Chapter XL: Part 40

1757. COLLEY CIBBER, poet laureate to George II, died. He was also a very noted comedian. He wrote a curious apology for his life.

1764. JOHN OTHO TABOR died at Frankfort. He was a native of Lusatia, became counselor to the landgrave of Hesse Darmstadt, and wrote several works on law.

1776. The neighborhood of Philadelphia having became the seat of war, congress adjourned to Baltimore.

1777. ALBERT HALLER, an eminent Swiss physician, died. He was a voluminous writer, and one of the most acute, various and original men that have appeared since Boerhaave.

1781. Action between the British fleet, 12 sail, under Kempenfelt, and a French convoy, protected by 19 heavy ships of the line, and 2 armed _en flute_. Of the merchantmen, 20 were captured, having on board 1,100 troops, and about 600 seamen, besides valuable cargoes of military stores, cannon, &c.

1782. Action between British ship Mediator, and American ship Alexander, 24 guns, captain Gregory, and French ship Menagerie, 212 men, laden with powder, naval stores, &c. The two latter were captured without any loss on the part of the British.

1783. JOHN SCOTT died; an English quaker poet, called the poet of Arnwell.

1787. Pennsylvania (the second state), ratified the constitution of the United States, without amendments.

1789. RICHARD ALTON, an Austrian general, died. He commanded in the Low countries, in 1787, and though a strict disciplinarian and a man of bravery, betrayed so much weakness during the insurrection in Brabant, that he was sent for to answer charges, and died on the journey.

1793. Battle of Mans; the royalists of La Vendee defeated with great slaughter by the French under Marceau.

1804. JOHN BOYDELL died; a most distinguished encourager of the arts of painting and engraving, in England.

1809. Action at night between British sloop Trincomale, and French privateer Iphigene. The sloop was blown up and all on board but two perished; the privateer had her side stove in and her masts forced out by the shock, and lost 115 men.

1822. Napoli di Romania, the ancient Nauplia, surrendered to the Greeks, after a long and tedious blockade, during which the Turkish garrison was reduced to feed on the corpses of their companions. The crescent had been flying on the fortress uninterruptedly since 1714, at which time it was treacherously given up to the Coumourgi, and made the seat of the Turkish government for the Morea.

1830. BENJAMIN CONSTANT, a distinguished French author, and one of the greatest orators of his day, was honored with a magnificent funeral.

1834. The Carlists, of Spain, under Gen. Eraso, defeated at Soraida, by the troops of the queen, under general Mina.

1834. The government of Greece transferred from Napoli to Athens.

1836. JOHN DAVIDSON, an English traveler, murdered by the El Hareb tribe of Africans, on his way to Tombuctoo. He commenced traveling in 1826, and had visited North and South America, India, Egypt, as far as the second cataract, Syria, Palestine, Turkey, Greece, Italy, France and Germany, and had proceeded to within 25 days' journey of the city of Tombuctoo. He was conversant with the different languages of the east, and possessed extraordinary enterprise and great accomplishments as a traveler.

1838. CHARLES PHILIP WREDE, a Bavarian field-marshal, died. He distinguished himself under Bonaparte, in the war against Austria, and was severely wounded at the battle of Wagram. In the celebrated Russian campaign he commanded, with great credit, the Bavarian contingent army.

1840. J. D. E. ESQUIROL, who so successfully introduced a new mode of treating the insane, died.

1842. ELKANAH WATSON, a great friend of and writer on internal improvements, died at port Kent, Essex county, N. Y., aged 86.

1847. JAMES KENT, so long distinguished as an American jurist and philanthropist, died at New York, aged 84.

1849. ISAMBARD BRUNEL, the celebrated engineer of the Thames tunnel, died at London.

1856. HERMAN E. LUDEWIG, a Saxon scholar, died in Brooklyn, N. Y., aged 47. He is known by his _Literature of American Local History_.

DECEMBER 13.

405. B. C. Battle of Ægospotami. This celebrated Spartan victory of Lysander over a vast Athenian fleet, happily closed the 27 years' war in the Peloponesus. Conon fled to Cyprus, and the admiral took possession of Athens in the following spring.

126. B. C. A league of friendship referred to the Roman senate assembled in the temple of Concord, on behalf of the Jews, who had sent three ambassadors with a shield of gold as a mark of confederacy.

1250. FREDERICK II, emperor of Germany, died. He was successful in his wars against the Saracens, but was forced to return to wage war with the pope, whom he also conquered. He was deposed, however, in 1245 by Innocent IV.

1254. INNOCENT IV (_Sinibaldi de Fiesque_) died. He was early engaged in a quarrel with Frederick of Germany, whom he excommunicated and deposed. He was the first who invested the cardinals with a red hat as a mark of dignity.

1502. A water spout at Porto Bello greatly alarmed the Spaniards. Ferdinand Columbus says "if they had not dissolved it by saying the gospel of St. John, it had certainly sunk whatsoever it fell upon."

1521. EMANUEL (_the Great_), king of Portugal, died. He distinguished himself by the liberal manner in which he patronized commercial enterprises, by which the cape of Good Hope was rounded, and Brazil visited.

1542. JAMES V, of Scotland, died. He assumed the government at the age of 17, and was admired for his virtues.

1542. An act passed permitting those deemed the better sort to read the Bible in England.

1545. The great council of Trent opened.

1565. CONRAD GESNER, a Swiss botanist, died. It has been said that botany owes to him its very existence as a science.

1577. DRAKE sailed from Plymouth, England, in the Golden Hind, on his voyage round the world, which he was the second navigator that accomplished.

1621. ROBERT CUSHMAN having visited the colony of Plymouth with supplies, took in a cargo of beaver skins and clapboards, the first export from New England, which was valued at £500. The vessel was captured and carried into France.

1642. New Zealand discovered by Tasman.

1648. In order to enforce an ordinance of Cromwell, Capt. Bethan was appointed provost marshal, "with power to seize upon all ballad singers, and to suppress stage plays."

1702. The motto _semper eadem_ first attached to the arms of England.

1721. Several alterations made in the form of the affirmation of the English quakers. About 20 years previous to this their affirmation was accepted instead of their oath.

1729. ANTHONY COLLINS died; an English polemical writer, whose numerous works were warmly attacked by the orthodox writers of the day.

