The Every Day Book Of History And Chronology - free ebook by Joel Munsell

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The Every Day Book Of History And Chronology

Joel Munsell

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THE EVERY DAY BOOK OF HISTORY AND CHRONOLOGY:

THE EVERY DAY BOOK OF HISTORY AND CHRONOLOGY:

EMBRACING THE Anniversaries of Memorable Persons and Events , IN EVERY PERIOD AND STATE OF THE WORLD, FROM THE CREATION TO THE PRESENT TIME. BY JOEL MUNSELL. "What hath this day done? What hath it deserved?" NEW YORK: D. APPLETON &amp; CO., 346 BROADWAY. 1858. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1858, BY JOEL MUNSELL, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Northern District of New York....

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PREFACE.

PREFACE.

The object of this work, as will be seen, is to bring together the great events of each day of the year, in all ages, as far as their dates can be ascertained, and to arrange them chronologically. It has been necessary to observe brevity in its compilation, in order to reduce it within a proper compass. Hence notices of the most eminent men are often confined to two or three lines, while individuals of less note have occasionally received more attention, on account of the absence of ready refere

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JANUARY 1.

JANUARY 1.

154 B. C. It was fixed that the Roman consuls should always enter upon their office on this day, and the years were named after them. On this occasion they went in solemn procession to the Capitol to sacrifice to Jupiter Capitolinus; after which the senate held a solemn session. Those who had discharged the office of consul enjoyed the pre-eminence of rank over the other senators. They were annually elected by the people till the time of Tiberius, who ordered that they should be chosen by the se

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JANUARY 2.

JANUARY 2.

17. Titus Livius died at Padua. His history of Rome, to which he devoted twenty years, rendered him so celebrated, that a Spaniard is said to have gone from Cadiz to Rome for the purpose merely of seeing him. His history was written in 140 books, of which only 35 are extant. Five of these were discovered at Worms 1731, and some fragments are said to have been since found at Herculaneum. Few particulars of his life are known, but his fame was great even while he lived, and his history has made hi

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JANUARY 3.

JANUARY 3.

456. B. C. Myronides the Athenian general defeated the Bœotians at Enophyta. 106. B. C. Birthday of Marcus Tullius Cicero , the Roman orator. 1641. Jeremiah Horrox , an English astronomer, died. He seems to have been the first to observe the transit of Venus over the sun's disc, from which he deduced many useful observations, though not aware of the full importance of that phenomenon. 1661. Secretary Pepys seeing the comedy of the Beggars' Bush performed at Lincoln Inn Fields, says: "And here th

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JANUARY 4.

JANUARY 4.

100. Titus , disciple of St. Paul, died at Crete. 1569. Burial of Roger Ascham , at St. Sepulchre's, London. He was a man of learning, and author of numerous works, among others, The Schoolmaster . 1649. Some barrels of gunpowder exploded and destroyed 60 houses in Tower street, London. A child in its cradle was found alive and unhurt on the roof of Barking church. 1689. Col. Henry Sloughter appointed governor of New York. 1698. The palace, except the banqueting house, of White-hall palace, in E

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JANUARY 5.

JANUARY 5.

62. B. C. Lucius Sergius Catiline , the Roman conspirator, killed in Etruria. The history of his life unfolds a series of most revolting crimes; but there is reason to believe that some of them are unreal. Murder, rapine and conflagration, were the first pleasures of his life. Pompey, Crassus and Cæsar favored his schemes with a view to their own aggrandizement. Only two Romans remained determined to uphold their falling country—Cato and Cicero. The speeches of the latter in the Roman senate on

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JANUARY 6.

JANUARY 6.

1402. Birthday of Joan of Arc . 1540. Henry VIII married Anne, daughter of John, duke of Cleves. This was his fourth wife. He had asked her hand in marriage after having seen a portrait of her by Holbein; and becoming disgusted with her in six months bestowed upon her the epithet of Flanders mare , and sent her home. She retired, not much disconcerted, to her own country, where she died 1557. 1649. Anne of Austria , queen regent of France, obliged to fly from Paris to St. Germain. 1698. Birthday

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JANUARY 7.

JANUARY 7.

1328. Edward II of England deposed by parliament, and his son, Edward III, proclaimed king. 1558. Calais, in France, retaken by the French after a short siege of one week, having been in the possession of the English 200 years, during which it had become a thriving place, and the seat of a considerable trade in wool. 1610. Galilei discovered the satellites of Jupiter. 1657. Theophilus Eaton , first governor of the colony at New Haven, died. Before coming to America he was employed by the king as

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JANUARY 8.

JANUARY 8.

1167. Edgar , king of Scotland, died, and was succeeded by his younger brother, Alexander I. 1536. Catharine of Arragon , died; queen of Henry VIII and mother of Mary, queen of England. 1642. Galileo Galilei , the astronomer, died, aged 78. 1676. French Admiral Duquesne defeated the Dutch and Spanish fleets under De Ruyter, who had both legs shattered. 1704. Laurentio Bellini , a Florentine anatomist, died, aged 61. He was held in great estimation by prince and pontiff. His theory and practice a

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JANUARY 9.

JANUARY 9.

1514. Anne of Bretagne , queen of France died, aged 37. 1584. William Carter , a daring London printer, hanged, boweled, and quartered at Tyburn, for printing lewd pamphlets, popish and others, and particularly a Treatise on Schisme . 1596. Francis Drake , the English navigator, died. He served with distinction under his relative Sir J. Hawkins; and having lost all his property in an action with the Spaniards, he conceived an inveterate hatred against them. He signalized himself in the destructi

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JANUARY 10.

JANUARY 10.

1640. Maurice Abbot , a distinguished London merchant, died. He acquired great consequence by his own efforts in commercial affairs, and was employed in 1624 in establishing the settlement of Virginia. At the time of his death he was mayor of London. 1645. William Laud , archbishop of Canterbury, beheaded on Tower hill, aged 70. Sentenced to be hung for political misdemeanors, he was pardoned by the king; but parliament overruled the pardon, and substituted the privilege of being beheaded instea

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JANUARY 11.

JANUARY 11.

395. Theodosius the Great , emperor of Rome, died. He was born about the year 346, and on coming to the throne distinguished himself by his orthodoxy, and his zeal against heresy and paganism. His public and private virtues, which procured him the name of The Great , will scarcely excuse the fierceness of his intolerance, or the barbarity of his anger and revenge. 1569. The first English lottery drawn at London. It continued day and evening four months. The prizes were money, plate and merchandi

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JANUARY 12.

JANUARY 12.

400. B. C. Xenophon , with the 10,000, forced a passage through the defiles of Armenia. 1519. Maximilian I , emperor of Germany, died. He was elected king of the Romans 1486, and ascended the imperial throne 1493. Under him the Turks were checked in their enterprises against Germany, and repelled from his hereditary territories. 1598. The Marquis De la Roche received from Henry IV a commission to conquer Canada. He sailed from France with a colony of convicts from the prisons. He landed them on

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JANUARY 13.

JANUARY 13.

857. Ethelwulf , son of Egbert, sometimes styled the first king of England, died. In his reign the tax called Peter's pence was levied. 1399. The Tartars, under Tamerlane, pillaged the imperial city of Delhi, and two days after wantonly massacred the entire Indian population. 1400. Richard II of England murdered. He came to the throne at the age of 11, and after a turbulent reign of 22 years, was deposed and imprisoned. 1404. It was enacted at this short parliament of Henry's that no chemist sha

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JANUARY 14.

JANUARY 14.

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 Venic

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JANUARY 15.

JANUARY 15.

69. Sergius Galba , the Roman emperor, assassinated, at the age of 72. He was the successor of Nero, and reigned but three months. 936. Rodolph , king of France, died, in the 14th year of his reign, and was succeeded by Lewis the Stranger. 1549. The liturgy of the English church established by parliament. All the divine offices were to be performed according to the new liturgy, and infringements were to be punished by forfeitures and imprisonments, and for the third offence imprisonment for life

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JANUARY 16.

JANUARY 16.

1543. An act of the English parliament was passed forbidding women, apprentices, &amp;c., &amp;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. E

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JANUARY 17.

JANUARY 17.

86. B. C. Caius Marius , the Roman consul, died. He was the son of a farmer in indigent circumstances; but by his talents and energy raised himself to the highest dignity of the greatest state in the world. 395. The Emperor Theodosius died at Milan, soliciting his heirs faithfully to execute his will. 1009. Abd-el-Malek , a Moorish prince, crucified by his conqueror. 1380. An act of parliament passed, by which foreign ecclesiastics were incapacitated from holding benefices in England. 1467. John

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JANUARY 18.

JANUARY 18.

1486. Henry VII married the princess Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Edward IV. Thus uniting the houses of York and Lancaster, blending the Roses. 1534. Lima, the present capital of Peru, founded by Pizarro ; thirty years before a single town was founded within the limits of the United States, St. Augustine, Florida, being founded 1565. 1546. The council of Trent assembled and agreed upon a confession of faith. 1561. The first English tragedy performed, at Whitehall, before the queen. It was entit

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JANUARY 19.

JANUARY 19.

1472. Birthday of Copernicus , at Thorn in Prussia. 1514. Vasco Nunez de Balboa returned to his colony at Darien, after having made the discovery of the Pacific ocean. His expedition occupied four months and a half; his triumph was complete. The whole population poured down to the shore to meet him, to hail him as the author of their fortunes, as less a man than a gift of heaven, to guide them into the possession of glories and riches incalculable. The expedition had been undertaken in consequen

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JANUARY 20.

JANUARY 20.

1265. The earl of Leicester having defeated Henry III, summoned a new parliament, in which the commons were first represented. 1546. Frederick , elector palatine, established without any acts of violence, the protestant religion. 1662. Three women condemned at Hartford, Conn., as witches, one of whom was hanged. 1706. Humphrey Hody died, an eminent English writer. A dissertation on the resurrection of the body asserted is one of his most useful works. 1745. Charles VII of Germany died at Munich,

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JANUARY 21.

JANUARY 21.

988. Adalbero , archbishop of Rheims, died. He assisted in placing Hugh Capet on the throne of France. 1582. Ferdinand Alvarez de Toledo , duke of Alva, a Spanish general and minister of state, died, aged 74. It is said of him that during nearly sixty years of warfare against different enemies, he never lost a battle, and was never taken by surprise. He was undoubtedly the ablest general of his age; had a proud mien, a noble aspect and a strong frame; slept little, labored and wrote much. But pr

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JANUARY 22.

JANUARY 22.

The Catagogia , an erotic and bacchanalian festival celebrated at Ephesus by its licentious devotees, about the first century. 97. Timothy , to whom St. Paul addressed several epistles, is said to have been killed at Paris (Ephesus). 1265. First English parliament constituted of members from counties, &amp;c., as at present, met. 1528. Henry VIII and Francis I declared war against Charles V of Germany. 1552. The duke of Somerset beheaded on pretence of inciting others to imprison Dudley, the

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JANUARY 23.

JANUARY 23.

1401. Tamerlane introduced his troops into the city of Damascus, in violation of a truce; and after levying an enormous contribution in gold, massacred the inhabitants, and reduced the city to ashes, in revenge of the murder of the grandson of Mahomet, seven centuries before, by the Syrians. 1516. Ferdinand V of Spain died. He inherited the crowns of Aragon and Sicily, and united to them the kingdom of Castile by marriage. In 1492 he added to these the kingdom of Granada, the last possession of

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JANUARY 24.

JANUARY 24.

41. Caius Caligula , the Roman emperor, assassinated. He commenced his reign with every promise of becoming a good monarch. But at the end of eight months he was attacked with a fever, which appears to have left a frenzy upon his mind, for his disposition was totally reversed. After committing the most atrocious acts of cruelty and folly, he was assassinated by a tribune as he came out of the amphitheatre, in the 29th year of his age, and the 4th of his reign. 76. Birthday of Publius Ælius Adria

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JANUARY 25.

JANUARY 25.

275. Lucius Domitius Aurelianus , emperor of Rome, assassinated. He was the son of a peasant; his mother a priestess of the Temple of the Sun. He enlisted as a common soldier, and rose from that humble station to the highest military offices during the reigns of Valerian and Claudius, the latter of whom, on his death bed, recommended Aurelian to the choice of the troops. He delivered Italy from the barbarians, and conquered the famous Zenobia queen of Palmyra. He had planned an expedition agains

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JANUARY 26.

JANUARY 26.

477. Subterranean thunders were heard simultaneously from the Black to the Red sea, and the earth was convulsed without intermission for the space of six months after. In many places the air seemed to be on fire. Towns and large tracts of ground were swallowed up in Phrygia, during this convulsion, the particulars of which would seem incredible, were they not corroborated by contemporary historians. 1564. The pope confirmed by a bull the decrees of the Council of Trent. 1630. Henry Briggs , an E

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JANUARY 27.

JANUARY 27.

438. St. John Chrysostom , one of the Fathers and archbishop of Constantinople, died. 1673. Jerome Lallemant , superior of the Jesuits in Canada, died, aged 80; leaving behind him a high reputation in his order. He furnished seven of the Relaçons . 1676. The Narragansetts, in retreating from their country in Rhode island, drove off from one of the inhabitants of Warwick, 15 horses, 50 oxen and 200 sheep. 1696. The Royal Sovereign burnt by accident. She was the first great ship built in England,

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JANUARY 28.

JANUARY 28.

814. Charlemagne , or Charles I of France, died. He was an illustrious sovereign, as well in the cabinet as in the field; and though he could not write his name, was the patron of men of letters and the restorer of learning. He wanted the virtue of humanity. 1547. Henry VIII of England having grown so unwieldy and corpulent that he was raised up and let down the stairs by a machine, after an illness of some weeks, sank under his disease, and died in the 38th year of his reign, and the 56th of hi

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JANUARY 29.

JANUARY 29.

164 B. C. Antiochus Epiphanes , the great enemy of the Jews, died. 1559. Thomas Pope , the founder of Trinity college, Dublin, died. 1597. Anthony Shirley , commanding a British squadron, landed at Jamaica, and marched six miles to the principal town, which submitted to his mercy . 1720. John Adams , a celebrated English preacher, died. 1728. Dean Swift's Stella died at Dublin. 1743. Andrew Hercule de Fleury , cardinal and prime minister of Louis XV, died, aged 90. He was 73 years of age when he

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JANUARY 30.

JANUARY 30.

422 B. C. A census of the inhabitants of Athens was taken, and reported the number of males to be 20,000. 405 B. C. Sophocles died at Athens. 1560. A phenomenon observed at London, called the burning spears , being one of the earliest records of that appearance now well known by the name of aurora borealis. 1601. Scipio Ammirati , an Italian historian, died. He wrote a history of Florence, published in 2 vols, folio. 1606. Everard Digby hanged, drawn and quartered at the west end of St. Paul's c

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JANUARY 31.

JANUARY 31.

1000 B. C. It is usual to fix the finishing of the temple of Hercules at Tyre on this day, and the death of Anchises , 183 years earlier. 1574. Birthday of Ben Jonson . 1578. Battle of Gemblours, in the Netherlands, by which the Spanish recovered their superiority in the Walloon provinces which were zealously catholic. 1606. Guido Fawkes executed. He was an officer in the Spanish service, concerned in the gunpowder plot, and discovered in the vault below the House of Lords, prepared to fire the

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FEBRUARY 1.

FEBRUARY 1.

107. St. Ignatius died, or was murdered. 1461. Battle of Mortimer's Cross, in which Edward, duke of York (afterwards Edward IV), revenged his father's death by a signal victory over the royalists, commanded by Jasper, earl of Pembroke. 1642. Edward Finch died. He was vicar of Christ church, London, from which he was expelled for preaching in a surplice and associating with women. 1681. John Edward Nidhard , an Austrian jesuit, died. He was appointed inquisitor-general and minister of Spain. 1684

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FEBRUARY 2.

FEBRUARY 2.

1141. Battle of Lincoln, and defeat of Stephen, king of England, by the earl of Gloucester. The king, whose valor deserved a better fortune, was taken prisoner, loaded with irons, and Matilda proclaimed queen. 1421. Henry V entered London from the complete conquest of France, which had been accomplished in about five years, and was received by the people amidst such pageants and popular rejoicings as that capital had never witnessed. 1461. Battle of Mortimer's Cross near Ludlow, where the king's

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FEBRUARY 3.

FEBRUARY 3.

1014. Sweyn , king of Denmark, died. 1399. John of Gaunt , duke of Lancaster, died. He was the son of Edward III; was a prince of distinguished valor and prudence, and a patron of the poet Chaucer. 1497. "Johannes Cabotus Venetus et Sebastianus illius filius," commissioned by Henry VII of England to take six ships of 200 tons burden from any port in the kingdom for the purpose of making a western voyage of discovery. This expedition was got ready by the beginning of May, and consisted of two car

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FEBRUARY 4.

