Читать книгу The Every Day Book of History and Chronology - Joel Munsell - Страница 18

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1526. Treaty of Madrid between the emperor Charles V, and Francis I of France, by which the latter obtained his liberty.

1604. The episcopal divines and puritans held a conference at Hampton court in the presence of King James.

1611. Edward Bruce, a Scottish statesman, died. He occupied some of the highest offices under the government, and his services were important in establishing the peaceable accession of James to the English throne.

1622. Pietro Sarpi, better known as Father Paul of Venice, died, aged 90. He employed the latter part of his life in writing a history of the council of Trent, in which he has developed the intrigues connected with the transactions of that famous assembly, with a degree of boldness and veracity, which renders the work one of the most interesting and important productions of the class to which it belongs.

1634. Of seven sailors left at Spitzbergen in the fall of 1633, by the Dutch fishermen, for the purpose of wintering there, the first of the number died. The journal which they kept relates that they sought in vain for green herbs, bears and foxes, in that desolate region. In November the scurvy appeared among them. Their journal ended February 26, and they were all found dead on the return of their countrymen in spring. (See April 16.)

1696. Marie de Rabutin Sevigne, a French woman of quality, died, aged 70. Her Letters (11 vols. 8vo.) are models of epistolary style, and have been translated into English.

1738. The famous convention of Pardo signed.

1739. The pope issued an edict against the assemblies of freemasons, under penalty of the rack and condemnation to the galleys.

1742. Edmund Halley the astronomer, died, aged 86. He devoted himself to mathematics with great success, and spent much time abroad in astronomical observations and experiments. His astronomical pursuits tended greatly by their results to improve the art of navigation.

1753. George Berkley, bishop of Cloyne in Ireland, died, aged 85. He appeared as an author before his twentieth year. He devoted seven years and a considerable part of his fortune in an effort to establish a college at Bermuda, for the education of Indian preachers, which miscarried. He published several philosophical, mathematical and theological works, and is said to have been acquainted with almost every branch of human knowledge.

1781. French took the island of Nevis.

1783. Cervetto, an Italian of extraordinary musical genius, died at London, aged 103. He was a member of the orchestra of Drury lane theatre.

1784. Congress ratified the definitive treaty of peace.

1792. Joseph Jackson, a celebrated English type founder, died. While an apprentice his master had carefully kept from his view the mode of making punches, but by boring a hole through the door he got an occasional glimpse of the art, and succeeded.

1795. Intense frost in Holland, which enabled the remainder of the French army to cross the Waal.

1795. The French were repulsed in an attack on all the posts of the allies, from Arnhem to Amerongen. In the night the allies retreated to Amersfoort, leaving 300 sick behind them.

1797. Battle of Rivoli in Italy. The contest was continued three days, and decided the fate of Mantua. The French under Joubert were victorious over the Austrians.

1798. Five English gentlemen who had been sent to investigate the title of Vizier Ally, were by his orders assassinated at Benares in India.

1801. Robert Orme died, aged 73; historiographer to the East India company.

1801. An embargo laid in England on all Russian, Swedish and Danish ships. More than 100 Swedish and Danish vessels were immediately seized.

1809. Formal treaty of peace, friendship and alliance between Great Britain and Spain.

1813. An engagement off Pernambuco between the United States privateer schooner Comet, Capt. Boyle, 14 guns and 120 men, and three British vessels of 24 guns, convoyed by a Portuguese ship of 32 guns and 165 men. The Portuguese were beaten off, and the British vessels captured. She also captured three other vessels on the passage.

1814. Treaty of peace signed at Kiel between Denmark and England.

1814. Charles Bossut, a French mathematician, died, aged 84. He studied under D'Alembert, and rose to eminence. On the breaking out of the French revolution he lost the offices he had acquired, and subsisted by his writings. He was a contributer to the Encyclopedie.

1815. Com. Decatur, sailed from New York in the frigate President.

1822. The Grand Duke Constantine declined, by letter to his brother Alexander, the succession to the throne of all the Russias.

1831. Henry Mackenzie, the novelist, died, aged 86. He studied the law, at the same time cultivating elegant literature. His first effort was a tragedy, which was favorably received; his first novel appeared in 1771, in which he was eminently successful. Scott entitles him the Scottish Addison.

1834. William Polk, a revolutionary officer, died. He held the rank of colonel at the close of the war, and was the last surviving field officer of the North Carolina line. He was among the small band of patriots who declared independence in Mecklenburg county, N. C., May 20th, 1775.

1838. Navy island evacuated by the Canadians, &c., under Mackenzie and Van Rensselaer, 510 in number. The arms belonging to the United States were surrendered, as also the cannon belonging to the state of New York.

1852. T. Hudson Turner died, aged 37; one of the ablest of the British archæologists.

1854. Joshua Bates, a distinguished New England clergyman, died, aged 77. He was twenty-three years president of Middlebury college.