Читать книгу The Every Day Book of History and Chronology - Joel Munsell - Страница 20

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1543. An act of the English parliament was passed forbidding women, apprentices, &c., &c., to read the New Testament in English.

1556. Charles V of Germany, (Don Carlos I of Spain) resigned the crown of Spain to his son Philip, after a reign of 40 years. Of all his vast possessions he only reserved to himself an annual pension. It was under him that Cortez conquered Mexico.

1580. An act of the English parliament inflicting a penalty of 20 pounds for absenting from church.

1599. Edmund Spencer, the English poet, died, aged 46. His first poem, the Shepherd's Calendar, appeared in 1576. He went to Ireland as private secretary to the lord lieutenant, and commenced the Faery Queen while in that country. The rebellion took place with such fury that he was obliged to leave the country in so great confusion, that an infant child was left behind, and burnt with his house. The unfortunate poet died soon after his arrival in England, in consequence of these misfortunes.

1643. Parliament of England forbid free commerce, and ordered no wagon or carriage to go to Oxford without a license.

1668. The earl of Shrewsbury slain in a duel by the duke of Buckingham, who had lived in open adultery with Shrewsbury's wife. It is said that she, in the habit of a page, held Buckingham's horse when he was fighting with her husband.

1706. Articles of union between England and Scotland ratified by the Scottish parliament 110 to 69.

1715. Robert Nelson died, an English gentleman of fortune, which he employed in works of benevolence and charity. Few works on devotional subjects were more popular than his.

1748. The bottle conjuror imposed on a great multitude at the Haymarket theatre, by announcing that he would jump into a quart bottle.

1760. Pondicherry, defended by the French under General Lally, taken by the English under Colonel Coote.

1772. A revolution in Denmark which terminated in the imprisonment of the royal family, and finally the banishment of the queen, sister to George III of England.

1780. The Spanish fleet of 11 sail, under Langara, destroyed off St. Vincent by the British fleet of 19 sail, under Rodney. Langara was dangerously wounded and taken prisoner. One of the Spanish ships with 600 men on board was blown up, and all perished. The British lost 32 killed and 102 wounded.

1790. The bean-fed friars ejected from their convents by an augean labor of the French revolution.

1794. Edward Gibbon, the historian, died, aged 57. During his visit to Rome in 1764, he formed the plan of writing the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. In 1774 he obtained a seat in parliament, and two years after appeared the first quarto volume of his history. A disorder which he had endured twenty three years terminated in a mortification.

1795. Retreat of the British from Utrecht, in Holland, upon which the inhabitants capitulated to the French.

1796. The first theatre at Botany bay opened by the convicts at Sydney cove.

1809. Battle of Corunna in Spain, between the French and English, and death of Sir John Moore, who fell mortally wounded by a cannon shot, at the moment of victory achieved by the troops under his command. His men buried him in his cloak, and the French, in testimony of his gallantry, erected a monument over his remains. He was unmarried and in his 47th year.

1812. The king of Sicily, on account of ill-health, abdicated the throne in favor of his son, until he should recover. It is remarkable that Great Britain, Spain, Portugal and Sweden were governed by regents or viceroys at the same time.

1813. Lewis Barney died at Champlain, New York, aged 105. He had 24 children by one wife.

1815. Henry Thornton, founder of the Sierra Leone company, and a writer on the credit of Great Britain, died.

1816. The bridge at the falls of the Schuylkill fell with the great body of snow upon it.

1816. John Wright, the first constable of Cumberland county, Virginia, died, aged 107.

1817. Alexander James Dallas, an eminent lawyer of Philadelphia, died. He filled the office of secretary of state in Pennsylvania many years; and also that of secretary of the treasury of the United States a short time previous to his death.

1838. Dorothy Torrey died at Windsor, Conn., aged 107.

1843. State lunatic asylum, at Utica, New York, went into operation.

1854. Alden Partridge died at Norwich, Vt.; nearly fifty years engaged in military instruction, and some time principal of West Point academy.