1737. JOHN STRYPE died, aged 94; an English divine, industrious as a historian and biographer.

1738. PHILIP FROWDE died; a writer of English and Latin poetry, and of tragedy.

1754. MAHOMET V, emperor of Turkey, died. He was more eminent for his pacific disposition than for his military exploits.

1759. At Leipsic the cold was so intense that ten sentinels were frozen to death.

1769. CHRISTIAN FURCHTEGOTT GELLERT, a German comic poet, died.

1775. Congress first determined to build a navy, to consist of 5 frigates of 32 guns, 5 of 28 guns, and 3 of 24 guns.

1776. American Gen. LEE surprised and made prisoner by a British patrole in New Jersey.

1783. PETER WARGENTIN died; a learned Swede, who published tables for computing the eclipses of Jupiter's satellites.

1784. SAMUEL JOHNSON, the English lexicographer, died; a writer of great eminence and celebrity.

1788. CHARLES III, king of Spain, died. His policy was censured for endangering the Spanish empire in America by supporting the independence of the British colonies.

1788. DAVID MACBRIDE, an Irish physician of great celebrity, died. His _Theory and Practice of Medicine_ was formerly in great request.

1797. LEWIS LE GENDRE, a prominent actor in the French revolution, died. He proposed in the Jacobin club that the body of the king should be cut into 84 pieces, and one sent to each of the departments.

1803. FRANCIS LEWIS, one of the signers, died, aged 90. He was a merchant of New York, had visited Russia, and was employed in the importation of military stores, and other secret services.

1809. Desperate action between British frigate Junon, 40 guns, Capt. Shortland, and three French frigates of 88 guns in all. The Junon was captured, after losing 90 men killed and wounded; among the latter was the captain, who received several shots before surrendering. His vessel was so much shattered that the French burnt her the next day.

1811. A dog which had been accidentally shut into a house in Albany, on the 1st day of November, was taken out alive on this day, after a fast of 42 days, and recovered.

1813. Battle near Bayonne, between the French under Soult, and the allies under Wellington, in which the former were defeated and driven into the city with the loss of 6,500 men. British loss about half the number.

1814. CHARLES JOSEPH, prince De Ligne, an Austrian field marshal, died. He was born at Bruxelles, 1735, and devoted his early years to science and learning. His writings were numerous, of which 30 vols. have been published.

1850. The steam boat Anglo Norman, while on a pleasure trip for the day, at New Orleans, exploded both boilers, and nearly a hundred persons were either killed or wounded.

1854. A Russian decree ordered an additional levy of ten men in every thousand, in the eastern half of the Russian empire, Jews not excepted.

DECEMBER 14.

402. ANASTASIUS I, pope, died. He reconciled the eastern and western churches, and was much respected for his sanctity and virtue.

628. Pilgrimage of the emperor HERACLIUS at Jerusalem.

1417. JOHN OLDCASTLE, "the good lord Cobham," the first author and an early martyr of the reformation, hung alive in chains and burnt to death.

1622. VALENTINE SMALCIUS, a celebrated Socinian writer, died at Cracow.

1624. CHARLES HOWARD, an intrepid English admiral, died. He commanded the English fleet at the defeat of the Spanish armada.

1681. FRANCIS VAVASSEUR, a French Jesuit, died; distinguished as a teacher of rhetoric and belles lettres at Paris, and as a lecturer on the scriptures.

1704. JOSEPH DUCHE DE VANCY died; a French poet, author of several scripture tragedies.

1710. HENRY ALDRICH died; an eminent English scholar, divine, architect and musician.

1713. THOMAS RYMER, a famous English antiquary, died.

1715. THOMAS TENISON, archbishop of Canterbury, died; a celebrated polemical writer against popery.

1716. WILLIAM TRUMBULL died; an English statesman, ambassador to France and afterwards secretary of state.

1735. THOMAS TANNER, a learned English antiquary, died, leaving behind him a valuable work, upon which he had been employed 40 years.

1759. Prof. BRAUN ascertained the congelation of quicksilver.

1769. SAMUEL KNEELAND, an eminent Boston printer, died. He published the first edition of the Bible in America, which was in 4to, with a London imprint, to evade the patent which was held by English and Scottish publishers, _cum privilegio_.

1774. The citizens of New Hampshire attacked and carried the king's castle, and removed the powder.

1775. Gen. HOWE ordered the old North Meeting and 100 other wooden houses, to be taken down in Boston and used for fire wood.

1775. British lord DUNMORE defeated by the Americans at Norfolk, Va.

1776. British overran New Jersey.

1780. IGNATIUS SANCHO, an African author, died at London, aged 51. He was born on board of a slave ship. His _Letters_ possess great originality. (15?)

1781. Gen. GREENE informed the board of war that he had been unable to advance on the British for ten days for want of ammunition; that he had not paper with which to make returns, no camp kettles, &c.; that he lay within a few miles of the enemy and had not six rounds per man; that he had been seven months in the field without taking off his clothes one night.

1782. British under Gen. LESLIE evacuated Charleston, S. C., and embarked under cover of the king's ship Caroline. The Americans under Gen. Wayne took immediate possession of it.

1785. JOHN BAPTIST CYPRIANI, a famous Italian painter, died. He settled in England, but his numerous pieces were spread over Europe by the graver of Bartolozzi.

1789. CALEB ELLIOTT died of starvation. He was a visionary enthusiast who imagined that he was called upon to fast 40 days, and actually lived 16 days without food of any kind, having refused all sorts of sustenance.

1792. ARTHUR LEE, an American statesman, died. He was an ardent friend of the rights of the colonies, which he rendered essential services as agent at London, and afterwards as minister with Franklin in France. He is represented as a man of uniform patriotism, sound understanding, great probity, plain manners and strong passions.

1796. ANTHONY WAYNE, commander-in-chief of the United States troops, died at Presque isle, aged 51. He distinguished himself in the wars of the revolution by his bravery and untiring patriotism.

1797. Great earthquake at Cumana; more than four-fifths of the city was entirely destroyed, and a number of persons perished.

1799. GEORGE WASHINGTON, the American hero and statesman, the man on whom, in times of danger, every eye was turned and all hopes were placed, expired without a struggle, at Mount Vernon, in the 68th year of his age.