FEBRUARY 4.

211. Lucius Septimus Severus , emperor of Rome, died at York, England. His sons, Geta and Caracalla, were by this event recalled from Scotland, where they were debating with Fingal over heath and mountain, her ancient stubborn independence. 836. Egbert , the last king of the Saxon heptarchy, and the first of England, died. 856. Magnentius Maurus Rabanus , a learned German divine, died. His works on theology are numerous. 1194. Richard , Coeur de Lion , released from his imprisonment. 1536. The p

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FEBRUARY 5.

FEBRUARY 5.

46 B. C. Marcus Cato killed himself, at the age of 48. He was a lover of philosophy, in which he rigidly followed the doctrines of the stoics. He was a soldier, and his first campaign was against Spartacus; afterwards he led 1000 foot into Asia, where he was ridiculed for the small number of his attendants, but was wholly unmoved by it. He sided with Cicero against Catiline, and opposed Cæsar in the senate on that occasion. He endeavored to bring about a reconciliation between Cæsar and Pompey,

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FEBRUARY 6.

FEBRUARY 6.

129 B. C. Three ambassadors from John Hyrcanus, the Jewish pontiff, were received at Rome, when the senate decreed a renewal of the league of amity and assistance with that "good and friendly people," and dismissed the delegates with presents. 1554. John Wyatt and a number of others executed for an insurrection and riot, on account of Queen Mary's marriage with Philip II of Spain. 1593. James Amyott , grand almoner of France, died; a writer on various subjects, but chiefly known as the translato

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FEBRUARY 7.

FEBRUARY 7.

1451. B. C. The Jews place the death of Moses on this day. 1642. William Bedell , bishop of Kilmore, died; one of the most exemplary prelates of the 17th century. He was so greatly respected even by the papists, that when the Irish rebellion of 1641 broke out, his was for some time the only English house in the county that stood unviolated. But refusing to submit to the orders of the council of state, interfering with his religious duties, he was thrown into prison, and his death was occasioned

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FEBRUARY 8.

FEBRUARY 8.

293 B. C. Papirius Cursor dedicated a temple to Quirinus, on which he placed a sun-dial, the first ever seen in Rome. 291 B. C. Esculapius , the Sanitary god, as it was fabled, was enshrined as a serpent on an island in the Tiber. As a physician he used the probe, cathartics, bandages, &amp;c., hence the respect. 1250. Robert , count of Artois, killed. He was brother to Louis IX of France, refused the empire of Germany offered him by the pope, and accompanied his brother to the Holy Land, wh

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FEBRUARY 9.

FEBRUARY 9.

1450. Agnes Sorel died. She was the mistress of Charles VII, of France, distinguished for her beauty, strength of mind, and the influence she possessed over the king, whom she incited to deeds of glory. 1547. Henry VIII was succeeded on the throne of England by his only son, Edward VI, in the ninth year of his age, who was crowned with great state at Westminster. 1555. John Hooper bishop of Gloucester, burnt. He was a dissenter in the time of Mary, and refusing to recant his opinions, was burnt

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FEBRUARY 10.

FEBRUARY 10.

1024. Abdurrahman IV , sultan of Cordova, dethroned by a relative and put to death. He was a patron of science, which he cultivated with success, and a poet. 1306. John Comyn murdered by Robert Bruce in the convent of the minorite friars. They were rival nobles, who had recently settled their differences, and agreed upon a revolt from the dominion of England. Comyn had treacherously revealed the matter to Edward. Bruce hastened to accuse him of it, and after some altercation struck him with his

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FEBRUARY 11.

FEBRUARY 11.

641. Heraclius , emperor of the East, died. He was the son of a governor of Africa, conspired against Phocas, whom he beheaded, and ascended the throne of Constantinople. 1225. Henry III subscribed the great charter of English liberties, which was witnessed by 13 bishops, 20 abbots, and 32 earls and barons. 1451. Amurath II , emperor of the Ottomans, died. He was the first Turk who used cannon in battle. 1502. Elizabeth of York, queen of Henry VII, died in childbirth, in the tower of London, on

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FEBRUARY 12.

FEBRUARY 12.

590. Pelagius II , pope of Rome, died. In his time a plague raged at Rome of so strange a nature, that persons seized with it died sneezing and gaping. 1401. William Sawtry , a Lollard, condemned and burned to death at London for heresy. 1448. A general poll tax of 6d. with 6s. 8d. on every merchant stranger, and 20d. on their clerks, granted by parliament to Henry VI. 1542. Catharine Howard , fifth wife of Henry VIII, beheaded. The execution of this ungrateful woman excited no commiseration, as

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FEBRUARY 13.

FEBRUARY 13.

This day was kept by the Jews as a fast, instituted by Esther in memorial of the day appointed by Haman for the extirpation of her countrymen. The same day was afterwards decreed as a feast for the death of Nicanor, the Syrian captain, who was slain at Bethhoron, B. C. 161. 1098. London bridge carried away by a flood and tax imposed to erect another. 1570. Benvenuto Cellini , a Florentine sculptor, engraver and goldsmith, died. His works in gold and silver are sold now at immense prices. In his

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FEBRUARY 14.

FEBRUARY 14.

1543. The parliament of Paris caused the Institutiones Religionis Christianæ of Calvin, to be publicly burned at Paris. 1554. Brett the commander of the London train bands with 58 others, hanged for joining with sir Thos. Wyatt and his Kentish men, who tried to resist the Spanish influence. 1623. The floor of Black friars' church broke down while the people were at mass, killing 100. 1668. Louis XIV took Dole, in Franche Compte. 1696. English assassination plot to favor the interests of James II

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FEBRUARY 15.

FEBRUARY 15.

Feast of Supercalia at Rome, in honor of the god Pan, the defender from wolves. 1564. Birthday of Galileo Galilei , at Pisa, in Italy. 1600. Joseph d'Acosta , the Spanish historian, died. He was born in Leon, 1539, and became remarkably efficient in literature and science at an early age. In 1571 he was despatched as a missionary to South America, where he remained till 1588. During his residence at Peru he wrote the Historia Natural y Moral de las Indias , which has been translated into nearly

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FEBRUARY 16.

FEBRUARY 16.

309. Pamphilius , presbyter of Cæsarea, died. He was of an eminent family, of great wealth and extensive learning, and ardently devoted to the scriptures. He collected a library of 30,000 volumes, solely for the promotion of religion. Traces of this library still remain at Paris and elsewhere. 1009. Abdurrahman , hajib, or chamberlain, of Hisham, king of Cordova, beheaded. He was entrusted with the civil and military powers of government, but aspiring to the throne itself, was destroyed by the p

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FEBRUARY 17.

FEBRUARY 17.

364. Flavius Claud Jovianus , the Roman emperor, died at Dadastana, aged 33. He was elected by the army, on the death of Julian, and accepted the throne upon the assurance that the soldiers would embrace Christianity. He was suffocated in his bed by the fumes of a fire which had been made to dry the chamber, after a reign of only eight months. 1461. Battle of St. Albans, 21 miles from London, between the Lancastrians headed by the queen, Margaret, and the Yorkists under the earl of Warwick. The

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FEBRUARY 18.

FEBRUARY 18.

3102. B. C. According to the tables of Trivalore, the great Hindostan epoch, Callyhougham , began at sunrise this day; that is, A. M. 902, and before the death of Adam! 1478. George , duke of Clarence, executed by drowning in a butt of Malmsey wine. He was the brother of Edward IV, against whom he had been induced to take up arms. He had the privilege of choosing the mode of his death. 1519. Cortez sailed from cape St. Antonio where he had stopped to complete his preparations. When all were brou

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FEBRUARY 19.

FEBRUARY 19.

198. Decius Claudius Albinus , a Roman who assumed the imperial purple in opposition to Severus, was slain in battle on the river Rhone. 1401. William Sautre , an English clergyman, was burned for heresy, by the clergy, with the permission of Henry IV. This is said to have been the first execution in England on account of religion. (Timperley says March 10.) 1549. A bill passed the English parliament allowing clergymen to marry, on the ground that it was a less evil than compulsory chastity. 155

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FEBRUARY 20.

FEBRUARY 20.

1413. Thomas Arundel , archbishop of Canterbury, died. He was consecrated bishop of Ely at the age of 21, and became infamous by the severity of his conduct towards the reformers. 1437. James I , of Scotland, murdered, at the age of 44. He fell a martyr to his attempts to abolish the anarchy and disorder which prevailed throughout his kingdom. He was the first of the Stuarts, and stands on the catalogue of royal authors. (Is also dated 21st.) 1494. Matteo Marie Boiardo , count of Scandiano, died

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FEBRUARY 21.

FEBRUARY 21.

1340. The king of England assumed the title of the king of France, quartering his arms with the motto, "Dieu et mon Droit." 1513. Giuliano Della Rovera , (pope Julius II,) died. He was originally a fisherman. He built St. Peter's at Rome, to procure means for which he ordered the sale of indulgences, which was one of the immediate causes of the reformation; so that it may be said without paradox, that St. Peter's is the great monument of protestantism. He is considered one of the most immoral of

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FEBRUARY 22.

FEBRUARY 22.

1371. David II of Scotland died. He was the son of Robert Bruce, was taken prisoner by the English in 1346 and detained in the tower 10 years. 1609. Ferdinand I , grand duke of Tuscany, died. He was eminent for the wisdom and energy of his government. 1630. The first day of public thanksgiving in Massachusetts. The day had been appointed, for a general fast. No ship had arrived in a great length of time, and their stock of provisions was nearly exhausted. At this critical moment a vessel arrived

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FEBRUARY 23.

FEBRUARY 23.

303. The soldiers of Diocletian demolished the principal church of Nicomedia, and committed the sacred volumes to the flames. 1447. Gabriel Condoimero (Pope Eugenius IV), died. He was elected to the papal throne 1431, afterwards unjustly deposed, and again restored. 1545. Francis de Bourbon , Count Enghien, killed. He was a celebrated general in the service of Francis I, and was killed by accident. 1555. Thomas Wyat beheaded. He took the lead in an unsuccessful insurrection against the "bloody Q

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FEBRUARY 24.

FEBRUARY 24.

303. Diocletian issued the first general edict of persecution against the Christians, by which all their religious edifices in the empire were to be leveled to their foundations, and the church property confiscated and sold to the highest bidder. This abominable decree was instantly torn from its column by a Christian of rank, who for his audacity was burnt or rather roasted, by a slow fire. 1383. John Wickliffe presented seven articles to parliament containing his doctrines. 1468. John Gutenber

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FEBRUARY 25.

FEBRUARY 25.

52 B. C. Pompey elected sole consul of Rome. 1030. Adalbero , a French ecclesiastic, died. He has left a character suited to bold and unscrupulous intrigue. 1464. The Lancasterians defeated by the Yorkists at Heagley Moor, the white rose triumphing over the red . 1523. William Lily , an English grammarian, died at London of the plague. He is highly praised by Erasmus, who revised the syntax of his grammar, for his uncommon erudition in the languages, and admirable skill in the instruction of you

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FEBRUARY 26.

FEBRUARY 26.

747 B. C. The era of Narbonassar (a king of Babylon) called also the Egyptian year, began on the first day of the month Thoth, corresponding with this day in the Julian calendar. The years are vague, containing 365 days without intercalation, so that in the year 31 B. C. the beginning of the year fell on the 29th August, and at the end of 1460 years it ran through all the Julian months. The Mexican year began also on the 26th February. It is also certain that the Mexican calendar conformed great

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FEBRUARY 27.

FEBRUARY 27.

212. Geta , emperor of Rome, slain by his brother Caracalla, who was incited to the deed by jealousy. 1411. The charter of the university of St. Andrews, at Aberdeen in Scotland, granted. 1642. Tobias Crisp died; a controversial writer on divinity, and a great champion on antinomianism. 1697. John Berkley , baron of Stratton, died; a noted commander in the English fleet. 1706. John Evelyn , the English diarist, died. He is ranked among the greatest philosophers of England, who turned his pen rea

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FEBRUARY 28.

FEBRUARY 28.

509 B. C. Battle of the Œsuvian fields, in which the Tarquins were vanquished and expelled from Rome, with the loss of more than 11,000 citizens on the side of the victors. 509 B. C. Lucius Junius Brutus , the avenger of the rape of Lucretia, and founder of the Roman republic, fell at the battle of the Œsuvian fields. So great was the fury of the encounter between him and his adversary, that their shields were mutually pierced, and each fell dead from his horse transfixed by the lance of his ene

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FEBRUARY 29.

FEBRUARY 29.

1631. The president and counsel for New England, made a grant to Robert Aldworth and Giles Elbridge of a hundred acres of land for every person whom they should transport to the province of Maine within seven years, who should continue there three years; and an absolute grant of 12,000 acres as their proper inheritance for ever, to be laid out near the river commonly called Pemaquid. 1704. Deerfield, in Massachusetts, burnt. Hertel de Rouville with 200 French and 140 Indians, after a tedious mar

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MARCH 1.

MARCH 1.

509. B. C. Valerius Publicola pronounced a funeral oration over the body of Junius Brutus, which was the first institution of that generous tribute to the memory of the virtuous dead. 1554. In the household expenses of Queen Mary 15 shillings are given to a yeoman for bringing her majesty a leek on this day. 1562. The catholics under the duke of Guise fell upon a body of Calvinists at Bassi in France, who were singing the psalms of Marot in a barn. The latter were insulted, and induced to come t

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MARCH 2.

MARCH 2.

986. Lothaire , king of France, died of poison, said to have been administered by his wife Emma. 1492. The Jews banished from Spain by an edict of Ferdinand V. They numbered 800,000 souls. 1585. Dr. Parry executed for a design to assassinate Queen Elizabeth. She had formerly released him from imprisonment, on a charge of justifying Romanism. 1611. Bartholomew Leggat , convicted of the Arian heresy and delivered over to the secular power. 1617. Robert Abbott , bishop of Salisbury, died, aged 58.

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MARCH 3.

MARCH 3.

1589. John Sturmius , a learned German grammarian and rhetorician, died. He was called the Cicero of Germany. 1633. George Herbert , an English divine and poet, died. Lord Bacon had so high an opinion of his judgment that he would not suffer his works to be published until they had been submitted to Herbert's examination. 1634. First colony arrived at Potomac for the settlement of Maryland, under Lord Baltimore. It consisted of 200 Catholics from England. The soil was purchased of the natives, a

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MARCH 4.

MARCH 4.

1193. Saladin the Great died at Damascus. 1530. Charles V granted to the knights of St. John, who had recently been expelled from the island of Rhodes by the Turks, the ownership of all the castles, fortresses, and isles of Tripoli, Malta and Gozo. Malta at the time was a shelterless rock, and the inhabitants, 12,000 in number, in a wretched condition. 1583. Bernard Gilpin , an eminent English prelate, died. He came near falling a victim to the fury of Bonner, and was only saved from the stake b

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MARCH 5.

MARCH 5.

13. B. C. Marcus Emilius Lepidus , one of the Roman triumvirs, with Augustus and Anthony, died at Cerceii. 493. Odoacer , chief of the Heruli, murdered. It was reserved for him, at the head of a tribe of barbarians almost unknown, to strike the decisive blow that overthrew the great mistress of the world—imperial Rome. 1223. Alonzo II of Portugal died. His career was begun by an attempt to deprive his sisters of their estates, and ended by robbing the church. The pope, however, interfered, and c

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MARCH 6.

MARCH 6.

13 B. C. Augustus Cæsar assumed the office of high priest, in which capacity he destroyed 2,000 books of prophecy, for want of authority! 1393. John Hawkwood , an Englishman, died at Florence. He was bred a tailor, but signalized himself so greatly in the wars in Italy, that he was promoted to the highest posts; and after his death the Florentines erected a block marble statue as an acknowledgment for the services he had done them. 1521. Magellan , in the service of the king of Spain, on his voy

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MARCH 7.

MARCH 7.

161. Antoninus Pius , emperor of Rome, died at Lorium, aged 23. 1274. Thomas Aquinas died. He was descended from the counts of Aquino, in Italy. There was a great contest for him between his family and the monks when he was a youth; but he eluded the vigilance of his keepers, became a theologian, and was called the evangelical doctor. His works have been often reprinted in 17 vols, folio. 1575. The general assembly of Scotland enacted that no comedies, nor tragedies, or such plays, shall be made

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MARCH 8.

MARCH 8.

