existed in 1830, was
composed of 402 members, and was divided into two parties. The one,
numbering 221 members, declared itself strongly for the revolution of
July; the other party, numbering 181, did not favor a change. The
result was the constitutional monarchy, which re-established order
after the three memorable days of July. The parties were known by the
following nicknames. The larger was commonly called _La queue de
Robespierre_, and the smaller, _Les honnAªtes gens_. Now, the
remarkable fact is, that if we give to the letters of the alphabet
their numerical values as they stand in their order, as 1 for A, 2 for
B, 3 for C, and so on to Z, which is valued at 25, and then write
vertically on the left hand the words, _La queue de Robespierre_,
with the number equivalent to each letter opposite to it, and on the
right hand, in like manner, _Les honnAªtes gens_, if each column of
numbers be summed up, the result is the number of members who formed
each party.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
A B C D E F G H I J K L M
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
N O P Q R S T U V X Y Z
L--12 L--12
A-- 1 E-- 5
S--19
Q--17
U--21 H-- 8
E-- 5 O--15
U-- 5 N--14
E-- 5 N--14
E-- 5
D-- 4 T--20
E-- 5 E-- 5
S--19
R--18
O--15 G-- 7
B-- 2 E-- 5
E-- 5 N--14
S--19 S--19
P--16 -----
I-- 9 181
E-- 5
R--18
R--18
E-- 5
-----
221
Majority 221
Minority 181
----
Total 402
Some coincidences of dates are very remarkable.
On the 25th August, 1569, the Calvinists massacred the Catholic nobles
and priests at BA(C)arn and Navarre.
On the same day of the same month, in 1572, the Calvinists were
massacred in Paris and elsewhere.
On the 25th October, 1615, Louis XIII. married Anne of Austria,
infanta of Spain, whereupon we may remark the following
coincidences:--
The name Loys[36] de Bourbon contains 13 letters; so does the name
Anne d'Austriche.
Louis was 13 years old when this marriage was decided on; Anne was the
same age.
He was the thirteenth king of France bearing the name of Louis, and
she was the thirteenth infanta of the name of Anne of Austria.
On the 23d April, 1616, died Shakspeare: on the same day of the same
month, in the same year, died the great poet Cervantes.
On the 29th May, 1630, King Charles II. was born.
On the 29th May, 1660, he was restored.
On the 29th May, 1672, the fleet was beaten by the Dutch.
On the 29th May, 1679, the rebellion of the Covenanters broke out in
Scotland.
The Emperor Charles V. was born on February 24, 1500; on that day he
won the battle of Pavia, in 1525, and on the same day was crowned in
1530.
On the 29th January, 1697, M. de Broquemar, president of the
Parliament of Paris, died suddenly in that city; next day his brother,
an officer, died suddenly at Bergue, where he was governor. The lives
of these brothers present remarkable coincidences. One day the
officer, being engaged in battle, was wounded in his leg by a
sword-blow. On the same day, at the same moment, the president was
afflicted with acute pain, which attacked him suddenly in the same leg
as that of his brother which had been injured.
John Aubrey mentions the case of a friend of his who was born on the
15th November; his eldest son was born on the 15th November; and his
second son's first son on the same day of the same month.
At the hour of prime, April 6, 1327, Petrarch first saw his mistress
Laura, in the Church of St. Clara in Avignon. In the same city, same
month, same hour, 1348, she died.
The deputation charged with offering the crown of Greece to Prince
Otho, arrived in Munich on the 13th October, 1832; and it was on the
13th October, 1862, that King Otho left Athens, to return to it no
more.
On the 21st April, 1770, Louis XVI. was married at Vienna, by the
sending of the ring.
On the 21st June, in the same year, took place the fatal festivities
of his marriage.
On the 21st January, 1781, was the _fAªte_ at the HA'tel de Ville, for
the birth of the Dauphin.
On the 21st June, 1791, took place the flight to Varennes.
On the 21st January, 1793, he died on the scaffold.
There is said to be a tradition of Norman-monkish origin, that the
number 3 is stamped on the Royal line of England, so that there shall
not be more than three princes in succession without a revolution.
William I., William II., Henry I.; then followed the revolution of
Stephen.
Henry II., Richard I., John; invasion of Louis, Dauphin of France, who
claimed the throne.
Henry III., Edward I., Edward II., who was dethroned and put to death.
Edward III., Richard II., who was dethroned.
Henry IV., Henry V., Henry VI.; the crown passed to the house of York.
Edward IV., Edward V., Richard III.; the crown claimed and won by
Henry Tudor.
Henry VII., Henry VIII., Edward VI.; usurpation of Lady Jane Grey.
Mary I., Elizabeth; the crown passed to the house of Stuart.
James I., Charles I.; Revolution.
Charles II., James II.; invasion of William of Orange.
William of Orange and Mary II., Anne; arrival of the house of
Brunswick.
George I., George II., George III., George IV., William IV., Victoria.
The law has proved faulty in the last case; but certainly there was a
crisis in the reign of George IV.
As I am on the subject of the English princes, I will add another
singular coincidence, though it has nothing to do with the fatality of
numbers.
It is that Saturday has been a day of ill omen to the later kings.
William of Orange died Saturday, 18th March, 1702.
Anne died Saturday, 1st August, 1704.
George I. died Saturday, 10th June, 1727.
George II. died Saturday, 25th October, 1760.
George III. died Saturday, 30th January, 1820.
George IV. died Saturday, 26th June, 1830.