1803. The British under Maj. Gen. WELLESLEY, since lord Wellington, carried by storm the almost impregnable fortress of Gawilghar, in the East Indies.

1807. An extraordinary large and brilliant meteor was seen in Connecticut, exploding at three different times, each explosion accompanied with a fall of meteoric stones, one of which was probably 200 pounds weight.

1814. British flotilla of 45 boats with 1,200 men and 43 cannon captured several American gun boats on lake Borgne near New Orleans, manned by 23 guns and 182 men, after an action of about three hours.

1815. The prince regent of Portugal at Rio de Janeiro, proclaimed the Brazils to be a separate kingdom.

1816. CHARLES STANHOPE, an English statesman, died. He is better known by his numerous mechanical inventions, and as a man of science.

1818. EDWARD LAW, lord Ellenborough, an eminent English lawyer, died.

1826. CONRAD MALTE-BRUN, a Danish poet, political and philosophical writer, and geographer, died at Paris. He was forced to leave his own country for the tendency of his writings to liberty.

1829. Commencement of a civil war in Chili, by an action between the armies of Luctra and Pietro, in which the latter were defeated.

1843. CHARLES GOLDSBOROUGH, author of the naval history of the United States, died at Washington, D. C., where he was engaged in the navy department.

1849. EDWARD DOUBLEDAY, a distinguished British naturalist, died at London, aged 39. He visited the United States in 1835, and returned with a large and rare collection of specimens in most of the branches of natural history, which he distributed to several of the public institutions of England.

1851. JOEL R. POINSETT, an American statesman, died, aged 72. He was a native of South Carolina, was secretary of war under Mr. Van Buren, and opposed to the revolutionary schemes of some of the politicians of his native state.

1852. Madame D'ARUSMONT, better known as _Fanny Wright_, died at Cincinnati, aged 57. She was born at Dundee, Scotland, and came to America with considerable property, where she gained great notoriety by her lectures and writings.

1855. JOEL ABBOTT, commanding the United States squadron in the East Indies, died at Hong Kong, China; a brave and energetic officer, who discharged his duties with signal ability and discretion.

DECEMBER 15.

337 B. C. TIMOLEON, an illustrious Corinthian, died at Syracuse. He went to the assistance of the Syracusans against the tyrant Dionysius, and became there a most benevolent and popular character.

215. B. C. HIERONYMUS, tyrant of Syracuse, slain. From his fall is dated the three years' siege of Marcellus, and the death of Archimedes at the end of it.

168. B. C. ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES set up his _abomination_, the statue of Jupiter, in the sacred temple, it being the anniversary of his own birthday.

533. TRIBONIAN began the _Digests_ or _Pandects_, that astonishing labor, which condensed within fifty books a body of three million sentences from dead civilians, and which he finished by the aid of seventeen associates in exactly three years.

882. JOHN VIII, pope, died. He held a council at Troyes, but was called back to Italy by the invasion of the Saracens, who were so successful that they obliged him to pay an annual tribute. Three hundred of his letters are preserved.

1347. Abdication and exile of RIENZI the Roman tribune.

1582. The Gregorian style adopted at Paris, omitting ten days.

1683. IZAAK WALTON, an English writer, died, aged 90. He acquired a fortune and occupied his time in writing and angling; his little treatise called the _Complete Angler_ is unique.

1692. GEORGE ADAM STRUVIUS died; professor of jurisprudence at Jena, and counselor of the king of Saxony.

1715. GEORGE HICKS died, an English divine, antiquary, critic and polemical writer of great learning and abilities.

1725. JOHN JOHNSON, an English non-juror divine, died. Although promoted to various dignities in the church, he entertained a contempt for its articles and liturgy.

1745. Battle of Kesseldorf; the Prussians under the prince of Anhalt, defeated the Austrians and Saxons, who lost 3,000 killed and 6,500 prisoners.

1751. HENRY ST. JOHN, viscount Bolingbroke, for many years busily engaged in the politics, literature and philosophy of his times, died of cancer in the face, aged 73.

1764. ROBERT LLOYD, an English poet and miscellaneous writer, died in the Fleet prison.

1771. BENJAMIN STILLINGFLEET, a distinguished poet and naturalist, died.

1778. French admiral count D'ESTAING, arrived from America at St. Lucia and attacked unsuccessfully the British fleet and batteries in the bay of Grand Cul de Sac, in which he sustained great loss.

1782. WILLIAM FRANCIS BERTHIER, a French Jesuit, died; known as the conductor for many years of the _Journal de Travaux_, royal librarian and preceptor of Lewis XVI.

1782. American ship Commerce, 16 guns, Capt. Truxton, engaged a British brig of 18 guns and a schooner of 14 guns; he was obliged to make off on the appearance of two other British vessels. He saved his convoy, and they all arrived at St. Thomas in safety, a few hours after the action.

1794. CARRIER, PINARD and GRAND MAISON guillotined at Paris. The former was noted for his refined cruelty to the numerous victims which power placed in his hands. On the fall of the mountain party he was consigned to punishment, which he well merited.

1810. SARAH TRIMMER, an English authoress, died. She is well known by her various works designed for the use of children.

1814. Meeting of the Hartford convention, which consisted of 26 members from the new England states, to consult upon the exigencies of the times, and the defenceless condition of the coast.

1831. HANNAH ADAMS, an American authoress, died. She was a native of Massachusetts, a woman of great excellence and purity of character, and a writer of very fair reputation. Her monument is to be seen in the Mount Auburn cemetery, near Boston.

1834. ANDREW FRANK, a colored man, died at Johnston, R. I., aged 104.

1836. The United States post office, the patent office and the Washington city post office, together with the contents of the two latter, destroyed by fire. In the patent office were 7,000 models of patents, out of 10,000 which had been granted by congress; 163 large folio volumes of records; 26 port folios containing 9,000 drawings, many of them beautifully executed and valuable.

1837. JOHN COX died, aged 85. He was a captain in the naval service of Virginia in the early part of the revolutionary war, and was one of the most efficient and distinguished patriots during the contest.

1837. PHILIP SING PHYSIC, a Philadelphia physician and surgeon of great eminence, died, aged 70. He was long a celebrated professor of anatomy and surgery in the university of Pennsylvania.