1096. Walter the Pennyless departed from France with the van of the Crusaders. 1639. Dudley Digges , master of the rolls under Charles I, died. He was noted for his patriotism, and was the author of several literary performances. 1663. The great frost at Paris, which had endured three months, broke up on this day. 1702. William III of England, died. He was celebrated as a politician, and formidable as a general. (16th?) 1721. Pope Clement XI died, aged 72. He reigned over twenty years. 1748. The

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MARCH 9.

MARCH 9.

1403. Bajazet I , sultan of Turkey, died. He was celebrated as a warrior, but his disposition was cruel and tyrannical. Being conquered by Tamerlane, and exposed by him in an iron cage, he dashed his head against the bars of his prison, and killed himself. 1405. Battle of Grosmont, in which Henry IV defeated the Welch under Griffith Glendowr. 1566. David Ricci (or Rizzio), an Italian musician, residing at the court of Mary, queen of Scots, assassinated in her presence. His skillful performance o

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MARCH 10.

MARCH 10.

222. Heliogabalus , emperor of Rome, assassinated. He was a cruel, vindictive and licentious tyrant. 1333. Ladislaus III of Poland died. He oppressed the people till they revolted and placed Wenceslaus upon the throne. On the death of the latter he was reinstated and governed with justice and moderation. 1668. John Denham , a British poet, died. One of his poems, Cooper's Hill , is commended by the ablest critics. 1673. Henrietta Coligni , a French poetess of much celebrity, died. 1683. The firs

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MARCH 11.

MARCH 11.

1302. The marriage of Romeo Montocchio with Juliet Capelletto was solemnized at the church of the Minorites, at Citadella. These were Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. 1444. The university of Paris issued a circular addressed to all the French clergy, expressing the opinion of the church, that the feast of fools , about the calends of January, was a well imagined institution, connected with Christianity, and that those who attempted to suppress it should be curst and excommunicate. 1513. John Medi

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MARCH 12.

MARCH 12.

1470. Battle of Erpingham, in England, and defeat of the rebels under Sir Robert Welles. 1507. Cæsar Borgia killed by a cannon shot before the castle of Biano. He was the natural son of Pope Alexander VI, and by him invested with the purple. He was a man of such conduct and character that Machiavel has thought fit to propose him, in his famous book, called The Prince , as a pattern to all princes who would act the part of wise and polite tyrants. He allowed no one to stand in his way to promotio

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MARCH 13.

MARCH 13.

565. Belisarius , a distinguished Roman general, died. He is memorable for his signal and momentous victories, and for his misfortunes. He was degraded to beg alms at the gates of Constantinople by the ungrateful emperor Justinian, to whom he had rendered the most important services. 1470. Battle near Stamford, England, in which Edward IV gained an important victory over his adversaries. 1493. Columbus arrived at Palos, from his first voyage of discovery. 1519. Cortez , on his expedition for the

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MARCH 14.

MARCH 14.

1262. Hugo de St. Caro , a Dominican, died. He deserves to be placed in the first rank of sacred critics and patrons of literature. The Dominicans are indebted to him for their celebrated Correctorium Bibliorium , and the first concordance of the Bible, that is of the Latin Vulgate; a comment on the old and new testament, and for the division of the Bible into chapters. He undertook to procure a union of the Greek and Roman churches. 1369. Peter the Cruel , king of Castile, killed. He manifested

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MARCH 15.

MARCH 15.

44 B. C. Caius Julius Cæsar , the Roman general, assassinated in the senate house. He perished at 5 o'clock in the afternoon by 23 wounds. As a soldier , he was unquestionably the greatest except one in the history of mankind; his character as a citizen is variously stated by different factions. He is said to have fought 500 battles, conquered 300 nations, taken 800 cities, defeated 3,000,000 men, and slain 1,000,000 on the field of battle. 35. Longinus , the penitent, who is said to have pierce

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MARCH 16.

MARCH 16.

404 B. C. Athens was taken by Lysander and the tyranny of the 30 commenced. 37. Claudius Drusus Nero Tiberius , emperor of Rome, died. On his accession to the throne, he gave promise of a wise and happy reign, but soon became unrestrained in his conduct, and after a reign of 23 years, died in odium with the people. 455. Flavius Placidus Valentinian , emperor of Rome, assassinated. He was a profligate and licentious ruler. 1190. The Jews of York lawlessly massacred for their wealth by the citizen

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MARCH 17.

MARCH 17.

49 B. C. Pompey abandoned Italy, and took the sea with his legions, at Brundusium. 45 B. C. Battle of Munda, in Spain, between the armies of Cæsar and Pompey, which decided the fate of the Roman republic. These men did not consider the Roman empire sufficiently large for two of them. 180. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus , surnamed the philosopher, died on an expedition against the Marcomanni. He was so extremely popular with his Roman subjects, that they placed him among the gods, and kept his statue

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MARCH 18.

MARCH 18.

251. St. Cyril , archbishop of Jerusalem, died. 979. Edward the Martyr , died. He was the son of Edgar, and succeeded his father as king of England at the age of 15. The young king paid little attention to any thing but the chase; and hunting one day, he got separated from his attendants, and repaired to Corfe castle, where his step-mother, Elfrida, resided. Having procured a draught of liquor, he was drinking it on horseback, when one of Elfrida's servants gave him a deep stab behind. He immedi

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MARCH 19.

MARCH 19.

720. B. C. The first eclipse of the moon on record (by Ptolemy) happened on this day. 478. B. C. The history of Herodotus terminates with the siege of Sestos. 235. Alexander Severus , emperor of Rome, murdered by his soldiers. He was a Phœnician by birth, led an exemplary life, and governed ably both in peace and war. 717. Chilperic , king of France, surprised in his camp, in the forest of Arden, by the duke of Austrasia, afterwards Charles Martel. 1355. Pressing for seamen to man the English na

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MARCH 20.

MARCH 20.

268. Publius Gallienus , emperor of Rome, assassinated at Milan. 1413. Henry IV of England, died. He usurped the throne 1399, and thereby excited the civil war between the houses of York and Lancaster, called the war of the roses. 1516. Baptist Spagnoli , a general of the Carmelites, died. He was a native of Mantua in Italy, and distinguished himself by the sound and virtuous regulations which he attempted to introduce among the corrupted members of his order. His works have been published in 4

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MARCH 21.

MARCH 21.

1140. A remarkable eclipse of the sun in England, which caused total darkness. 1491. The new epoch and sacred year of the Jews established, corresponding with the first day of Abib, (Nisan) the day of Pharaoh's overthrow. 1512. Juan Ponce de Leon landed in Florida, and claimed the honor of the discovery; although Sebastian Cabot sailed along the coast in 1497. He was led to undertake the expedition by the Indian tradition in Cuba, that in the interior of the country was a spring which made those

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MARCH 22.

MARCH 22.

387. Theodosius degraded Antioch, the metropolis of the east, from the rank of a city, and subjected it to the jurisdiction of Laodicea, on account of a sedition. 1270. Louis IX , king of France, died. He displayed the magnanimity of the hero, the integrity of the patriot, and the humanity of the philosopher. By his order a translation of the whole Bible was made into French. 1312. The order of Knights Templars suppressed by a papal decree. 1520. Leo X gave permission for the publication of the

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MARCH 23.

MARCH 23.

1208. The pope laid the churches of England under an interdict. King John in retaliation banished the bishops that obeyed. 1534. Clement VIII issued his bull rescinding Cranmer's sentence, and confirming Henry VIII's marriage with Catharine; in consequence of which the pope's authority was abolished in England, and the king declared the supreme head of the church. 1556. Julius III (John Marie du Mont), pope of Rome, died. He is notorious for having dissolved the council of Trent, and is characte

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MARCH 24.

MARCH 24.

1426 B. C. The 24th Nisan is marked as a feast in the Jews' calendar for the death of Joshua. He was buried, full of honor, on the border of his capital in Mount Ephraim. 1455. Pope Nicholas V , the friend of ancient literature and the protector of the learned exiles of Greece, died. 1495. Columbus with an army of 200 men, 20 horses and 20 dogs! commenced a campaign against the natives of Hispaniola, who in consequence of the excesses of the Spaniards had raised an army of 100,000 men to destroy

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MARCH 25.

MARCH 25.

1409. The schism of the church was ended by the council of Pisa. 1519. First regular battle of the Spaniards under Cortez with the Indians, on the plains of Ceutla, near Tabasco. The Spaniards were victorious, with the loss of 1 killed and more than 60 wounded. The loss of the Indians was very great; 800 were left dead on the field; the Indians being unable to carry off all their dead, as was their custom. 1595. Snow fell at Rome. There is no other record of such an event occurring there till 18

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MARCH 26.

MARCH 26.

1546. Thomas Elyot , an eminent English scholar, died. He published the first Latin and English Dictionary in that country. 1602. Bartholomew Gosnold sailed from England in a shallop with 32 persons to effect a colony in the northern part of Virginia. He was the first Englishman who came in a direct course to this part of America, instead of making the circuit by the Canaries and the West Indies. After a passage of 7 weeks they made land in 43 degrees. 1630. Charles I renewed the patent granted

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MARCH 27.

MARCH 27.

47 B. C. Ptolemy Dionysius , king of Egypt, drowned in the Nile. His name is rendered execrable to the latest posterity for the murder of Pompey, his benefactor. 1306. Robert Bruce crowned king of Scotland at Scone. Edward had carried off the national diadem, so that one was manufactured for the occasion, which was placed upon the head of the liberator by Isabella, countess of Buchan, a descendant of Macduff. 1350. Alphonso II of Castile died at Gibraltar. He is famous for his wars with the Moor

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MARCH 28.

MARCH 28.

168 B. C. The Roman senate assembled at eight o'clock in the morning, a few days after Paulus Emilius had assumed the immortal consulate. The English house of commons usually sat at the same hour five centuries ago. 193. Publius Helvius Pertinax , emperor of Rome, assassinated. He was of obscure origin, and was elected on the death of Commodus. His virtues were too great for the time in which he lived, and he was destroyed by the same hands which had raised him up; and the imperial diadem was of

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MARCH 29.

MARCH 29.

403. Battle of Pollentia and defeat of the Huns under Alaric their leader. 1069. Abba'd abu' Amru , surnamed the ornament of the state, died; a Moorish king of Seville, who made extensive conquests of the neighboring states, and was an extraordinary character in his day. 1208. Notwithstanding the pope's interdict, King John gave a receipt to the sacrist of Reading, for books which had been in the custody of the abbot of that monastery. 1315. Raymond Lully stoned to death by the natives of Maurit

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MARCH 30.

MARCH 30.

1756 A. M. The ark of Noah grounded on the 17th of 2d month, Marchesvan (corresponding with this date), after the waters had prevailed upon the earth 150 days, ( See Nov. 2 . ) 317 B. C. Phocion , the Athenian general, executed by poison. He was of an obscure family, and rose by his own merits. He was placed at the head of the Athenian armies 45 times, and on all occasions displayed great ability; nor was he less illustrious for his virtues. Yet neither his virtues nor his services could shield

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MARCH 31.

MARCH 31.

32 B. C. Titus Pomponius Atticus , a distinguished Roman, died. He understood the art of conducting himself so well, that amidst the civil wars and party strife of the time in which he lived, he preserved the respect and esteem of all parties. He reached the age of 77 without sickness; but finding himself at last attacked by a slight disease, he resolved to put an end to his life by abstaining from food, and expired in five days. 1474. The first book printed in England finished by Caxton as appe

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APRIL 1.

APRIL 1.

168 B. C. Emylius Paulus passed from Brundusium to Corcyra (the modern Corfu) on his famous Macedonian expedition, and on the 6th, sacrificed at the shrine of Delphi. 1386. James Audley , an English warrior, died. He distinguished himself under Edward III in the wars with France, and on their return was liberally rewarded by his sovereign for the deeds of heroism he had displayed in the service. 1405. Tamerlane , chan of the Tartars, died. He is supposed to have been the son of a shepherd, and r

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APRIL 2.

APRIL 2.

1081. Constantinople besieged by Alexius Commenus. 1507. Francis , of Paula, founder of the order of Minims, died. 1512. Florida discovered by Ponce de Leon. 1594. A skirmish at Edinburgh between the earl of Bothwell and the cavalry of King James. 1640. Matthias Sarbieuski Cassimir , a Polish Jesuit, died. He was so excellent a Latin poet that his poems have been thought to be equal to some of the best Latin authors, not excepting Horace and Virgil. He had begun an epic in the style of Virgil, c

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APRIL 3.

APRIL 3.

13. Augustus , emperor of Rome, signed his will, bequeathing to the Roman people 40,000,000 sesterces, (about $1,600,000,) and divorced the two Julias, his daughter and grand-daughter, from his sepulchre. It was written upon two skins of parchment. 33. Jesus Christ , our Savior, crucified. 68. Galba accuses Nero before the people of his enormities, and elects himself lieutenant of the state. 1068. William , the conqueror, again imposes the tax of Danegelt which occasioned an armed opposition at

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APRIL 4.

APRIL 4.

357. B. C. A transit of the moon over the planet mars observed by Aristotle. 397. Ambrose , archbishop of Milan, died. He was famous for the zeal which he manifested in the cause of the church, and the severity with which he censured the emperor Theodosius, who had barbarously ordered several innocent persons to be put to death at Thessalonica. The Te Deum is attributed to him. 1284. Alphonso X , of Castile, died. He was elected emperor of Germany 1258, but neglecting to visit the empire, Rodolp

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APRIL 5.

APRIL 5.

2348 B. C. The ark of Noah rested on mount Ararat. 347 B. C. Plato , the Athenian philosopher, died. He was the pupil of Socrates, and on the death of his master went into foreign countries in search of knowledge. His works have come down to us, and confirm the opinions of his contemporaries by whom his talents and learning were highly appreciated. 33. The day of our Savior's resurrection called Easter. 1242. Battle of lake Peipus, in Russia; the Russians under Alexander Jaroslawitz gained a dec

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APRIL 6.

APRIL 6.

323 B. C. Alexander ( the Great ,) of Macedon, died of intemperance. The death of this famous hero took place at Babylon, on the 6th day of the Athenian month Thagelion, which then corresponded with the 28th of the Macedonian month Dæsius. He lived 32 years and 10 months, and reigned, computing from the Olympiad six months prior to the death of Philip, 12 years and 10 months—a brief career of extraordinary, but profitless glory. 1190. Richard I ( Cœur de Lion ), killed at the siege of Chalus, in

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APRIL 7.

APRIL 7.

1118. Baldwin I , king of Jerusalem, died, and was buried on mount Calvary. He accompanied his brother, Godfrey de Bouillon, to Palestine during the crusades, and on the death of Godfrey was made king. 1141. Maud declared queen of England in a national synod. 1196. William Longbeard , a factious priest, executed. He was notorious for raising seditions in London, during the reign of Richard I. He was torn to pieces by horses, and then hung upon a gallows. 1498. Charles VIII , ( the affable ,) kin

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APRIL 8.

APRIL 8.

431 B. C. A body of 300 Thebans surprised the town of Platæa, in Greece, in the dead of night, and were all destroyed or captured by the inhabitants. 46. Battle of Thassus, in Africa; Scipio and Juba defeated by Julius Cæsar. 217. Caracalla , the Roman emperor, assassinated at Edessa. 1341. Petrarch crowned with laurels at Rome, with great pomp. This distinction was awarded him on the appearance of his Latin poem entitled Africa , in which he celebrates Scipio, his favorite hero. This poem he co

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APRIL 9.

APRIL 9.

1483. Edward IV , of England, died. He disputed the crown with Henry VI and involved the kingdom in war and bloodshed, till the death of the latter, when he ascended the throne unmolested. He became a voluptuary, and died from excessive eating. 1483. Dr. Shaw , brother to the lord mayor of London, preached a sermon on the text " Bastard slips shall not thrive. " It was not productive of many converts. 1547. Edward VI succeeded to the throne of England on the death of Henry VIII. 1589. Thomas Sam

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APRIL 10.

APRIL 10.

879. Louis II. of France, died. He is characterized as a weak prince, who had not sufficient firmness to maintain his rights. 1534. James Cartier sailed from France with two small ships and 122 men, with a view to the establishment of a colony. He arrived at Newfoundland in May, and named the gulf St. Lawrence, from his entering it on the day of that festival. He returned without effecting a settlement. 1563. The city of Goa in India introduced printing. 1599. Gabrielle d'Estrees , a mistress of

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APRIL 11.

APRIL 11.