1840. The remains of BONAPARTE were removed from Cherbourg, where they were disembarked, to the Church of the invalides at Paris. The procession was splendid beyond all precedent, the number assembled being computed at 500,000. The king and royal family were present at the ceremony, and 60,000 national guards were in attendance.

1842. JOHN R. WATROUS, an eminent physician and revolutionary surgeon, died at Colchester, Conn., aged 91.

1842. BENJAMIN PARKHURST died at Royalton, Vt., aged 97. He was the first settler of that town, living in it over 78 years, and of a family famed for longevity. His parents died at the age of 97. His grandfather reached 100, and his grandmother 104 years.

1848. The postal convention between Great Britain and the United States signed at London by lord Palmerston and Mr. Bancroft.

1854. KAMEHAMEHA III, king of the Sandwich islands, died, aged 41, and was succeeded by prince Alexander Liholiho, aged 20, under the title of Kamehameha IV.

DECEMBER 16.

714. PEPIN (_the Fat_), mayor of Paris, died; a man of wisdom and vigor.

1215. A special excommunication of the English barons fulminated at Rome, and towered London laid under an interdict.

1515. ALFONZO ALBUQUERQUE died, Portuguese viceroy of India, surnamed _the Great_ and _the Portuguese Mars_.

1653. WILLIAM GOUGE died; a minister of the famous assembly of divines, and appointed one of the annotators of the Bible.

1653. OLIVER CROMWELL appointed lord protector of England.

1656. EDMUND WINGATE died; an English writer on arithmetic and mathematics.

1657. JOSHUA REYNOLDS, commander of the English forces in Mardyke, was cast away with the whole ship's company, on Goodwin's sands.

1684. The statue of Charles II in the Royal Exchange at London, was erected by the Hamburg company.

1687. WILLIAM PETTY, an eminent English physician, died; chiefly celebrated for his knowledge in mathematics and mechanics, and for his writings on political arithmetic.

1703. JULIUS MASCARON, a most eminent preacher, died. His eloquence was astonishing, and it is related that his preaching had such an effect upon the Huguenots, that of 30,000 Calvinists which he found on coming to the see of Agen, 28,000 forsook their church.

1710. Gerona, the key of Catalonia in Spain, surrendered to the French.

1723. JOHN TRENCHARD died; an eminent English patriot and political writer.

1745. PETER FRANCIS GUYOT DES FONTAINES died; a French critic, historical writer and translator.

1767. JAMES GRAINGER, a Scottish physician and poet, died in the West Indies.

1770. ROGER LONG, an eminent English astronomer, died.

1773. Destruction of 340 chests of tea in Boston harbor by a party of citizens disguised as Indians. There was but one survivor of that event, in 1840.

1782. The British burnt fort Arbuthnot and a new fort on Sullivan's island.

1783. WILLIAM JAMES died; an English baronet, who rose from the humble occupation of a plowboy to the chief command of the East India company's marine forces.

1788. Oczakow taken from the Turks by storm by the Russians under prince Potemkin, who had about 1,000 killed in the assault.

1798. THOMAS PENNANT died; an Englishman of eminent knowledge in natural history and antiquities, and the author of a number of valuable books.

1800. Convention of the northern powers of Europe for an armed neutrality, signed at St. Petersburg between Russia and Sweden.

1809. The most ceremonious and extraordinary divorce in the world took place between Bonaparte and Josephine.

1809. ANTHONY FRANCIS FOURCROY died; a very eminent French writer on chemistry, and a member of the Institute.

1811. An earthquake was experienced in the southern states and in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Charleston, Savannah, Pittsburgh and Circleville especially suffered from it.

1825. JAMES WATT, the original publisher of the _Montrose, Arbroath and Brechin Review_, fell over board in Yarmouth Roads and was drowned.

1832. ROBERT C. SANDS, an American author and editor, died. He was a man of genius, a scholar, and an elegant writer.

1835. The coldest day on record, from sunrise to sunset. The thermometer ranged from 12° to 16° below zero all day, in the vicinity of Boston. The winter was remarkable for the lowness of its mean temperature, the number of extremely cold days, and the great quantity and long duration of snow.

1835. Great fire in New York, the most destructive that ever took place in this country, by which the entire seat of the greatest commercial transactions of the city, was destroyed. The number of buildings destroyed was 529, including the Merchant's Exchange, valued at $150,000, and the Garden street church $50,000. The total loss was estimated at $17,000,000.

1848. A little after midnight the Park theatre at New York was burned to the ground.

1852. SAMUEL LEE, canon of Bristol, and the profoundest orientalist of the age, died, aged 69. He rose from the sphere of a carpenter's apprentice.

DECEMBER 17.

546. The Goths under TOTILLA captured and plundered Rome.

1413. WILLIAM GASCOIGNE, a noted English judge, died. His opinions, arguments and decisions occur in the old law reports.

1468. The first book printed in England bears this date at Oxford, and contains 41 quarto leaves.

1500. COLUMBUS was introduced at the court of Ferdinand and Isabella at Grenada.

1538. LUTHER notes in his _Table Talk_, that he invited the singers and musicians to supper. "I always loved music; who so has skill in this art, the same is of good kind, and fitted for all things,"--a divine saying.

1593. HENRY MAY, an English mariner, returning from the East Indies, was wrecked on the islands of Bermudas, and was the first Englishman, who set foot on those islands. The carpenter's tools having been saved, they built a cedar bark of about 18 tons, payed the seams with lime and turtle's fat, procured some rigging from the ship, and put in thirteen live turtles for provisions, when, having remained there nearly five months, they sailed for Newfoundland.

1615. JACOB LE MAIRE, in his voyage to the straits, reports that he found this day at Port Desire, a skeleton of nearly 11 feet in length, entombed.

1657. JAMES NAYLOR, a quaker, accused of blasphemy, convicted and ordered to be whipped and pilloried and his tongue bored through with a red hot iron.

1719. Aurora borealis first noticed in this country, and filled the people with alarm and consternation. It was of course viewed as a sign of the last judgment.

1724. THOMAS GUY, founder of a hospital which bears his name, died in London, aged 81. He acquired great wealth as a bookseller, and left more than a million of dollars to one hospital, besides aiding others, and leaving nearly $400,000 to be divided among such as could prove themselves in any way related to him.

1731. ROBERT BOLTON died; an English puritan, distinguished for his learning and eloquence, and whose high reputation is sustained by his numerous writings.