52 B. C. Trial of Milo for the murder of Clodius, in the consulship of Pompey. All the unwashed industry of the city was crammed within the forum on that momentous day; but neither Cato's candid ballot, nor the splendid labors of Tully, were sufficient to save the tyrant-killer; so that he was banished to Marseilles, and his estate confiscated. 44 B. C. Marc Antony recorded in the senate a decree of Julius Cæsar, on behalf of the Jews, made thirty-four days before his assassination. The decree i

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APRIL 12.

APRIL 12.

205 B. C. The shrine of the potent goddess Cybele received at Rome from Pessinus, and deposited in the temple of Victory; Scipio Africanus and Crassus Dives, consuls. This was done in pursuance of an oracle in the sybilline books, which affirmed that if a foreign enemy invaded Italy, they might be vanquished by introducing the goddess Cybele into the capital. 65. Lucius Annæus Seneca , the Roman philosopher, destroyed himself by order of Nero. He was born in the first year of the Christian era,

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APRIL 13.

APRIL 13.

58 B. C. Julius Cæsar finished his famous wall of entrenchment, 16 feet in height and 17 miles in length, from Geneva to St. Claude; being a labor of only 6 days. 1436. Paris surrendered to the French under Charles VII, having been almost 14 years in the possession of the English. 1517. Cairo taken by the Turks under Selim, after a gallant resistance, and 50,000 of its inhabitants barbarously massacred. The sultan was hanged on one of the gates, Egypt was reduced to a province, and the power of

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APRIL 14.

APRIL 14.

979. Ethelred II , crowned at Kingston by the famous Dunstan, then archbishop of Canterbury. This was the first king in England who took a coronation oath, and the first it is said to institute trial by jury. In this reign priests were forbidden to marry. 1040. Harold I ( Harefoot ), king of England, died. He was succeeded by his brother Hardicanute, whose first act was to order the body of Harold to be dug up and thrown into the Thames. 1293. Naval engagement in the British channel, between the

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APRIL 15.

APRIL 15.

1491 B. C. The Israelites arrived at the wilderness of Sin, on the 15th of Jiar, just a month after their departure from Ramasses. 43 B. C. First battle of Mutina, the modern Modena, in which Marc Antony was repulsed by the two consuls Hirtius and Pansa, assisted by Octavius Cæsar. Pansa died of the wounds he received in this conflict, and Hirtius was slain after he had achieved a second and more decisive victory. 1053. Godwin , earl of Kent, died. He was a powerful Saxon baron, who distinguishe

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APRIL 16.

APRIL 16.

29 B. C. Octavius Cæsar entered Rome and celebrated the grand triple triumph of nine days, for his victories at Dalmatia, at Actium and Alexandria, and shut the gates of the temple of Janus Quirinus the second time. This is also the anniversary of his being saluted Emperor . The city at this time was 50 miles in circumference, containing 4,000,000 inhabitants, and the annual revenue of the state amounted to about $180,000,000,000! 66. The massacre and crucifixion of 3600 Jews took place at Jerus

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APRIL 17.

APRIL 17.

1013. Abdullah , a Moorish historian, was killed at the taking of Cordova, his native city. 1421. An inundation of the rivers at Dort, in Holland, which swept away 100,000 persons, and destroyed 72 villages. 1434. The ice broke up at Paris, which had continued from the first of January. Snow fell in Holland forty days successively during the same winter. 1492. The Spanish sovereigns, Ferdinand and Isabella, signed at Granada their grant to Columbus, constituting him hereditary admiral and vicero

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APRIL 18.

APRIL 18.

515 B. C. The Jewish passover, a festival in commemoration of the destruction of the first born of the Egyptians, while the houses of the Jews were spared, was celebrated in the new temple. 1551. Nicholas Udall obtains a patent to print the works of Peter Martyr and the English Bible. 1552. John Leland , styled the father of antiquaries, died in London. He applied himself to his favorite pursuit with so much ardor as to impair his reason. He was the most accomplished writer of the age. 1556. Lew

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APRIL 19.

APRIL 19.

481 B. C. An eclipse of the sun noticed by Herodotus. 1110. Robert , abbot of Molesme, founder of the Cistersians, died. The Cistersian monks allotted several hours of the day to copying books, or sacred studies and manual labor. (See March 28, 1134 .) 1390. Robert II , of Scotland, died, aged 84. He was the first of the house of Stuart who reigned, and was crowned in 1371. On the accession of Richard II of England a war commenced which continued during the greater part of his reign. 1529. The e

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APRIL 20.

APRIL 20.

69. Marcus Salvius Otho , emperor of Rome, died. He ascended the throne after the murder of Galba and Piso, and three months after, being defeated by Vitellus, killed himself, rather than fall into the hands of the conqueror. 332. Battle of Mæsia, in which Constantine defeated the Goths under Alaric, and compelled them to recross the Danube. 1314. Clement V (Bertrand de Goth), pope of Rome, died. He was a Frenchman, bishop of Bordeaux, elected pope, 1305; was accused of licentiousness and extrav

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APRIL 21.

APRIL 21.

753 B. C. Anniversary of the foundation of Rome, in the 3d year of the 6th olympiad, 431 years after the destruction of Troy, and 116 years from the building of Carthage. Romulus was in his 17th year when he received the regal title, and his subjects consisted of a legion of 3,000 foot and 300 horse. 753 B. C. Remus , the brother of Romulus, slain by the workmen who were building Rome, for ridiculing the weakness of the walls. Thus marked with blood at the outset, the city became the sanctuary o

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APRIL 22.

APRIL 22.

1369. Corner stone of the bastile, (a name used to denote a fortress or prison,) laid at Paris, by Hugues d'Aubriot, provost des marchands, and the founder of the Huguenots. It was not completed till 1383. It was demolished 1789. 1509. Henry VII of England died. The victory of Bosworth field and the death of Richard III left him in peaceable possession of the throne. He was an able and wise king, but insatiably covetous. 1519. Cortez arrived at San Juan Ulloa, in Mexico, where he received ambass

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APRIL 23.

APRIL 23.

997. Adalbert , the apostle of Prussia, murdered. He was archbishop of Prague, preached the gospel among the Bohemians, and afterwards among the Poles, where he was killed. 1016. Ethelred II , king of England, died. To deliver himself from the heavy tribute which he paid the Danes, called Danegelt , he caused them to be put to death; whereupon England was invaded by Sweyn, and Ethelred obliged to fly to Normandy, where he remained till Sweyn's death. 1349. The order of the Garter instituted by E

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APRIL 24.

APRIL 24.

1184 B. C. The conquest and destruction of the city of Troy by the Greeks, took place on the 24th of Thargelion. 339 B. C. Timoleon defeated the Carthagenians at the river Crimesus, near the mount Giuliano, in Sicily. 1016. Ethelred II buried in St. Paul's, London. 1254. Louis IX of France, embarked from Acre, in Palestine, on his return from the crusade, with his queen, children and troops, in 14 vessels, and arrived in Vincennes in September, after an absence of six years, and a most disastrou

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APRIL 25.

APRIL 25.

68. Saint Mark , the evangelist, died at Alexandria. 1199. John , the 6th son of Henry II of England, seized the treasures of his late father, preparatory to taking possession of his throne and dukedom. 1284. Edward II born at Caernarvon, and styled the prince of Wales , the first who received that appellation. 1342. Benedict XII (James de Nouveau, the baker ), died. When elected, unanimously, by the cardinals, pope of Rome, he had so little confidence in himself that he told them they had chose

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APRIL 26.

APRIL 26.

871. Ethelred I defeated the Danes, but died of his wounds. In his reign a great plague occurred. 1478. Lorenzo de Medici , duke of Florence, rescued by the populace from the hands of assassins. His brother Julian was less fortunate; he fell beneath their daggers. The duke was conducted back to his palace by the multitude with every demonstration of regard, while the archbishop, who became the tool of the pope for executing this foul and impious conspiracy, was suspended in his pontifical robes

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APRIL 27.

APRIL 27.

1124. Alexander I of Scotland, son of Malcom Canmore, died. He ascended the throne on the death of his brother Edgar, 1107, and from the energy and impetuosity of his character he was called the fierce . There were several rebellions and insurrections against his reign, which he put down with vigor. A conspiracy was formed against his life, and the traitors got admission into his bed chamber at night. He cut his way through them, and after killing six made his escape. 1192. Conrad de Montferrat

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APRIL 28.

APRIL 28.

1060 B. C. The 28th Jiar is kept as a fast by the Hebrews for the death of Samuel, which took place two years before the destruction of Saul. 492 B. C. Menenius Agrippa , a Roman patrician died; celebrated for appeasing a sedition by a fable of the belly and the limbs. 357. Constantius , the third and surviving son of Constantine the great, visited Rome for thirty days, when he displayed the magnificence of a triumph. 1489. Henry Percy , earl of Northumberland, murdered. 1494. Joan Boughton , a

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APRIL 29.

APRIL 29.

997. Adalbert , archbishop of Prague, murdered. His zeal led him among foreigners as a missionary; after visiting Bohemia, he went among the Poles, by whom he was killed. Boleslaus purchased his body for its weight in gold. 1075. Waltheof , earl of Huntingdon and Northampton, executed by William the conqueror. He had married Judith, William's niece; and being considered by the English as the last resource of their nation, they most grievously lamented his death. 1205. King John , along with wine

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APRIL 30.

APRIL 30.

65. Marcus Annæus Lucanus , the Latin poet, died. He was the friend and favorite of Nero, but afterwards joined a conspiracy with Piso against the tyrant, and was compelled to destroy himself, which he did by suffocation in a bath. 313. Battle of Heraclea, in which the emperor Galerius Maximus was defeated by Lucinus. 534. Amalasontha , queen of the Ostrogoths, murdered by her husband Theodatus. She was universally regretted; as for learning and humanity she had few equals. 711. Tarik , a freed

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MAY 1.

MAY 1.

305. Diocletian , the Roman emperor, abdicated the throne in the presence of the soldiery and a multitude of people, at Nicomedia, in the 21st year of his reign. When afterwards solicited by a friend to resume the purple, he calmly replied, that if he could show the cabbages which he had planted at Salona with his own hands, he should no longer be urged to relinquish the enjoyment of happiness for the pursuit of power. 475. Henghist , the Saxon, caused 300 English noblemen to be murdered. 1119.

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MAY 2.

MAY 2.

373. Athanasius , patriarch of Alexandria, died. His parents were pagans; he became a Christian, and distinguished himself by his learning, and the zeal with which he opposed the Arian heresy. 1450. The duke of Suffolk, prime minister to Henry VI of England, beheaded in a boat at Calais. During his ministry England lost most of her possessions in France. Yet his murder was resented by the formidable rebellion of Jack Cade . 1487. Lambert Simnel , an impostor, crowned at Dublin, by the title of E

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MAY 3.

MAY 3.

1324. A poetic festival at Toulouse called jeux floraux , to which all the poets of the Langue d'Oc were invited, where the composer of the best poem was to receive a violet of fine gold. The celebrated troubadour, Arnaud Vidal, won the prize. 1381. John Ball , a priest and compeer of the notorious Wat Tyler, preached to Tyler's army from the proverbial rhyme: 1410. Alexander V , pope, died. He was originally a beggar, but found means to cultivate his mind, and rose by degrees in the church till

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MAY 4.

MAY 4.

1471. Battle of Tewkesbury, between the York partisans and the Lancastrians, in which the latter were defeated, and queen Margaret and her son Edward taken prisoners. The young prince was basely murdered on the spot, by the dukes of Gloucester and Clarence. 1605. Ulysses Aldrovand , a Bolognese philosopher, died. He was the most celebrated naturalist of the 16th century, and spent his life and exhausted his resources in the pursuit of science. He lost his sight, and ended his days in a hospital

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MAY 5.

MAY 5.

1421. A holy convocation at Canterbury decreed that a bishop's barber should not receive a fee from any one on whom the bishop had conferred holy orders. 1432. Francesco Bussone di Carmagnola , count de Castlenuovo, executed. He was a celebrated Italian general, first in the service of the duke of Milan, afterwards led the Venetian army to repeated victories. His fortune at length turned, when the senate suspecting him of treachery, he was tortured and condemned to death. 1526. Frederick ( the w

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MAY 6.

MAY 6.

356. B. C. Marcius Rutilus , the first dictator elected from the plebeians, entered Rome in triumph from his victories over the Etrurians. 1527. The imperialists under the duke of Bourbon, took Rome by assault and plundered it. The duke was killed by a musket ball. He had been disgraced at the French court, and was now in the service of Charles V of Germany. 1540. John Lewis Vives , a learned Spaniard, died. He resided some time at the court of Henry VIII of England, where he was imprisoned for

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MAY 7.

MAY 7.

431 B. C. The war which wasted the Athenians for 27 years, commonly called the Peloponnesian war, began May 7th. 399 B. C. Socrates , the greatest of the ancient philosophers, died. He was put to death by the Athenians on a charge of atheism, and corrupting the youth. 973. Otho (the great), emperor of Germany, died. He was an active and valiant prince, who made himself respected by the powers of Europe. 1253. Rubruquius (or Ruysbroeck) landed at Soldaia, on the Black sea, on his way to discover

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MAY 8.

MAY 8.

685. Pope Benedict II died. 1360. The treaty called the great peace signed at Bretigni, by which Edward III renounced all his claims to the French crown and its territories. 1429. The siege of Orleans was abandoned. At dawn, the English army was discovered at a small distance from the walls, drawn up in battle array, and braving the enemy to fight in the open field. After waiting for some hours, the signal was given; the long line of forts, the fruit of 7 months' labor, was instantly in flames a

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MAY 9.

MAY 9.

1502. Columbus sailed from Cadiz, with four vessels and 140 men and boys, in search of a passage to the South sea, being his fourth voyage across the Atlantic. It was a disastrous expedition for the admiral, against whom the elements seem to have joined his countrymen, to complete the ruin of his fortunes. 1657. William Bradford , second governor of Plymouth colony, died. He removed to America with the first settlers of the colony, and was their governor thirty years. He wrote a history of the c

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MAY 10.

MAY 10.

664. The memorable pestilence in Ireland began. 1307. Battle of Loudown hill; Bruce defeated Aylmer de Valence, earl of Pembroke. 1422. Henry V reduced Meaux, after a siege of 7 months. 1503. Columbus discovered the Tortugas islands. 1547. Charles V summoned Wittenberg, defended by Sibylla, wife of the elector of Saxony; refusing to surrender, he ordered a court-martial who condemned her husband, then a prisoner, to death. 1574. Queen Elizabeth issued her royal license under seal, for the perfor

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MAY 11.

MAY 11.

1491 B. C. The Egyptians under Pharaoh drowned in the Red sea. 1153. David I , of Scotland, died. He was earl of Northumberland and Huntington, and married the daughter of the king of England, for whom he claimed the throne on the death of her father. He was a mild and popular king. 1310. James de Molai , grand master, and 54 knights of the temple, publicly burned at Paris, under the decree of an archiepiscopal council. They were condemned on confessions of Islamism and paganism, extorted by the

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MAY 12.

MAY 12.

48 B. C. Battle of Pharsalia, between Cæsar and Pompey, in which the latter was defeated, and escaped on foot. This battle forms an important era in the history of the world. 824. Paschal I , pope, died; distinguished for his benevolence and toleration. 1264. Battle of Lewes and defeat of Henry III by Leicester. 1294. Edward I of England met at Norham the states of Scotland, when they acknowledged his sovereignty, and engaged to deliver up to him their castles. 1430. The famous Joan of Arc , or

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MAY 13.

MAY 13.

432. B. C. Meton , the Athenian astronomer, began his famous lunar cycle of 19 years (then marked by successive letters in gold, which are now called the golden numbers), with the new moon nearest to the summer solstice falling upon the 16th of Scirophion. 48 B. C. Pompey , in passing through the Archipelago, stopt at Mitylene to receive his wife, the exemplary Cornelia, and there conversed with Cratippus, the philosopher, on the nature of providence . 1213. King John received Pandulph, the pope

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MAY 14.

MAY 14.

1097. The siege of Nice, the Turkish capital of Soliman, sultan of Roum, opened by the French crusaders, whose camps formed an imperfect circle of more than 6 miles. 1501. Amerigo Vespucci sailed with three ships furnished him by Emanuel of Portugal. This was his third voyage, which he extended as far as Patagonia. 1602. Bartholomew Gosnold , after a passage of 7 weeks direct west from England, discovered land on the American coast, and fell in with a shallop with sails and oars, manned by India

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MAY 15.

MAY 15.

164 B. C. The Jews, upon the 15th Sivan, celebrate a feast for the victory of Judas Maccabæus over the people of Bethsan, or Scythopolis. 67. Vespasian invested Jotopata, in Galilee, defended by Josephus, the historian, a very interesting siege as it respects the latter. 392. Valentinian , emperor of Rome, strangled at Vienne, in Milan, by order of Arbogastes, his rebellious general. 1213. King John , oppressed with guilt and despair, resigned the kingdoms of England and Ireland to the pope, to

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MAY 16.

MAY 16.

1277. John XXI , pope, killed by the fall of a building. He was a Portuguese, and wrote on philosophy, medicine, &amp;c. 1525. Thomas Munzer , a Saxon divine, executed. In conjunction with Stork, he pulled down all the images in the churches which Luther had left standing, and finally at the head of 40,000 men, commenced leveler of all ranks and distinctions, as usurpations on the rights of mankind. He was at length defeated in battle, when 7,000 of his followers were slain and himself captu

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MAY 17.

MAY 17.

1039. Harold I , the second Danish monarch of England, died, at Oxford. A heavy tax which he imposed on his people made him unpopular. He was buried at Winchester; but by the cruel edicts of his brother the body was dug up, beheaded and thrown into the Thames; recovered and again buried only to be a second time disinterred and committed to the Thames; found and privately buried at Westminster. 1163. Heloise , abbess of the Paraclete, died; celebrated as the mistress of Abelard, and for her learn

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MAY 18.

MAY 18.

975. Edward (the martyr), murdered by his step-mother. He was the son of king Edgar who enacted laws against excessive drinking, ordaining a size with pins in the cup with penalties on any who should presume to drink deeper than the mark. Hence the phrase drinking deep . 1291. The city of Acre, in Palestine, taken by the Turks; after a siege of 30 days the double wall was forced by the Moslems, the principal tower yielded to their engines, the Mamelukes made a general assault, the city was storm

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MAY 19.

MAY 19.

804. Flaccus Alcuinus , an English ecclesiastic, died in France. He may be considered as one of the learned few whose genius dissipated the gloom of the 8th century. His writings, most of which are extant, were published 1617. (See Dec. 1 .) 1122. Lincoln in England destroyed by fire. 1217. Battle of Lincoln; the French defeated, and England effectually secured from the dominion of Lewis the Dauphin, who was then holding his court within the walls of London. 1218. Otho IV ( the proud ), emperor

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MAY 20.

MAY 20.

526. Earthquake at Antioch, by which 250,000 persons are said to have perished. 1499. Alonzo de Ojeda sailed from Cadiz on a western voyage of discovery, accompanied by Amerigo Vespucci. It is uncertain in what station Amerigo sailed, but he appears to have had a chief share in directing the voyage, and on his return published an amusing account of the country they visited; which having a rapid circulation, he was supposed to be the discoverer, and it came gradually to be called by his name. 150

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MAY 21.

MAY 21.

216 B. C. Battle of Cannæ, in Italy, in which the Roman consuls were vanquished by Hannibal, with a loss of 40,000 men, including Paulus Æmylius, and 5,630 knights. The Carthaginians seemed not to know the use of victory. 987. Louis V ( the lazy ), king of France, poisoned by his wife, Blanche. 1342. John Cantacuzenus , the historian of his own times, and a defender of the faith, inaugurated emperor of Constantinople. 1420. Treaty of Troyes, by which Henry V of England was to marry Kate, daughte

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MAY 22.

MAY 22.

334 B. C. Battle of the Granicus, in Bythinia, in which Alexander of Macedon defeated the Persians. 337. Constantine ( the great ), emperor of Rome, died. He was an able general and a sagacious politician; celebrated as the builder of Constantinople on the site of Byzantium, and as the first emperor who embraced Christianity. 1424. James I , of Scotland, crowned 18 years after his accession, since which he had been in captivity. 1498. Vasco de Gama landed at Calicut, the first Indian port visite

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MAY 23.

MAY 23.

1270 B. C. Larcher places the chronology of the fall of Troy upon this day. 63 B. C. Jerusalem taken by Pompey on the 23d day of the Hebrew month Sivan, in the consulate of Cicero, a day that was then observed as a fast, in remembrance of the defection and idolatry of Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin . 37 B. C. Jerusalem fell into the hands of Herod, in the consulate of Agrippa; it being one of those septenniary periods called sabbatic years. 683. Leo II , pope, died; an able and resolute pontif

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MAY 24.

MAY 24.

1085. Gregory VII (Hildebrand), pope, died. He was the son of a carpenter, and when raised to the papal throne embroiled himself in disputes and dissensions till he was compelled to retire. 1153. David I , king of Scotland, died. He married Maud, daughter of William the conqueror, and is characterized as a mild and popular king. 1276. A capitation tax of three pennies laid on every Jew in England above the age of 12 years, and all above the age of 7 to wear a yellow badge. 1357. Edward the black

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MAY 25.

MAY 25.

535 B. C. The foundations of the second temple at Jerusalem, laid by the children of the captivity , by permission of Cyrus, on the twenty-fifth of Sivan. 67 B. C. Titus Vespasian took the city of Joppa, in Galilee, by assault, on the 25th of the month Dæsius. 337. Constantine the Great died, having divided the empire among his children and nephews. 709. Aldhem , an English divine, died; said to have been the first Englishman who cultivated poetry. 1261. Alexander IV , pope, died. He bestowed th

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MAY 26.

MAY 26.

604. Augustine ( alias Austin ), first archbishop of Canterbury, died. He was originally a monk, and was sent into Britain with 40 others to convert the English Saxons to Christianity. 735. Bede ( the venerable ), a learned English monk, died. He passed his life in severe study, and wrote an ecclesiastical history from Julius Cæsar to his own age. 946. Edmund I , king of the Anglo Saxons, killed by an outlaw named Liof, at the age of 23. He was distinguished for personal courage, as well as tast

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MAY 27.

MAY 27.

346 B. C. Philip of Macedon took possession of Phocis upon the 27th Scirophorion, and the towers were soon after dismantled, which terminated the ten years' war. 1199. Hubert , archbishop of Canterbury, made lord chancellor in consideration of his services in crowning king John. 1257. Richard , brother to Henry III, crowned at Aix la Chapelle, king of the Romans. 1520. Cortez , with 250 men, without horses, or any other arms than pikes, swords, shields and daggers, attacked the well appointed ex

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MAY 28.

MAY 28.

812. St. William , of Aquitaine, died. He distinguished himself by his valor against the Saracens, under Charlemagne. 1089. Lanfranc , archbishop of Canterbury, died. He was an Italian, and has the character of a great statesman, as well as a learned prelate. 1220. Pope Honorius issued a decree that no person in England should keep in his hands more than two of the royal castles; intended to check the encroaching barons. 1357. Alphonso IV , of Portugal, died. He was an able prince, benevolent, a

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MAY 29.

MAY 29.

71 B. C. The range of embankments thrown up by Titus against the wall of Jerusalem, the work of 17 days, was undermined and consumed, or buried in a pit of fire, with all the Roman engines. This was effected by the skill and conduct of John, the high priest. 1379. Henry II , of Castile, died. He ascended the throne by the murder of Peter the cruel, which he perpetrated with his own hand. He was one of the bravest princes of his time, and won the good will of his subjects. 1405. Battle of Shipton

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MAY 30.

MAY 30.

542. Arthur , a British prince, died. He was a victorious warrior against the surrounding nations, and is celebrated as the founder of the knights of the round table at Winchester. 1216. Louis of France, at the invitation of the rebel English barons, crossed the channel with 680 sail, and landed at Sandwich. 1252. The epoch of the Alphonsine tables, constructed by Hazan, a Jew, by order of Alphonso the wise, commencing with the day of his accession to the throne of Leon and Castile. 1416. Jerome

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MAY 31.

MAY 31.

1434. Ladislaus IV , king of Poland, died, aged 80; universally respected for all those virtues which should grace a throne. 1521. The siege of Mexico having been begun by Cortez, Sandoval with a division of the Spaniards and more than 35,000 allies marched to the assault of the city of Iztapalapan, situated about 8 miles from Mexico, on the eastern border of the lake. Great havoc was made upon the people and the city, devastated by fire. The inhabitants attempting to escape by water, were met b

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JUNE 1.

JUNE 1.

67 B. C. Jotopata, in Judea, captured by the Romans under Vespasian, on the first of Panemus, in the 13th year of Nero. The city was demolished, entombing 40,000 Jews, the number of slain. 1205. Henry Dandolo , duke of Venice, died. He was a brave admiral, who took Constantinople, 1203, and had the moderation to refuse the imperial dignity. 1204. Rouen, the capital of Normandy, conquered by the French, which with the Dutchy had been separated from France for 300 years. 1450. Jack Cade's rebellio

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JUNE 2.

JUNE 2.

193. Didius Julianus , emperor of Rome, executed after a reign of 60 days, which he purchased of the soldiers. 1581. James Douglas , earl Morton, was guillotined at Edinburgh for the supposed murder of lord Darnley. 1609. Seven ships, attended by two small vessels, with 500 people, sailed for Virginia, under sir Thomas Gates, sir Geo. Somers, and Christopher Newport. (See May 23 .) 1627. Charles I granted to James Hay, earl of Carlisle, by letters patent, all the Caribbean islands. 1653. Action

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JUNE 3.

JUNE 3.

1098. Capture of Antioch, the capital of Syria, by the first crusaders. The sword of Godfrey, says an eye witness, divided a Turk from the shoulder to the haunch; and one half of the infidel fell to the ground, while the other half was carried by his horse to the city gates. 1137. Cathedral of Rochester, in England, burned. 1162. Thomas a Becket made archbishop of Canterbury. 1594. John Aylmer , a learned and benevolent English prelate, died. He was tutor to lady Jane Grey, and more noted for hi

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JUNE 4.

JUNE 4.

1137. The greater part of the city of York, its cathedral, and 39 churches burned. 1453. Alvarez de Luna , a Spanish statesman, executed. He acquired such an ascendancy over the king that he was himself the monarch more than 30 years. 1520. A famous interview between the kings of England and France, near Guisnes. 1561. St. Paul's, London, burnt, having stood nearly four centuries. Its dimensions were 960 feet in length, 130 in breadth, and surmounted by a spire 520 feet high. 1585. Mark Anthony

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JUNE 5.

JUNE 5.

1402. Henry IV tried to dispel by proclamation the rumors of Richard VI having appeared in Scotland. 1465. Enrique IV , a weak king of Castile, deposed and solemnly degraded in the public square at Avila, and his brother Alonzo proclaimed king in his stead. 1480. Caxton completed the printing of the history of England, which he thus announced: " The Chronicles of England, &amp;c. Enputed by me William Caxton. In thabbey of Westmynstre by London, &amp;c., the v day of Juyn the yere of thi

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JUNE 6.

JUNE 6.

356. B. C. Birthday of Alexander , the Great , on the sixth day of Lous ( Hecatombæon ) during the Olympic games, in the first year of the 106th Olympiad, at Pella. This joyful deliverance was notified to Philip at the falling of Potidæa; and two other messengers reached his camp on the same day, announcing that his race horse had gained the prize at the games, and that Parmenio his captain had defeated the Illyrians. It was on the night of this very day that the celebrated temple of Diana was b

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JUNE 7.

JUNE 7.

218. Marcus Opilius Severus Macrinus , emperor of Rome, beheaded by his soldiers. He was an African, and rose from the obscurest situation to the throne on the death of Caracalla. 632. Mahomet (or Mohammed ), founder of the Islam religion, died, aged 62. His followers are now computed at one hundred millions. 1099. The army of Christians comprising the first crusade, encamped before Jerusalem. The first army led on by Peter the Hermit, numbered at the outset 300,000; another of 600,000 followed,

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JUNE 8.

JUNE 8.

68. Claudius Domitius Nero , emperor of Rome, destroyed himself at the age of 32, and the 14th of his dominion. He had committed every enormity, and finding himself at last the inevitable victim of a conspiracy, he was doomed to see his own grave prepared, and died with his eyes standing out of his head, to the terror of all that beheld him. 1042. Hardicanute died at a nuptial feast of a Danish lord. By his death the connection between the kingdoms of England and Denmark was severed. 1316. Louis

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JUNE 9.

JUNE 9.

587 B. C. On the 9th Thammug , an especial fast of the Jews was observed for the taking of Jerusalem under Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, on that day. 597. Columba , the founder of the famous monastry of Iona, or Icolmkill, in the Scottish Hebrides, died. This island was in that age the luminary of the Caledonian regions. 911. Leo VI ( the philosopher ), emperor of the east, died. He was a politic monarch, the patron of men of letters, and an excellent author himself. 1075. Henry IV defeated t

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JUNE 10.

JUNE 10.

312. Constantine ( the Great ) called the first council of Nice to determine on the Arian heresy. 1190. Frederick I (Barbarossa), emperor of Germany, died in Syria, in consequence of bathing imprudently in the Cydnus. He was frequently engaged in quarrels with the popes, but was at last persuaded to turn his arms against the Saracens. He marched a numerous army into Asia and was victorious over all that opposed him. 1429. Battle of Jargeau; the place was carried by storm by the French, who were

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JUNE 11.

JUNE 11.

1656 A. M. The tops of the mountains were seen, 73 days after the waters of the deluge began to subside, 1st of 10th month, answering to this day. 1184 B. C. The destruction of Troy is placed commonly by English chronologists in the night of this day; an event which Homer has invested with unrivaled importance, and a gorgeous immortality. (See April 24 .) 534 B. C. Servius Tullius , sixth king of Rome, assassinated. He is celebrated for his laws on the subjects of rank and property. He was murde

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JUNE 12.

JUNE 12.

456 B. C. Herodotus recited his celebrated History at Athens, during the Olympic games, in his 29th year, on the 12 Hecatombæon. He had traveled with his work from Caria. Thucydides was then a boy; Æschylus died in that year; Cimon was recalled from exile, and the Athenians completed their long walls. 455. Marcus Clodius Pupienus Maximus , emperor of Rome, murdered by the soldiery, after a reign of 15 months. He was of humble birth, but rose by his merits to the most eminent posts of the state,

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JUNE 13.

JUNE 13.

1483. Anthony Widville , earl Rivers, beheaded at Pontefract. 1502. Oliver Maillard , a French divine of the order of Cordeliers, died. He was an eminent preacher, and published several volumes of Latin sermons. 1584. John Sambucus , a learned German physician, died. His learning attracted the attention of the emperor Maximilian II, and he was appointed counselor of state and historiographer of the German empire. He wrote several learned and useful works. 1605. Riot at Moscow, when Fedor Godonof

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JUNE 14.

JUNE 14.

510 B. C. The Roman republic established and the first consuls elected, according to the Capitoline marbles. This noble political fabric subsisted for a period of 462 years, until the battle of Pharsalia. 1631. Francis Garasse , a French Jesuit, died. As a preacher he was eloquent and popular, but his writings were gross, and kindled a violent feud between his order and the Jansenists. He lost his life by attending the sick during the pestilence at Poictiers. 1636. Humphrey Lynde , an English au

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JUNE 15.

JUNE 15.

1381. Wat Tyler treacherously killed at Blackheath, where he had assembled the malcontents in great numbers, and the insurrection was suppressed. 1467. Philip ( the good ), duke of Burgundy, died. His life was spent in war; and the title which he acquired seems to have been forfeited by his last act, the burning of the town of Dinan, which he was carried on his bed to witness, at the age of 72. 1520. Martin Luther excommunicated by Leo X. 1530. Charles V made a public entry into Augsburg, where

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JUNE 16.

JUNE 16.

632. The Persian era began, recording the fall of the Sassanian dynasty, and the religion of Zoroaster. This famous era, as amended by the sultan Geluleddin, is now in use by the parsees of India. 1381. John Ball , in order to be chancellor under Wat Tyler, gave his followers a sermon. 1487. Battle of Stoke, England. Lambert Simnel, who had been crowned in Ireland, received the king's pardon, and was made a scullion in the royal kitchen. 1575. Adrian Junius , a learned Dutch author, died; he is

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JUNE 17.

JUNE 17.

431 B. C. The dictator Tubertus Posthumus gained a victory over the Æqui and Volsci, inconsiderable but noxious enemies of the commonwealth. 1081. Robert Guiscard opened the famous siege of Durazzo, now in European Turkey, on the gulf of Venice. 1272. An attempt made to assassinate Edward I of England in his tent at Acre, by a messenger of the emir of Joppa. He received the blow on his arm, grappled with the assassin, and throwing him on the ground despatched him with his own dagger. The life of

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JUNE 18.

JUNE 18.

64. The conflagration of Rome, attributed by Nero to the Christians, which was the ostensible cause of the first persecution. (See 24th June .) 741. Leo III ( Isaurian ), emperor of Constantinople, died. He was the son of a cobbler, and disgraced the imperial dignity by acts of barbarity and tyranny. He was the enemy of learning and learned men, and set fire to the valuable library of his capital, by which 30,000 volumes were destroyed, besides many of the choicest paintings and medals. 1053. Ba

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JUNE 19.