1742. FRANCIS JOSEPH DE BEAUPOIL DE SAINT-AULAIRE, an ingenious French poet, died, aged 100. He wrote much in the manner of Anacreon, and it is remarkable, that his best pieces are those of his old age, when he had reached his 90th year.

1778. The theatre at Saragossa, in Spain, was burned, occasioning the death of 400 persons.

1788. The thermometer at Leipsic fell 27 degrees below zero.

1807. Milan decree issued by Bonaparte, denationalizing all such vessels as should submit to the British order in council.

1808. CHARLES JENKINSON, earl of Liverpool, died. He was a statesman of profound ability, but extremely unpopular, who rose from obscurity to wealth and rank.

1812. Mississinewa, an Indian town inhabited by Delawares and Miamis, attacked by 600 Americans under colonel Campbell. The town was burnt, with several others in the vicinity.

1812. British attacked Darby, Vt., and burnt the barracks and store houses, and carried off considerable quantities of stores.

1830. SIMON BOLIVAR, a distinguished South American general, died. He headed the revolution of the provinces against the mother country, and having achieved their independence was elected president of Colombia.

1832. Prof. ZAHN discovered a city buried under the lava, between Vesuvius and Pompeii.

1832. ROBERT C. SANDS, the assistant editor of the _New York Commercial Advertiser_, died by apoplexy while in the act of composing.

1843. JACOB MANN, supposed to be the oldest newspaper editor of the state of New Jersey, died in Morristown; having published the _Genius of Liberty_ in 1798.

1852. WILLIAM JACOB, an English agricultural writer, died at London, aged 89.

1853. RALPH WARDLAW, an eminent minister of the congregational dissenters, died at Glasgow, aged 73.

DECEMBER 18.

69. VITELLUS abdicated the Roman empire, which "he had received against his will." The next day he desired to restore the dagger of his authority.

1551. GEORGE MARTINUSIUS (_Visinovitsch_), governor of Transylvania, assassinated by order of Ferdinand, king of the Romans and of Hungary. He was a native of Croatia, who rose from the humble occupation of a lighter of stoves.

1555. JOHN PHILPOT, archdeacon of Winchester, an English reformer, convicted of heresy and burnt at Smithfield.

1621. The famous resolution of the commons of England against the usurped royal prerogative was adopted. King James did indeed tear it from the records with his own hand, but it had its effect.

1665. BENEDICT VARCHI died; professor of morality at Padua, and distinguished for the purity and elegance of his language and writings.

1674. GABRIEL COSSART died. He assisted Labbe in his grand collection of councils, which occupied 28 vols. folio.

1678. ROBERT NANTEUIL, a celebrated French engraver and designer, died.

1682. HENEAGE FINCH, lord high chancellor of England, died. He was distinguished for his wisdom and eloquence.

1686. EDWARD BENDLOWES, an English poet, died in great want, the result of imprudence.

1692. VITUS LUDOVICUS DE SECHENDORF, a learned German, died; author of several works, among which is the best account of Luther.

1708. JOHN LOVELACE arrived at New York from England, as governor of the province.

1714. CÆSAR D'ESTREES, a French cardinal, died; an able negotiator and a benevolent man.

1733. JOHN POTENGER died; an English poet and miscellaneous writer.

1733. EMANUEL MATTI died; a Spanish poet of eminence, and member of the Arcadia at Rome.

1737. The cliff at Scarborough sunk.

1741. Remarkable meteor seen at noon near Canterbury, Eng., accompanied by an inverted rainbow and three mock suns next morning.

1745. The Prussians under Frederick II entered Dresden. They captured the younger sons of the king of Poland, and took 415 officers and 1500 men prisoners.

1760. CHARLES HAYES, an ingenious English mathematical writer, died.

1771. PHILIP MILLA, an eminent Scottish botanist, died. He had charge of the apothecary company's physic garden at Chelsea, where he was visited by Linnæus.

1775. Battle of Great Bridge, near Norfolk, Va.

1776. The constitution of the state of North Carolina was adopted.

1778. The French under count d'Estaing made another attack upon the British batteries at Grand Cul de Sac, St. Lucia, and after being three times repulsed, were compelled to retire with the loss of 400 killed and 1100 wounded. British general Meadows was wounded.

1780. Society of antiquaries first instituted in Edinburgh, Scotland.

1785. The sloop Experiment, captain Dean, of Albany, sailed from New York for China. She returned in 1787, with a valuable cargo, and was the second vessel that sailed from America to China.

1787. The convention of New Jersey unanimously assented to and ratified the new federal constitution, without amendments.

1787. SOAME JENYNS, an English theological writer, died, aged 83. His writings are distinguished by purity of language, elegance of diction and critical knowledge.

1793. Toulon, which had revolted from the convention, after sustaining a murderous siege, was attacked by the revolutionists with a tremendous charge upon the fortifications. The English redoubt, defended by three thousand men and 20 pieces of cannon and several mortars, was carried in the space of an hour; and the town after being bombarded ten hours incessantly, was evacuated by the allies. Great efforts were made to carry away as many of the inhabitants as possible, but several thousand were left to the fury of their countrymen, who showed no mercy.

1796. The contemplated invasion of England, or rather Ireland, by an army of 25,000 under general Hoche, failed by a dispersion of the transport ships.

1799. Burial of WASHINGTON.

1799. JEAN ETIENNE MONTUCLA, an eminent French mathematician, died. His problems of the trisection of the angle, and the duplication of the cube, are curious and interesting.

1803. JOHN GODFREY HERDER, a German theological writer, died. Some of his writings have been translated.

1807. Counter declaration by the king of England against the emperor of Russia, and an order in council issued for granting letters of marque and reprisal against Russia.

1809. ALEXANDER ADAM, an eminent Scottish teacher, died. His _Roman Antiquities_ is still in extensive use.

1810. LUCIEN BONAPARTE with his family and a suite of thirty-five persons, arrived at Plymouth, England, and voluntarily placed themselves under the protection of the British government.

1812. BONAPARTE arrived at Paris from his disastrous campaign in Russia.

1820. GUISEPPE BONZANIGA, royal sculptor of Turin, died. By a persevering application of 40 years he raised the art of carving in wood and ivory to a high degree of perfection, and founded an establishment from which numerous works of art have been produced that are much sought for in all Italy, and valued by connoisseurs.