JUNE 19.

325. The first council of Nice began and continued to 25th August; present 318 bishops. 1215. John , king of England, signed the famous magna charta, and the charter of the forests, in a meadow at Runnimede between Staines and Windsor. (See 29th .) 1312. Piers Gaveston , the favorite of Edward II, executed. In his elevation he was proud, overbearing and cruel, and the barons rose up against him, and accomplished his destruction. 1566. James VI of Scotland and I of England, was born in a small ro

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JUNE 20.

JUNE 20.

404. The illustrious John Chrysostom banished from his patriarchate to the remote and desolate town of Cucusus, among the ridges of mount Taurus, by a command of the empress Eudoxia. The day of this his final exile was marked by the conflagration of the cathedral, senate-house, and the adjacent buildings, and by the destruction of the incomparable statues of the Muses from the temple of Helicon. 840. Louis I ( Debonnaire ), king of France and emperor of the West, died. He had not sufficient abil

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JUNE 21.

JUNE 21.

545 B. C. Thales , a Grecian philosopher, died. He was the chief of the seven sages of Greece, and founder of the Ionic sect of philosophers. He divided the Grecian zodiac into seasons, and the year into 365 days. 1339. Battle of Laupen; the citizens of Bern, in Switzerland, defeated an army of 18,000 from its rival cities, headed by 700 of its own nobility and 1,200 knights, who were totally vanquished. 1377. Edward III , of England, died, aged 65, having reigned 51 years. 1529. Trial of Cathar

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JUNE 22.

JUNE 22.

168 B. C. Battle of Pydna; Perseus, the last king of Macedon, defeated by the Romans under Paulus Æmylius, who brought to Rome a great number of books and manuscripts. The date is settled by an eclipse which happened the preceding night. This battle terminated the independence of a country which had seen a succession of thirty legitimate monarchs and eight usurpers, since its foundation by Caranus 814 B. C. , six years after the fall of Assyria. 431. Third Œcumenical council assembled at Ephesus

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JUNE 23.

JUNE 23.

217 B. C. Battle of Thrasymene, in Italy, between the Romans under Caius Flaminius, and the Carthaginians under Hannibal. The Romans were defeated, and Flaminius killed. 303. St. Alban , the first martyr for Christianity in England, beheaded at Verulam in Hertfordshire. Nearly five hundred years after his death his memory was honored by Offa, king of the Mercians, who built a stately monastery over him, whence the town of St. Albans receives its name. 1137. Albertus , archbishop of Mentz, died.

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JUNE 24.

JUNE 24.

64. The first Christian persecution under Nero. 79. Titus Flavius Vespasianus , emperor of Rome, died, after a popular reign of 10 years. He was the first of the Roman emperors who died a natural death. 1203. The third, or Boniface's crusade, reached Chalcedon. 1314. Battle of Bannockburn in Scotland. The English army of 100,000 men under Edward II totally defeated by the Scots, 30,000, under Bruce. The loss of the English was 154 earls, barons and knights, 700 gentlemen and upwards of 10,000 co

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JUNE 25.

JUNE 25.

1208. Philip , duke of Swabia, assassinated. He was elected emperor of Germany, but was obliged to give room to Otho, who had the most powerful supporters. His memory is still respected in Germany. 1520. The assaults of the Mexicans upon the Spaniards in the centre of their capital, which had continued without intermission since the massacre of the 13th May , (q.v.) was made with increased fury on this day. The Spaniards defended themselves with 12 pieces of artillery, which made terrible havoc

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JUNE 26.

JUNE 26.

285 B. C. Dionysius of Alexandria began his astronomical era. He was the first to find the exact limits of the solar year, which he made to consist of 365 days, 5 hours, 49 minutes. 44 B. C. The memorable conference between Brutus and Cassius, and Cicero at Antium. 363. Julian , emperor of Rome, died, aged 32. He was elected by his soldiery, on the death of Constantius, and soon declared himself a pagan. He was learned and in his private character respectable. 1276. Innocent V (Peter de Tarantai

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JUNE 27.

JUNE 27.

432 B. C. The estival solstice of Meton, the Athenian, corresponds with this day, in the 87th Olympiad. From the time of Solon the Attic months were lunar, composed alternately of 30 and 29 days. 1137. The city of Bath in England destroyed by fire. 1299. Pope Boniface VIII issued an authoritative rescript, directed to Edward I, claiming the feudal sovereignty over Scotland. Edward received it in his camp, and in reply formally deduced his claim to the superiority, from Brute the Trojan . His hol

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JUNE 28.

JUNE 28.

1059. Abdullah , founder of the dynasty of the Almoravides, which ruled Africa and Spain during a century, died of a wound received in battle. 1598. Abraham Ortelius , a Dutch geographer, died. He traveled over a considerable portion of Europe, and for his knowledge was styled the Ptolemy of his age. 1632. The original charter of Maryland granted to Cecil, lord Baltimore. The draft being in Latin, the country was called Terra Mariæ , in honor of the queen. 1650. John de Rotron , a distinguished

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JUNE 29.

JUNE 29.

65. Peter , the apostle, crucified at Rome, in the reign of Nero. On the evening of this day, St. Peter's church at Rome is splendidly illuminated. 455. The sack of Rome under Genseric, the Vandal, terminated. It had continued 14 days. The spoils of Jerusalem were removed to Carthage. 794. Offa , a powerful English king, died. He corresponded on flattering terms with Charlemagne, and fixed a seal to his charters. 1033. A great eclipse of the sun was observed. In France it caused almost midnight

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JUNE 30.

JUNE 30.

1513. Henry VIII embarked with his forces at Dover for the invasion of France, appointing his "most dear consort, queen Catharine, rectrix and governor of the realm." 1520. Montezuma , the Mexican monarch, died. The situation of the Spaniards becoming desperate, Cortez persuaded the captive monarch to address his people from a terrace, and request them to desist from their attacks and allow the Spaniards to evacuate the city. The Indians were silent while he spoke, but answered that they had pro

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JULY 1.

JULY 1.

1452 B. C. Aaron , the Jewish high priest, died on the first day of the month Ab, at the age of 123. 1190. The crusaders under Richard Plantagenet and Philip de Valois, amounting to 100,000 warriors and pilgrims, assembled in the plains of Vezelai. 1270. Louis IX of France sailed from Aigues Mortes, on his fatal crusade against the infidels of Tunis. 1413. Pierre des Essars , a French nobleman, executed. He served in the Scottish army against England, 1402, and was taken prisoner. On his return

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JULY 2.

JULY 2.

928. John X , pope of Rome, suffocated in prison. Better fitted for heading an army than governing the church, he was victorious over the Turks in battle. 936. Henry I ( the fowler ), of Germany, died. He was successful in his wars, strengthened his empire, and promoted harmony and union among the German princes. 1296. John Baliol subscribed his abdication at Kincardin. For three years he had the tower of London and a circuit round the walls for twenty miles for his possession; and in 1299 was p

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JULY 3.

JULY 3.

237. Antonius Africanus Gordian , killed near Carthage by a general of Maximinus, during whose reign he had been elected emperor, much against his will. 323. Battle of Adrianople and overthrow of Lucinius, when Constantine took possession of Byzantium, which he afterwards made the seat of his empire, and named it Constantinopolis. 987. Inauguration at Rheims of Hugh Capet, son of Hugo, duke of Burgundy, and founder of the third race in the French monarchy—the Capetan. 1437. The sacred play of Th

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JULY 4.

JULY 4.

1097. Battle of Dorylæum, in Phrygia, and rout of the Moslems under Soliman. 1450. Lord Say and Sele beheaded by order of Jack Cade, at Cheapside, London. 1533. John Fryth , an English preacher, burnt at Smithfield for the heresy of Lutheranism. 1563. Leeds bridge school was founded in the time of Henry VIII. 1584. Amidas and Barlow , two experienced commodores sent out by sir Walter Raleigh for the purpose of discovering and taking possession of the American continent north of Florida, arrived

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JULY 5.

JULY 5.

394 B. C. Agesilaus crossed the Hellespont, on his recal from the Persian satrapy, a march of thirty days, which had occupied Xerxes twelve months.—The great battle fought by the Spartans against their countrymen happened about the same day. 965. Benedict V , pope, died. He was elected in opposition to Leo VIII. His short reign was stormy, and he was carried to Hamburg by Otho, who favored the cause of his rival. 1044. Aba , king of Hungary, defeated by his own subjects and killed in battle. 110

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JULY 6.

JULY 6.

63 B. C. The Roman capitol fired during the night by an incendiary and consumed. The famous sibyline verses perished with it. 1189. Henry II , of England, died. He added Brittany and Ireland to his dominions, attempted to repress the ambition of the clergy, and died of a broken heart at the rebellion of his children. 1303. Benedict XI ( Nicholas Bacosin ), pope, died. He was the son of a shepherd, succeeded Boniface VIII, and was poisoned by his cardinals. 1439. The solemn act of reunion between

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JULY 7.

JULY 7.

715 B. C. Romulus , founder and first king of Rome, disappeared on the nones , during the quirinalia , in a chariot of fire, patriis equis , as he was reviewing his people. There seems to be no other way of explaining this account, than that he was a victim of some of the elements. 587 B. C. The city of Jerusalem, with the temple, palaces and walls, razed to the ground, the inhabitants carried into captivity, and the entire Israelitish monarchy terminated (after it had stood 468 years from the a

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JULY 8.

JULY 8.

17. The isle of Thia, one of the scattered cluster called the Sporades, in the Grecian archipelago, rose brightly from the sea. 1117. Adam de St. Victoire , a French ecclesiastic and writer, died. 1174. Henry II of England performed severe penance before the shrine of Thomas a Becket in the cathedral of Canterbury. 1497. The Indian expedition of Emanuel, king of Portugal, sailed from the Tagus. It consisted of three vessels, under Vasco de Gama. 1520. The retreating and almost annihilated army o

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JULY 9.

JULY 9.

597 B. C. An eclipse of the sun, foretold by Thales. 518. Anastasius I , the silentiary, died; who from obscure birth became emperor of the East by marrying the widow of the emperor Zeno. 551. The city of Berytus overthrown by an earthquake. It gave birth to Sanconiatho, the Phœnician historian, about the period of the Trojan war, in the time of Hercules. 552. The Armenians commenced their era, Tuesday. The year, like the Noetic, consists of twelve months of thirty days, with an insertion of fiv

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JULY 10.

JULY 10.

70. Conflagration of the second temple of the Jews, in the night following the ninth day of Lous (Ab) the second year of Vespasian. 138. Publius Ælius Adrian , emperor of Rome, died. He was a renowned general and great traveler; and on a visit to Britain built the British wall, extending from Newcastle to Carlisle, 80 miles in length. 983. Pope Benedict VII died. 1024. Benedict VIII , pope, died. To the arts of the politician he added the valor of the warrior, and exterminated the Saracens who i

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JULY 11.

JULY 11.

472. Procopius Anthemius , emperor of Rome, murdered. He acquired the title of Augustus by his valor. Ricimir, a general to whom he had given his daughter in marriage, burst the gates of Rome, and imbrued his hands in the blood of his father-in-law, while his barbarian followers were indulged without control, in the three-fold license of murder, rapine and indiscriminate pillage. 1103. Eric (the good), king of Denmark, died at Cyprus. 1191. Acre, in Palestine, surrendered by the Saracens to the

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JULY 12.

JULY 12.

100 B. C. Birthday of Julius Cæsar , the Roman emperor. Pliny says of him that he could employ at the same time his ears to listen, his eyes to read, his hand to write, and his mind to dictate. 1174. King William of Scotland taken by the famous chief-justiciary, Glanville. This success of the arms of king Henry has been attributed to his having, on the Thursday previous, done penance at the tomb of Thomas a Becket. 1191. The Christians took possession of the city of Acre. The two western kings p

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JULY 13.

JULY 13.

325. The first œcumenical council, that is, council of the whole habitable earth, assembled at Nice, now Isnick, in Bythinia, where 318 fathers of the church subscribed the ordinances regulating the festival of Easter, and establishing the Godhead, in opposition to the dogmas of Arius. 573. Pope John III died. 1024. Henry II , emperor of Germany, died. He was successful in arms against the Greeks and Saracens, whom he drove from Calabria, restored peace and tranquility in Italy and Germany, and

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JULY 14.

JULY 14.

66. It was on the 14th of Lous , during the festival of Zylophory, or wood carrying, at Jerusalem, to feed the perpetual fire at the sacred altar, that the zealots destroyed the house of Ananias the chief priest, and the palaces of Agrippa and Berenice, with all the public archives, containing the bonds of debtors, "the nerves of the city." 1099. Jerusalem taken by the crusaders. 1420. Battle of Prague; 4000 Hussites under their celebrated leader Zisca, repelled the Bohemian army of 30,000 under

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JULY 15.

JULY 15.

496 B. C. Battle of Regillum, in which it is said the twin knights Castor and Pollux appeared upon white horses and assisted the Romans. In memory of this event an annual cavalcade was instituted at Rome, during which the knights, robed in purple, and crowned with olive wreaths, rode in solemn procession from the temple of Honor to the Capitol, where the censor, seated on his curule chair, passed judgment on their characters. 238. Maximus and Balbinus , emperors of Rome, murdered by the prætoria

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JULY 16.

JULY 16.

523 B. C. One hour before midnight at Babylon the moon was eclipsed 6 digits on her northern disk. This is believed to be the 5th eclipse on record. 622. The Hegira, or Mohammedan era, commenced. It was instituted by Omar, the second caliph, in imitation of the era of the martyrs, beginning with the first appearance of the new moon (the crescent), 68 days before the flight of Mohammed from Mecca to Medina. 1054. Michael Cerularius , the Greek patriarch, excommunicated at Constantinople by the po

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JULY 17.

JULY 17.

855. Leo IV , pope, died. He was a wise and courageous pontiff, who, when the Saracens approached Rome to pillage it, boldly marched out to meet them, unsupported by the emperors of the east or the west. The Saracens were defeated with great slaughter, and the captives employed to adorn and fortify the city they had come to destroy. The famous pope Joan succeeded for a few days to the papal chair. 1085. Robert Guiscard , duke of Apulia, died at Corfu. He was a famous Norman knight, who assisted

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JULY 18.

JULY 18.

390 B. C. Battle of Allia, a river in Italy; the Romans defeated by the Gauls under Brennus, who destroyed the city, except the capitol. 1009. John XVIII , pope, died. He was a Roman; after him the right of election passed from the Roman people to the clergy. He resigned the dignity some time before his death, and died in the obscurity of a monastry. 1100. Godfrey de Bouillion , one of the heroes of the crusades, died. He was the son of a French count, defeated the armies of the sultan with grea

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JULY 19.

JULY 19.

64. The firing of Rome in the reign of Nero is placed by des Vignoles on the 19th July; the day also on which it was sacked by the Senonian Gauls. (See June 18 .) 1203. Fall of Constantinople to the Venitian crusaders, when Isaac Angelus, feeble and blind, was solemnly reseated, with his son Alexius, upon the imperial throne. 1242. Battle of Taillebourg, upon the Charente, in France. The French king, at the head of a vast and superior force, carried the bridge, and the English under Henry, the r

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JULY 20.

JULY 20.

1322 B. C. The great Canicular cycle of the Egyptians, consisting of 1460 years, began with the sun in Cancer, 15 days after the summer solstice. Its first revolution was just completed with the reign of Adrian, 138 A. D. ; its second in the time of Shakspeare, 1598. The famous expedition of the Argonauts, and the foundation of the Pythian games, are events which chronologists have placed sixty years afterwards. 44 B. C. The customary games in memory of Cæsar's victories were exhibited by Octavi

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JULY 21.

JULY 21.

1756 A. M. The window of the ark opened 40 days after the appearance of the tops of the mountains, 1st of 10th month, (June 11). See Nov. 2 . 330 B. C. Darius III ( Codomanus ), the last king of the ancient Persian empire, assassinated. He was conquered by Alexander the Great, and treacherously slain by Bessus, governor of Bactria, his own general, who hoped to succeed to the sovereignty. With his death the Persian empire became extinct, after a lapse of 228 years from its establishment by Cyrus

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JULY 22.

JULY 22.

310 B. C. The Carthaginians defeated Agathocles, who nevertheless carried the war into Africa. 711. Roderick , the last of the Goths, is overthrown by Tarik, or Xeres, upon the Guadelete, in Spain. 1298. Battle of Falkirk; the Scots under Wallace defeated with great slaughter by the English under Edward I. Wallace escaped, but his sun had now sunk forever, and the remainder of his life was spent in his native forests, a fugitive. The number of slain in the Scottish army is by some represented as

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JULY 23.

JULY 23.

1401. The city of Bagdad sacked by the Tartars under Tamerlane ( Timour the Lame ,) who erected on her ruins a pyramid of 90,000 heads. 1531. Treaty of Nuremberg between Charles V and the reformers, and soon after solemnly ratified by the diet of Ratisbon. 1562. Gœtz von Berlichingen ( with the iron hand ), a bold, restless and warlike German knight, died. He placed himself at the head of the rebellious peasantry in the war which they waged against their oppressors, but was soon taken prisoner.

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JULY 24.

JULY 24.

634. Abubekir , father-in-law of Mohammed, the Arabian prophet, died. He was elected caliph, and supported with energy the fabric already erected by the founder of the new religion. He subdued the disaffected tribes at home, and turned his arms successfully against foreign invaders. 1313. Ralph de Baldock , bishop of London, died. He wrote a history of British affairs, now lost, and was a virtuous and charitable prelate, and a man of learning and judgment. 1322. Bruce , after ravaging the wester

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JULY 25.

JULY 25.

306. Constantius Chlorus , emperor of Rome, died at York palace, and was succeeded the same day by his son Constantine the Great. 811. Nicephorus I , emperor of Rome, died. He was chancellor of the eastern empire, and seized the throne 807, banishing the empress Irene to Mitylene. He overcame all opposition from his own subjects, but was vanquished by the Bulgarians, and fell in battle. 1139. Battle of Aurique, in Portugal; Alphonse I vanquished five Moorish kings and their barbaric heads were e

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JULY 26.

JULY 26.

46 B. C. Julius Cæsar , arrived at Rome from Utica, celebrated the fourfold triumph in a quadriga of white horses, for the victories over the Gauls, over Ptolemy in Egypt, over Pharnaces in Pontus, and over Juba in Africa; entertained the people with naumachian and pentachlic or circensian games during 40 days; rewarded and feasted them at 22,000 tables; was declared consul the fourth time, and dictator for ten years; and to place him on the summit of human glory, his statue was erected in the c

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JULY 27.

JULY 27.

1139. The country of Portugal erected into a monarchy. 1276. James I ( the Warrior ), of Arragon, died. He conquered several Moorish kingdoms, and added them to his dominions, and supported himself against the encroachments of the papal power. 1586. Sir Francis Drake arrived in England from a western expedition, accompanied by Lane, the commander of Raleigh's Virginian colony, who now first brought from his settlement, tobacco into England: that which sir John Hawkins brought home in 1565 was co

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JULY 28.

JULY 28.

2348 B. C. Noah , the Xisuthrus of Berosus, opened the windows of the ark and sent forth a dove and a raven, 40 days after the appearance of the mountains. 388. Magnus Maximus , emperor of Rome, beheaded. He was a Spaniard, proclaimed emperor by his troops in Britain. On arriving at Aquelia, on his way to Rome, he was defeated by Theodosius I, and beheaded. 450. Theodosius ( the younger ), emperor of Rome, died. He was successful in war against the Persians, who were defeated near their own domi

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JULY 29.

JULY 29.

1108. Philip I , king of France, died. He came to the throne at the age of 8 years; was ambitious and unscrupulous in his acts; engaged in war with England and Flanders, and was defeated by both. 1218. Louis Van Loon died; the husband of Ada, the expatriated queen of Holland. 1540. A statute was made confirming the seizures of the abbeys by Henry VIII. 1567. Prince James , less than 14 months old, was crowned king of Scotland at Stirling. 1578. Sebastian , king of Portugal, killed. He was unfort

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JULY 30.

JULY 30.

578. Benedict I (Bonosus), pope, died. During his pontificate the people suffered the double calamity of famine and invasion, throughout which he interested himself to alleviate their condition. 911. Abu Abdillah assassinated; the principal actor in the revolution which established the dynasty of the Fatimites in Africa and Egypt. 1095. Ladislaus I , king of Hungary, died. He was an able statesman and general, and victorious in his wars with the surrounding nations. The Huns were driven from the

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JULY 31.

JULY 31.

1423. Battle of Crevant, in France, in which the armies of the infant king of England were victorious. 1481. Franciscus Philadelphus , a learned Italian, died. He was at the head of the learned men of the day, professor of eloquence at Venice, and the personal friend of Lorenzo de Medici. 1498. Columbus discovered the island of Trinidad, resembling three mountains. 1556. Ignatius Loyola , founder of the Jesuits, died. He was a brave officer in the Spanish army, and while under the hands of a sur

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AUGUST 1.

AUGUST 1.

30 B. C. Defection of the entire fleet of Marc Antony, at Alexandria, which suddenly passed over to Octavius, afterwards Augustus Cæsar. 117. Marcus Ulpius Trajan , emperor of Rome, died. He admired and copied the virtues of Nerva, his predecessor, and reigned nearly twenty years in the hearts of his people, when Hadrian received his mantle. 432. Celestine I , pope, died. The doctrines of Nestorius were condemned by him. 643. Oswald , king of Northumberland, slain at Maserfield. Bede says he ere

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AUGUST 2.

AUGUST 2.

338 B. C. Battle of Cheronea, on the Cephisus, and defeat of the Athenians and Thebans by Philip of Macedon. 338 B. C. The army of Archidamus, the Spartan, overthrown in Lucania, and himself killed. 322 B. C. Joint victory of Antipater and Craterius, near the walls of Cranon, in Thessaly. 10. Three Roman legions under Varus cut off in Germany. "Quintilius Varus, give me my legions again," exclaimed the father of his country. Varus, however, had shared the fate of his legions. 44. King Agrippa (

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AUGUST 3.

AUGUST 3.

479 B. C. The fatal battle of Platea, between Mardonius the Persian and Pausanius the Spartan general. The other sanguinary victory over the Persians, on the promontory of Mycale was achieved the same day, third of Boedromion. 431 B. C. An eclipse of the sun noticed by Thucydides, eight days after the first invasion of Attica under Archidamus, king of Sparta, at the head of 60,000 Peloponesian confederates, and whilst Pericles was in the act of embarking against Epidaurus, the sacred city. 678.

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AUGUST 4.

AUGUST 4.

57 B. C. The decree recalling Cicero from banishment, which passed the full senate, consisting of 417 members, was ratified in the field of Mars, by a vote of all the centuries; it was nearly the last genuine public act of Roman liberty. 882. Louis III , of France, died. He shared the throne with his brother Carloman, and ably defended himself against his enemies. 1060. Henry I , of France, died in consequence of taking an improper medicine; highly respected as a good warrior and a benevolent ma

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AUGUST 5.

AUGUST 5.

57 B. C. Cicero landed from Durazzo at Brundusium, and was met there by his excellent daughter Tullia, on the 20th anniversary of her birthday. 1100. Inauguration of Henry I, of England, who instantly granted a charter to the nation, restoring the laws of Edward the Confessor to the same state in which they had been settled by the Conqueror ; and drove from his court the effœminati with their enormous and disgusting train. 1391. Charles VI , of France, surnamed the Well-beloved , seized by a men

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AUGUST 6.

AUGUST 6.

1577. Queen Elizabeth granted a license to John Day, and Richard Day, his son, during their lives, and that of the longest liver, to print the Psalms of David in metre. 1580. Andrea Palladio , a very distinguished Italian architect, died; many specimens of his designs yet remain. 1585. Davis , the navigator, reached the strait which bears his name, and cast anchor in Exeter bay, "beneath that brave mount, the cliffs whereof were orient as gold." 1637. Benjamin Jonson , the English poet and drama

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AUGUST 7.

AUGUST 7.

480 B. C. The immortal battle in the pass of Thermopylæ is placed upon this day; when Leonidas with 300 Spartans withstood the army of Xerxes. There was a skirmish also with the Grecian fleet at Artemisium. Diodorus fixes the victory of Gelon, under the walls of Himera, in Sicily, upon the same day. 445 B. C. Dedication of the walls of Jerusalem by Nehemiah, on the 7th of Elul, in the 21st year of Artaxerxes. 44. Herod Agrippa , king of Judea, died suddenly upon his throne. He was a great builde

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AUGUST 8.

AUGUST 8.

70. Capture of Jerusalem by Titus, the 8th day of the month Gorpieus, (Elul) upon his daughter's birthday. 1419. Peter d'Ailly , a French ecclesiastic, died. He was of an obscure family, and rose by his merit to the office of cardinal. 1503. Alexander VI ( Roderick Borgia ), pope, died. He was of infamous notoriety before his elevation to the pontificate, and is supposed to have been poisoned by a draught which he had prepared for some of his guests. 1540. Nuptials of Henry VIII and Catharine Ho

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AUGUST 9.

AUGUST 9.

357 B. C. An eclipse of the moon which preceded the departure of Dion from Zacynthus (Zante) upon his celebrated expedition against the tyrant Dionysius the Younger. He entered Syracuse with his little band of 800 veterans in September, and in three days became master of the empire. The deaths of Democritus and Hippocrates, each 104 years old, and of Timotheus, the Milesian poet and musician, took place in that year. 378. The great and disastrous battle of Adrianople, second only to that of Cann

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AUGUST 10.

AUGUST 10.

353. Magnentius , emperor of Rome, killed. He was a German, and rose from a private soldier to the throne. 1506. The island of Madagascar discovered by the Portuguese. 1519. Ferdinand Magellan sailed from Seville with 5 ships and 234 men, on his voyage of discovery, which was continued round the world. 1543. The Turks under Barbarossa and the French under count d'Enguein assaulted Nice, but were repulsed by Montford, a Savoyard gentleman, and obliged finally to raise the siege. 1557. Battle of S

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AUGUST 11.

AUGUST 11.

50. The first of the month Thoth, in the movable Egyptian year, corresponded, as Pliny intimates, with this Julian day (798 of the era of Narbonasser); and with the 30th July, A. D. 97 (845 era Narb.), in the Greek month Metagitnion, as we collect from Plutarch. 1332. Battle of Gladsmuir, near St. Johnstown, in which David of Scotland was defeated by Baliol. 1454. Nicholas de Cusa , an Italian cardinal, died. He rose from extreme indigence and obscurity by his own merit, to great dignity and fam

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AUGUST 12.

AUGUST 12.

403 B. C. Act of amnesty, which restored the Athenian democracy, between Thrasybulus and the decemvirate, in the archonship of Euclides, 12th of Boedromion—the year when Thucydides returned from exile. 243 B. C. Liberation of Corinth, by Aratus, in his 2d prætorship. 1099. Battle of Ascalon; the Saracens under the sultan of Egypt defeated by Godfrey de Bouillon, and totally overthrown. 1204. Boniface , marquis of Montferrat, disposed of the isle of Candia, with the ruins of a hundred cities, to

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AUGUST 13.

AUGUST 13.

582. Tiberius II , emperor of Constantinople, died. His character was conspicuous for humanity, justice, temperance and fortitude. 587. Radegonde , the queen of Clotaire of France, died. At the age of 18 she renounced paganism, and was celebrated for her personal charms, and devotedness to religious duties. 875. Louis II , king of France and emperor of Germany, died. He was a brave and virtuous monarch. 1415. Henry V of England sailed for the conquest of France with a fleet of about 1,300 vessel

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AUGUST 14.

AUGUST 14.

394 B. C. An eclipse of the sun noticed by Xenophon, which just preceded the battle of Coronea, where Agesilaus stood his ground against the Greek confederates. Xenophon, who fought under the Spartan, describes it as the most desperate conflict in his time. 376 B. C. Chabras defeated the Lacedæmonian fleet off Naxos, full moon of Boedromion. The youth Phocion here distinguished himself. 1211. Llewellyn , prince of Wales, made his submission to king John of England, and delivered 28 hostages at t

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AUGUST 15.

AUGUST 15.

1356 B. C. The Eleusinia, or great Grecian mysteries, founded in this year, so celebrated throughout the classical world, were observed by the Athenians at Eleusis, every fifth year for nine days, commencing on the 15th Boedromion; introduced in memory of Ceres. 310 B. C. Agathocles landed in Africa during an eclipse of the sun, not many weeks subsequent to his defeat by the Carthagenians at Himera. Epicurus began in that year to teach at Mitylene and Lampsacus. 423. Honorius , emperor of Rome,

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AUGUST 16.

AUGUST 16.

1191. The Saracen hostages, 2500 in number, put to the sword beneath the walls of Acre, by order of Richard, with the sanction of his confederates. The galls of the murdered infidels were converted into Christian medicines. 1380. John of Gaunt erected a court of minstrels at Tutbury, England, with legal jurisdiction over the men in that profession in five counties. It consisted of a king and four other officers, who had sovereign authority upon this day. 1424. Battle of Verneuil, in France; the

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AUGUST 17.

AUGUST 17.

1408. John Gower , an early English poet, died. He was a member of the bar, and a severe contemner of the vices of the age. 1483. Edward V of England, and his brother the duke of York, smothered in prison by order of the duke of Gloucester, their guardian. 1502. Columbus sent his brother Bartholomew on shore at Orejas, and took possession of South America in the name of Ferdinand and Isabella. 1544. St. Dizier surrendered to the emperor Charles V, after a noble defence made by the French governo

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AUGUST 18.

AUGUST 18.

332 B. C. Gaza, in Palestine, entered by Alexander the Great, and 10,000 of her inhabitants put to the sword. This was during the Isthmian games, and shortly after the fall of Tyre, which was taken in the month Hecatombæon. 328. Helena , empress of Rome, died, aged 80. She was the mother of Constantine, and distinguished for her zeal in the cause of the Christian religion. 852. Abdurrahman II , sultan of Cordova, died, aged 65. He was the patron of learning and scholars, though constantly engage

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AUGUST 19.

AUGUST 19.

335 B. C. The city of Thebes demolished by Alexander, during the mysteries. 14 ( A. U. C. 766). Octavius Cæsar Augustus , the great and virtuous emperor of Rome, died at Nola. This day is also the anniversary of his first exaltation to the consular dignity. 1493. Frederick III , of Germany, died. He was fifty-eight years emperor of Austria, and fifty-three emperor of Germany, during which time he was constantly embroiled in troubles, and suffered many humiliations and indignities from the neighb

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AUGUST 20.

AUGUST 20.

480 B. C. Battle of Salamis, in Greece, and defeat of the Persians under Xerxes. This great achievement occurred on that day of the mysteries devoted to the solemnities of Bacchus. 332 B. C. Tyre taken by Alexander , which with the subsequent conquest of Gaza, gave to him Egypt. 984. John XIV , pope, died. He was imprisoned in the castle of St. Angelo, by Boniface VIII, where he died, either of poison or grief. 1153. St. Bernard , of Clairvaux, died, and was cannonized on this day. He was an ext

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AUGUST 21.

AUGUST 21.

638. Antioch in Syria taken by the Saracens. 1130. Abdulmumen , ibn Ali, elected sultan of eastern Africa by the following stratagem. Having trained a parrot and a lion, he assembled the chiefs in his tent, and urged upon them the necessity of naming a successor to their rising empire. In the midst of their deliberations the parrot perched himself upon one of the poles of the tent, and pronounced distinctly "Victory and power be the lot of the khalif Abdulmumen, commander of the faithful." The l

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AUGUST 22.

AUGUST 22.

1138. Battle of North Allerton, in England, and defeat of the Irish under king David. 1280. Nicholas III , pope, died. His reign is noted for a missionary expedition to Tartary. 1357. Isabella , queen of England, died in prison, where she had been confined 28 years. 1485. Battle of Bosworth field, in which the forces of Richard III were defeated and himself killed. The forces of Richard exceeded 16,000, while those of Richmond did not amount to 5,000. The battle lasted little more than two hours

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AUGUST 23.

AUGUST 23.

634. Abdallah Atik Ben Abi Kohafah , better known as Abu Bekr, died. He was the first caliph or successor of Mohammed in the government of the faithful. He enlarged the empire, and caused the precepts of the prophet to be collected in a volume, called Al Koran , which is the sacred and classical book of the Mohammedans. 1305. William Wallace , "the peerless knight of Ellerslie," at the age of about 35, executed on Tower hill, and his head set up on London bridge, to the public gaze. 1350. Philip

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AUGUST 24.

AUGUST 24.

79. First eruption on record of Vesuvius, which overwhelmed the towns of Herculaneum and Pompeii, and destroyed the martyr of nature . The younger Pliny, the nephew of that greater man, has described the terrific catastrophe in two letters to Tacitus. 93. Cneius Julius Agricola , a celebrated Roman general, died. He was governor in Great Britain, and by doubling the northern point of Scotland, first discovered it to be an island. (Sept. 1st?) 410. Alaric , at the head of the Goths, entered Rome

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AUGUST 25.