1828. Lord LIVERPOOL, the English premier, was killed at the opening of the rail road at Liverpool.

1832. PHILIP FRENEAU, a poet of the American revolution, died in New Jersey, aged 80. His poems were collected in two volumes and have gone through several editions.

1832. Treaty of navigation and commerce concluded at St. Petersburg, between the United States and Russia.

1843. SMITH THOMPSON, one of the justices of the supreme court of the United States, died at Poughkeepsie, aged 76.

1845. SAMUEL MCCLURE died in Illinois. Having fought in the revolutionary wars, he at their close in removing his family to Kentucky was attacked by Indians, his wife taken prisoner, and his children slain. He escaped himself and returning severely punished the Indians and rescued his wife.

1847. TIMOTHY PITKIN, a celebrated historical writer and statesman, died at his residence, New Haven, Conn.

1855. SAMUEL ROGERS, the distinguished English poet, died, aged 92.

DECEMBER 19.

69. The Roman capitol burnt by Vitellius.

1567. The Burghley papers state from the diocesan's certificate, that there were then in London and its immediate vicinity, 3,838 Dutchmen, 720 Frenchmen, 137 Italians, 10 Venitians, 56 Spaniards, 25 Portuguese, 2 Grecians, 2 Blackmores, 1 Dane, and but 58 Scots.

1675. Attack on Narragansett, by the united forces of the New England colonies. The English having gained an entrance, and withstood the first fire of the Indians, poured in amain, and made such havoc with their enemies that they soon had possession of every part of the fort. The wigwams to the number of five or six hundred were fired. The loss of the Indians on this occasion was by their own account 1000 fighting men; the loss of old men, women and children could not be estimated, as they mostly perished in the flames. The loss of the English was 80 killed. The blow was irreparable to the Indians, who were deprived of their homes and provisions.

1728. WHITE KENNET, an English prelate, died. He was an eloquent and popular preacher, and made a valuable collection of manuscripts.

1745. The avails of three nights' acting the _Beggar's Opera_, amounting to £600, given to encourage king George's army against France and the rebels.

1753. STYAN THIRLBY, an ingenious and learned English critic, died. He edited the works of Justin Martyr.

1777. WASHINGTON moved his troops from the Swedes ford to Valley Forge 16 miles from Philadelphia, where he hutted them. They were in great want of shoes and stockings. At one time his army was without bread four days; on the fifth day two regiments refused to perform duty, but finally returned to order on the prudent conduct and persuasion of Washington.

1793. The princess royal of France, the only remaining member of the family of the unhappy Louis XVI, was exchanged for the marquis Lafayette.

1793. The French troops entered Toulon, when such of the inhabitants as had favored the allies either put an end to their own existence or perished by the guillotine or musket.

1799. CHARLES JOSEPH PANCKOUCKE, an eminent Parisian printer, died. He acquired great celebrity as an author and a man of letters, as well as by the excellence of his printing.

1806. ELIZABETH CARTER, a contributor to the _Rambler_, and a good Latin and Greek scholar, died at London.

1807. FREDERICK MELCHOIR, baron de Grimm, died. He is indebted for his fame to a correspondence with the duke of Saxe Gotha, from Paris, which was published in 16 vols.

1813. DAVID HARTLEY, an English philanthropist, died. He is distinguished also as a politician and a projector. In parliament he steadily opposed the war with the colonies, and was one of the commissioners appointed to treat with Dr. Franklin at Paris.

1813. Fort Niagara captured by the British, who took the Americans by surprise. In the fort were 250 men and 25 cannon.

1813. Lewistown and Tuscarora village, near fort Schlosser, were burnt by the Indians.

1815. BENJAMIN SMITH BARTON, an eminent physician of Philadelphia, died. He held the professorships of natural history and botany, afterwards of materia medica, and succeeded Dr. Rush in theory and practice of medicine.

1831. The national assembly of Greece met at Argos, but in consequence of sedition was soon obliged to remove to Napoli.

1840. FELIX GRUNDY, long a distinguished senator of the United States from Tennessee, died. He was a zealous supporter of the measures of general Jackson's administration.

1842. JOHN UNCAS, the last male descendant of the Mohegan chief of that name, died, aged 89, and was buried in the royal burying ground of the Mohegans in Connecticut.

1845. CHARLES BOWEN, with his wife and oldest child, drowned by the sinking of the steamer Bellozane in the Mississippi. He was for many years publisher of the North American Review, the American Almanac, Token, &c., in Boston.

1851. J. M. WILLIAM TURNER, an unrivaled English landscape painter, died at Chelsea, aged 76. He was a man of miserly habits and great eccentricities.

1852. Sacramento in California inundated; the city submerged by the breaking through of a levee.

DECEMBER 20.

69. AULUS VITELLIUS, emperor of Rome, assassinated. After sharing in the debaucheries of Tiberius, and administering to the vices of Caligula, Claudius and Nero, he was proclaimed by his troops in Germany, in opposition to Otho. Though defeated in three battles, he triumphed in the fourth. He disgraced his reign by every species of licentiousness.

107. IGNATIUS, bishop of Antioch, torn in pieces by lions at Rome, by order of the emperor Trajan. His epistles are very interesting remains of ecclesiastical antiquity.

860. ETHELBALD, who married his mother-in-law, died, after having to the priests atoned for his offence by building and endowing many abbeys and monasteries.

912. ALPHONSO III (_the Great_), king of Asturias, in Spain, died. He wrote a chronicle of the Spanish monarchs, and a short time before his death obtained a memorable victory over the Moors.

1192. RICHARD of England seized in his disguise at Vienna.

1492. COLUMBUS cast anchor in the bay of St. Thomas; the anniversary also of the interment of his venerable bones more than three centuries after (1795) at Cuba.

1494. MATTEO MARIE BOJARDO, an Italian lyric poet, died.

1560. JOHN DRYANDER, a Hessian medical and mathematical writer, died. His discoveries in astronomy and his invention of mathematical instruments are important.

1560. First general assembly of the Scottish church was opened.

1603. MAHOMET III, sultan of Turkey, died of the plague. He began his reign by ordering 19 of his brothers to be strangled, and 10 of his father's wives to be drowned. He invaded Hungary with an army of 200,000 men, but after some successes his progress was checked, and he sued in vain for peace.

1686. Sir EDMUND ANDROS arrived in Boston with a commission from king James as governor of New England. He was received with satisfaction only as he was less dreaded than Kirk.

1697. THOMAS FIRMIN, an eminent English philanthropist, died. He devoted his time and money to charitable objects, and his benefactions were unequaled at the time when he lived.

1698. BARTHOLOMEW DU QUENTAL died; a Portuguese catholic priest, distinguished for his piety and learning.

1735. The Gentleman's Magazine announced the arrival of a dwarf in England from France, who at the age of 46, measured 21 inches in height.

1735. Part of the island of Portland sank into the sea.

1765. The dauphin of France died in his 36th year. He was a prince of benevolent character and exemplary piety, but little known in public life.

1766. Prayers were publicly read in all the popish chapels in Ireland for George III and family, being the first time prayers were made by Romanists for the protestant succession since 1688.

1770. JOHN SENAC died; physician to the king of France, counselor of state, and superintendent of the mineral waters of the kingdom. He wrote several works on anatomy and medicine.

1782. The United States frigate Charleston, 40 guns, captured by the British ships Quebec and Diomede, 76 guns, after a chase of 18 hours.

1790. The fortress of Ismael taken by storm by the Russians under Suwarrow; of 12,000 Turks all were put to the sword but 400.

1791. Bank of the United States commenced discounting in Philadelphia; $300,000 were discounted. Branches were established in New York, Boston, Baltimore and Charleston, which commenced business in January, 1792.

1793. JOHN STRANGEWAYS HUTTON died at Philadelphia, aged 110. He was born on Long Island in 1682.

1793. The first ambassador from the Porte arrived in London.

1795. The remains of Columbus removed to Cuba. In the presence of the dignitaries and military of San Domingo, assembled at the Metropolitan cathedral, a small vault was opened above the chancel, wherein were found the fragments of a lead coffin, a number of bones, and a quantity of mould, evidently the remains of a human body. These were carefully collected and put into a case of gilded lead secured by a lock, and enclosed in a coffin covered with black velvet, and ornamented with lace and fringe of gold. (See Jan. 19, 1796.)

1795. French under JOURDAN made an attack on Kayserslautern, but were repulsed with a loss of 2000 men.

1803. SAMUEL HOPKINS, an eminent New England minister, died. He published a work to show that it was the interest of all the American states to emancipate their slaves.

1804. RICHARD HUMPTON, adjutant general of the state of Pennsylvania, died. He was a native of England, who early entered the military service, and distinguished himself as a gallant soldier during the war of the revolution.

1809. JOSEPH JOHNSON, the fortunate publisher of Cowper's poems, died.

1815. CAMBACERES arrested and sent to prison at Paris.

1849. WILLIAM MILLER, the founder of the sect of Millerites, died at Hampton, Washington co., N. Y., aged 68. He was a native of Pittsfield, Mass., and during the last war with England served as a captain of volunteers on the northern frontier. He began to speak in public assemblies upon the subject of the Millenium in 1833, and in the ten years which preceded the time which he had set for the consummation of all prophecy he labored assiduously in the middle and northern states, averaging, it is said, nearly one sermon a day for more than half that period. He was uneducated, and not largely read in even the common English commentaries; his views were absurd and supported but feebly; yet he succeeded in building up a sect of some 30 or 40,000 disciples, which disappeared rapidly after the close of the "day of probation" in 1843, after which time Mr. Miller himself did not often advocate or defend his views in public.

1852. By a decree of the governor-general of British India, the province of Pegu was annexed to the British dominions.

1855. THOMAS CUBITT, an eminent English builder, principally on works of great magnitude for the government, died, aged 68.

DECEMBER 21.

73. Festival of ST. THOMAS, the Christian apostle, whose counsels penetrated into India. He was killed by the Bramins, and buried at Meliapour, about ten miles from Madras.

1375. GIOVANNI BOCCACCIO, an eminent Italian writer, died; whose _Decameron_ has been translated into all the European languages, although great pains were taken to suppress it.

1641. MAXIMILIAN DE BETHUNE, duke de Sully, died; celebrated as the prime minister of Henry IV, and the most able and incorruptible statesman that France ever had. After the murder of the king he went into retirement, where he wrote his _Memoirs_, a minute history of his own times.

1667. MILTON'S widow disposed of her entire interest in the _Paradise Lost_ for eight pounds; so that the sublimest poetical building in the world produced for its architect and his family, the sum of eighty dollars; ten pounds having been paid to the author in his life time!

1667. Sentence was executed upon many of those Scottish covenanters who had rebelled, it is supposed under persecution.

1670. The maiming of sir JOHN COVENTRY for reflecting on the moral character of Charles II, which caused the Coventry act.

1705. CATHARINE, of Portugal, died; queen of Charles II, of England, by whom she was treated unkindly.

1706. Tumultuous meetings in Edinburgh, occurred on account of signing the articles of union with England.

1719. First No. of the _Boston Gazette_ issued by William Brooker.

1741. BERNARD DE MONTFAUCON, a very learned French Benedictine, died; famous for his knowledge of ecclesiastic and pagan antiquities.

1774. THOMAS BROUGHTON, a learned English divine, died; author of the _Bibliotheca Historica Sacra_, and one of the original writers for the _Biographia Britannica_.

1775. An act of parliament confiscating all American vessels found floating on the water, and for _impressing_ the crews of American vessels into the British navy, without distinction of persons.

1777. There were at this time 300 American officers and 900 privates confined as prisoners of war in New York by the British. They were mostly confined in sugar houses and the most loathsome jails. In Philadelphia there were 500 privates and 50 officers. They were generally stripped of what clothing they had when taken, and were sometimes confined several days with scarcely any food in order to induce them to enlist to save their lives. Frequent instances occurred of persons thus perishing from hunger.

1780. JAMES HARRIS died; an English gentleman of uncommon abilities and learning, whose writings have been greatly admired.

1782. FRANCIS PHILIP DE REYRAC, a French ecclesiastic, died; a learned and amiable character.

1791. ARNAULD DE BARQUIN, a French miscellaneous writer died; whose works are known in our language. His _Children's Friend_ was honored with the prize of the French academy, as the most useful book issued in 1784.

1807. The Danish islands of St. Thomas and St. Johns, in the West Indies, surrendered to the British.

1811. PETER PARKER, the British admiral, died, aged 89.

1815. WILLIAM VINCENT, a learned English divine, died. As an author he is principally known by his commentary on Arrian's voyages of Nearchus.

1815. LAVALETTE, one of Bonaparte's ministers, escaped from prison in the disguise of his wife's dress, she having been permitted to visit him.

1831. Trial of the French ministers for high treason. The excitement was so great that a strong guard was required to save them from the popular violence. Above 70,000 men were under arms at one time. Their sentence was imprisonment for life, with the additional penalty of civil death on Polignac.

1832. WILLIAM BRAY, an eminent English antiquary, died, aged 97.

1833. JOHN P. HUNGERFORD died; an officer in the revolutionary war, and afterwards a member of congress from Virginia.

1835. JOHN SINCLAIR, an eminent British Statesman, died, aged 82. He was also a very voluminous author, and was distinguished for his patriotism and philanthropy. During a public life of upwards of fifty years, there is scarcely any topic in the whole range of political, statistical or medical science, to which he did not turn his inquiring mind.

1840. FRANK HALL STANDISH, an English author, died at Cadiz, aged 42. He wrote biography, travels, sketches and poems.

1845. The battle of Punjaub, between the English forces and the Sikh army, was fought, which issued in the defeat of the Sikhs, and the annexation of a large portion of their territory to that of the English.

1848. The Asiatic cholera broke out with great violence among the United States troops at port Lavaca, Texas.

DECEMBER 22.

640. Alexandria taken from the Greeks, by the Saracens, under Amri, after a siege of 14 months. "I have taken," he addressed the caliph Omar, "the great city of the west. It is impossible for me to enumerate the variety of its riches and beauty; and I shall content myself with observing that it contains 4,000 palaces, 4,000 baths, 400 theatres, or places of amusement, 12,000 shops for the sale of vegetable food, and 40,000 tributary Jews." It is well known that the second Alexandrian library, established by Cleopatra, was then destroyed, to feed the baths. The collection consisted of 300,000 volumes, and those 200,000 rolls, brought by Mark Antony from Pergamus, with the accumulation of seven centuries.

937. A severe frost which lasted 120 days, began in England.

1332. Found in the library of St. Mary, at Florence, the whole of the New Testament in silk; at the end of it is this inscription in Greek: "By the hand of the Sinner, and most unworthy, Mark, in the year of the world 7840."

1483. WILLIAM D'ESTOUTEVILLE, a Norman cardinal, died; who reformed the university of Paris.

1530. The famous protestant league of defence, against a decree of the imperial diet, was concluded this day.

1558. The great seal of England delivered to sir Nicholas Bacon, with the style of _lord keeper_, then first adopted.

1585. VIRGINIA ACCORAMBONI, celebrated for her beauty and poetical talents, was assassinated at Padua.

1592. ALEXANDER FARNESE, duke of Parma, and governor of the Low Countries, died of a wound given by Henry IV, of France, at the siege of Rouen.

1620. Landing of the first settlers at Plymouth. The total number of them was 101; of which 50 died during the winter.

1662. GEORGE PHILLIPS, with three others, styled fanatics, executed for conspiring the death of Charles II.

1681. RICHARD ALLEIN died; a puritan of great learning, whose writings are mostly on theology.

1694. FRANCIS NICHOLSON made governor of Maryland.

1699. The protestants of Germany here introduced the Gregorian or _new style_ of supputation, by the omission of ten days, concluding this year.

1715. The Pretender (_Chevalier de St. George_), son of James II of Scotland, the deposed king of England, arrived at Peterhead, and was proclaimed king of England.

1719. ANDREW BRADFORD issued the first number of the _American Weekly Mercury_, the first paper printed in Pennsylvania, and the second in the United States.

1722. PIERRE VARIGNON, a distinguished French architect and mathematician, died. He was professor of mathematics, and an able writer on that science.

1723. JAMES BASNAGE, a French protestant minister, died. He was a man of talent and erudition. His works are numerous and valuable, particularly his _History of the Jews_, 15 vols.

1729. MICHAEL BARON, the Roscius of the French theatre, died.

1753. A Mr. BRAITHWAITE died at Carlisle, England, at the age of 110. In 1652 he commenced singing in the cathedral, and at the time of his death had continued singing one hundred years.

1768. CHARLES LITTLETON, bishop of Carlisle, died; an eminent English antiquary.

1788. PERCIVAL POTT, a very eminent English surgeon, died.

1789. A number of ice islands, of great magnitude, discovered, which had been wafted from the southern polar regions. The ship Guardian struck them near the cape of Good Hope, on her passage to Botany bay. These islands were wrapt in darkness; they were 150 fathoms long, and more than 50 fathoms above the surface of the waves. A fragment from the summit of one of them broke off, and plunging into the sea, caused a tremendous commotion in the water, and dense smoke all around it.

1796. Kehl, a fortress on the Rhine, surrendered by the French, under Dessaix, to the Austrians, under the archduke Charles, after a siege of 51 days, and a blockade of 115. The garrison were permitted to withdraw, with their artillery and baggage, with drums beating and colors flying.

1798. BONAPARTE arrived at Suez, with several officers and men of science, and, having forded the Red sea, visited the fountains of Moses. Whilst here he received a deputation from the monks of mount Sinai, and countersigned the charter they had received from Mahomet.

1803. Louisiana taken possession of by the Americans.

1807. Embargo; the ports of the United States closed against British commerce.

1812. JAMES CLINTON, an American general, died. He was a firm and undeviating patriot of the revolution.

1812. PETER HENRY LARCHER, a French writer, died. He translated some of the principal Greek classics.

1813. The Indians attacked and defeated at Ecchanachaca, by the Americans under general Claiburn, who destroyed the town, 200 houses, with a large quantity of provisions.

1818. PHILIP FRANCIS, an English statesman, died. He was an active promoter of the impeachment of the famous Warren Hastings, and was considered by some as the author of _Junius's Letters_.

1822. WILLIAM LOWNDES, a distinguished orator and patriot, of South Carolina, died at sea.

1828. WILLIAM HYDE WOLLASTON died, aged 62; one of the ablest and most renowned of English chemists and natural philosophers. Very little of his personal history is known, his biography not having been written (1846).