AUGUST 25.

383. Gratianus , emperor of Rome, assassinated at the age of 24. He was a powerful Christian ruler, but of an unfortunate turn of mind to conduct a government. 1170. Strongbow , under king Dermot, carried Dublin by storm. 1270. Louis IX , of France, died. He made two crusades for the recovery of the Holy Land, and died of a contagion off Tunis, in Africa. 1313. Henry VII , emperor of Germany, died. He entered Rome sword in hand, at a time when the country was distracted by the war of the Guelphs

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AUGUST 26.

AUGUST 26.

331 B. C. Battle of Arbela, the modern Irbil, on the Lycus, between the Macedonians under Alexander, and the Persians under Darius (26th Boedromion). The Persians were defeated and the fate of Darius sealed. 55 B. C. Julius Cæsar made a landing on British ground, at a point eight miles north of Dover. 55. A surprisingly great comet was seen by the inhabitants of China. 1278. Battle of Marchfeld, in Austria, between Ottocar and Rodolph of Hapsburg, in which Ottocar fell. This day laid the foundat

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AUGUST 27.

AUGUST 27.

413 B. C. The Athenian army under Nicias lost on account of the general's fright at an eclipse of the moon. 524. Flavius Severinus Bœthius , a celebrated Roman philosopher, died in prison, probably executed by order of Theodoric. 1556. Charles V , emperor of Germany, resigned the government to his brother Ferdinand, and set out for Spain. 1565. William Rastal died; an eminent English judge of the sixteenth century, and author of a work on the statutes of England. 1587. At the urgent solicitation

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AUGUST 28.

AUGUST 28.

430. Aurelius Augustinus (or St. Augustin), one of the fathers of the Christian church, died at Hippo, in Africa. 876. Louis I , of Germany, died. He acquired the title of the pious, at the same time rendered himself powerful and formidable to his neighbors. 1443. John V , duke of Britanny, died, and was succeeded by his son Francis. 1595. Drake and Hawkins sailed from England with six of the queen's ships and twenty-one private ships and barks, on an expedition against the Spanish settlements i

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AUGUST 29.

AUGUST 29.

30 B. C. Conquest of Alexandria by Augustus; exactly three lustra or fifteen years preceding the great victory of Drusus over the Rhœtians and Vindelici, which concluded the Barbaric war. 30. St. John ( the Baptist ) beheaded. The decollation of the Baptist determines the birthday of Herod, tetrarch of Galilee, called Antipas, who for his ambition was banished by Caligula to Spain or Lyons, with Herodias, in the year 38. 410. Alaric evacuated Rome and ravaged the provinces of Italy. 284. Era of

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AUGUST 30.

AUGUST 30.

30 B. C. Cleopatra , queen of Egypt, destroyed herself by the bite of an asp, to save herself from the disgrace of captivity. 526. Theodoric , first king of the Goths in Italy, died. He advanced commerce and the arts, and patronized literature, but committed great acts of cruelty. 1181. Alexander III , pope, died. He was an able pontiff, beloved by his subjects and respected by the world. 1483. Louis XI , of France, died. His ambition led him to the commission of the greatest crimes, by which he

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AUGUST 31.

AUGUST 31.

1130. Abu Abdillah Mohammed , founder of the sect and dynasty of Almohades, died. The empire founded by this imposter, lasted 140 years. 1290. Edward I , by a proclamation, exiled the whole race of English Jews forever, on penalty of death. 1422. Henry V of England died at Vincennes, in France. He had conquered the kingdom, and was received at Paris as the future master of the country. 1523. Ulric Hutten , an eccentric German poet, died. 1568. John de la Valette Parisot , grand master of the kni

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SEPTEMBER 1.

SEPTEMBER 1.

5508 B. C. The world was created, according to the Septuagint , followed by Julius Africanus, a chronologer of the third century, upon the first of September, five thousand five hundred and eight years, three months and twenty-five days before the birth of Christ. Of the 7,349 years which are thus supposed to elapse since the creation, we shall find 3,000 of ignorance and darkness; 2,000 either fabulous or doubtful; 1,000 of ancient history, commencing with the Persian empire and the republics o

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SEPTEMBER 2.

SEPTEMBER 2.

44 B. C. Cicero delivered the first of those speeches against Marc Antony, called his Philippics . 31 B. C. Battle of Actium, off the promontory of Epirus, in which the fleet of Marc Antony was defeated and his hopes utterly prostrated. 1338. Edward III was invested by the emperor at Coblentz, with the title of his vicar, but refused to kiss the imperial foot. 1483. The renowned Caxton issued from his press a book entitled, Confessio Amantis : That is to saye in Englisshe, The Confessyon of the

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SEPTEMBER 3.

SEPTEMBER 3.

1189. Inauguration of Richard I ( Cœur de Lion ), at Westminster, a most splendid pageant. 1328. Castracani Castruccio , a famous Italian general, died. He was found, when an infant, in a heap of leaves, in Tuscany; and lived to attain the highest rank in military fame. 1332. A famous bull feast in the Coliseum at Rome, after the fashion of the Moors and Spaniards. The ladies were seated in three balconies, lined with scarlet cloth. Every knight assumed a livery and device. The champions who wer

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SEPTEMBER 4.

SEPTEMBER 4.

1456. John Corvinus Hunniades died; a general in the Hungarian armies, distinguished for his bravery and his great success in the wars with the Turks. 1532. Pizarro , having landed in Peru and founded a colony, now began his march for the conquest of the country. His force consisted of 62 horse, and 106 foot, among whom were 20 crossbowmen, with which he went forth to encounter tens of thousands of fierce and warlike men. It is said that Pizarro incited his followers to this dangerous enterprise

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SEPTEMBER 5.

SEPTEMBER 5.

1548. Catharine Parr , the sixth and last queen of Henry VIII, died. She was learned, and had sufficient prudence and sagacity to direct the caprices of the monarch in his dotage. 1569. Edmund Bonner , bishop of London, died. He was of low parentage, and on coming to power, distinguished himself by a most cruel and bloody persecution of the protestants, 200 of whom he was instrumental in bringing to the stake, and is said to have whipped and tortured several with his own hands. On the accession

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SEPTEMBER 6.

SEPTEMBER 6.

972. John XIII , pope, died. He was elected by the power of the emperor, against the wishes of the Roman people. A violent dissention was the consequence, and the new pontiff was banished the next year by the prefect of Rome; he was reinstated by the emperor, and his opponent in turn sent into exile. 1492. Columbus sailed from the Canaries, where he had been detained since the 12th of August, in refitting for the voyage. 1521. John Sebastian del Cano , having on the death of Magellan, been appoi

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SEPTEMBER 7.

SEPTEMBER 7.

70. Jerusalem demolished, and her foundations broke up on this day, Gregorian time. The walls were crossed on Friday, the last day of August, the conquest was completed on the sabbath and the calends of September, and the havoc consumed about six days. There were slain or butchered one million beards . (See 8th Aug. Gorpeius is a tropical month, beginning 25th Aug.) 1069. The Danes again made a descent on England, and landed at Dover. 1134. Alfonso , king of Arragon, killed in battle. 1493. Fred

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SEPTEMBER 8.

SEPTEMBER 8.

70. Jerusalem taken by Titus after a most obstinate resistance on the part of the inhabitants. More than 1,000,000 are said to have perished. 1636. Harvard college founded at Cambridge, Mass. 1644. Francis Quarles , a celebrated English poet, died. 1650. The princess Elizabeth , daughter of the unfortunate Charles, died at Carisbrook castle in the isle of Wight, aged 15. 1656. Joseph Hall , "the first professed English satirist," died. He was bishop of Norwich, and acquired the title of the Chri

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SEPTEMBER 9.

SEPTEMBER 9.

905. Olga , princess of Russia, received with great pomp and ceremony at Constantinople by the emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus. The baptism and nomination of the empress Helena, established the era of Russian Christianity. 1087. William I ( the Conqueror ), king of England, died in consequence of a fall from his horse, near Rouen, in France. He invaded England from Normandy, 1066, and having defeated Harold, who was slain at the battle of Hastings, was crowned king. 1513. Battle of Flodden,

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SEPTEMBER 10.

SEPTEMBER 10.

954. Louis IV , king of France, killed by a fall from his horse, at the age of 38. 1167. Matilda , of England, empress of Germany, died. She was the daughter of Henry I of England, married Henry IV of Germany, and was afterwards acknowledged queen of England; but her conduct not suiting the nobles, she was deposed and Stephen placed on the throne. 1543. The small remains of the army which had sailed from Cuba in 1539 (see May 18 ) under de Soto, for the conquest of Florida, arrived at Panuco on

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SEPTEMBER 11.

SEPTEMBER 11.

1069. The Danes under Harold and Canute landed in England, at the mouth of the Humber, and laid waste the country. 1297. Battle near Cambuskenneth, on the Forth, between the Scots under Wallace, and the English, in which the latter were defeated with the loss of 5,000 slain. The victors, to show their utter detestation of that tool of Edward, Cressingham, flayed his body, and converted his skin into thongs for their horses. 1539. Date of the will of Henry Pepwell, a distinguished book publisher,

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SEPTEMBER 12.

SEPTEMBER 12.

284. Marcus Aurelius Numerianus , the Roman emperor, died, or was assassinated. He was admired for his learning and moderation, was naturally eloquent, and was esteemed one of the best poets of the age. 1362. Innocent VI ( Stephen Albert ), pope, died. He was of a peaceful disposition, and labored earnestly to reconcile the kings of England and France. 1382. Louis I , king of Hungary and Poland, died. One of his acts was to expel the Jews. 1504. Columbus sailed from San Domingo—that great man's

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SEPTEMBER 13.

SEPTEMBER 13.

507 B. C. The dedication of the Roman capital fell upon this day, about the full moon of the Greek month Matagitnion. Horatius Pulvillus, as supreme prætor, drove the first annual nail in the wall of the temple, near the fane of Minerva. 44. Cæsar executed his last testament at his seat near Lavicanum. He left the people his gardens near the Tiber, and 300 sesterces to each man. 81. Titus Flavius Vespasianus , emperor of Rome, died. He was an obscure native of Riti, who by his merits and virtues

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SEPTEMBER 14.

SEPTEMBER 14.

258. Thascius Cæcilius Cyprianus , beheaded. He was bishop of Carthage, and a principal father of the Christian church. 407. John Chrysostom , one of the most illustrious fathers of the church, died. His works were edited by Montfaucon in 13 vols. folio. 533. The Roman general Belisarius achieved the conquest of Africa, a chaotic waste of enslaved humanity, where the image of intelligence is unknown. 1321. Alghieri Dante , a celebrated Italian poet, died. His most considerable work is the Infern

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SEPTEMBER 15.

SEPTEMBER 15.

1590. Gerard Bontius , professor of medicine at Leyden, died. He was the first who immortalized himself by pills, having invented a kind, the secret of which was long unknown. 1596. Cadiz taken and plundered by Howard and Essex. Loss computed at 20,000,000 ducats. 1607. Hudson returned to England from his first voyage of discovery, having discovered the island of Spitzbergen, but failed in the great object, the discovery of a north-west passage to India. 1609. Hudson , in his first ascent of the

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SEPTEMBER 16.

SEPTEMBER 16.

1757 A. M. The covering of the ark removed by Noah on the 1st day of the 1st month, answering to our Sept. 16. (See Nov. 2 .) 322 B. C. Demosthenes , the Grecian orator, died by poison, on the most mournful day of the Thesmophoria , 16th of Pyanepsion. 36. Herod Agrippa thrown into bonds at Rome by Tiberius. 655. Martin I , pope, died. He caused the doctrines of the monothelites to be condemned, and was afterwards sent to the Crimea by Constantine, where he died of ill treatment. 1186. A conjunc

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SEPTEMBER 17.

SEPTEMBER 17.

1575. Henry Bullinger , one of the early reformers, died. He was one of the authors of the Helvetic Confession , and assisted Calvin in drawing up the Formulary . His works form 10 vols. folio. 1614. Thomas Overbury poisoned in the Tower with an envenomed clyster contrived by the earl of Somerset and his countess. (See Sept. 15 .) 1621. Robert Bellarmin died; an Italian cardinal, and one of the most celebrated controversial writers of his time. 1651. Constantine Caietan ( Thomas de Vio ), an Ita

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SEPTEMBER 18.

SEPTEMBER 18.

96. Titus Flavius Domitianus , emperor of Rome, died. He was the last of the Cæsars. Juvenal has shown him a buffoon, and history fixed his infamy. 1014. A violent storm caused the inundation of a large portion of Flanders. 1069. The city of New York burned by the Norman garrison. 1180. Louis VII , king of France, died. He made a crusade, with an army of 80,000 men, to Palestine, but was defeated by the Saracens. 1609. Hudson , ascending the river which bears his name, observing the water to bec

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SEPTEMBER 19.

SEPTEMBER 19.

880. Abbategnia decided the obliquity of the ecliptic to be 23° 25´. 1356. Battle of Poictiers, between the English army of 12,000 men, under Edward, the Black Prince , and the French, 60,000 under king John. The battle ended in the utter rout of the French army and the capture of their king, who was afterwards led in triumph through the streets of London. 1471. The first book known to have been printed in the English tongue bears this date, and is entitled The Recuyell of the History of Troy ,

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SEPTEMBER 20.

SEPTEMBER 20.

377 B. C. On this day was fought the famous naval battle of Naxus, in which the Lacedemonians were totally defeated. 331 B. C. Alexander crossed the Tigris and entered Assyria. The army encountered great difficulties in the passage, both from the depth and force of the current, and the slippery nature of its bed. The cavalry formed a double line, within which the infantry marched with their shields over their heads, and their arms interlinked. In this manner they crossed without loss of lives. T

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SEPTEMBER 21.

SEPTEMBER 21.

60. Saint Matthew , the apostle, died at Heliopolis, in Parthia. 1327. Edward II , 10th king of England, barbarously murdered at Berkley castle. Less wise and firm than his father, he forfeited the confidence of his people, and his wife Isabella joined the rebellion against him. 1520. Selim I , sultan of Turkey, died. He came to the throne by causing the death of his father and two brothers. He conquered Egypt and crushed the power of the Mamelukes, which for 260 years had governed that country.

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SEPTEMBER 22.

SEPTEMBER 22.

479 B. C. Battle of Mycale, between the Greeks and Persians. This victory happened in the 24th of the Bœotian month Panemus, observed as an anniversary by the Greek confederates. The Persians, computed at 100,000 men, were completely defeated and despoiled. 479 B. C. The battle of Platæa is also placed on the same day, in which 300,000 Persians under Mardonius were defeated by 100,000 Greeks under Pausanius and Aristides. The loss of the Greeks was inconsiderable; but of the Persians Mardonius w

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SEPTEMBER 23.

SEPTEMBER 23.

67. Gamala, supposed impregnable, fell before Vespasian on the 23d Hyperbereteus (Tisri), nor age nor sex was spared. 768. Pepin ( the Short ), king of France, died. He maintained respect at home and abroad by the valor and heroic firmness of his conduct. 1459. Battle of Bloreheath, in England. The Yorkists, under the earl of Salisbury, defeated lord Audley, who was slain. 1519. Cortez entered the Indian city of Tlascala; having in the short space of twenty-four days subdued a powerful nation. 1

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SEPTEMBER 24.

SEPTEMBER 24.

366. Liberius , pope, died. He subscribed, very reluctantly, the condemnation of Athanasius. 867. Michael III ( the Drunkard ), emperor of Rome, assassinated. His minority was governed by his mother, a woman of great ability; but on assuming the reigns of government, his profligate conduct led to his death. 1143. Innocent II , pope, died. He was elected to the office in 1130, but excluded by a rival for several years. 1332. John Baliol crowned king of Scotland at Scone, by the bishop of Dunkeld.

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SEPTEMBER 25.

SEPTEMBER 25.

275. The emperor Tacitus elected, after an interregnum of eight months. He ordered that ten copies of his kinsman's history should be placed in the libraries. The MS. was discovered in Westphalia. 1066. Battle of Stamford Bridge, between the English under Harold, and the Norwegians under Hafalgar and Tostig. The latter were defeated, and Hafalgar and Tostig slain. The Norwegian fleet also fell into the hands of the English. Judith, the wife of Tostig, afterwards married Guelph I, and became the

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SEPTEMBER 26.

SEPTEMBER 26.

33. St. Stephen is said to have been stoned this day, Paul consenting. 329. Constantinople founded, about the same day that Solomon dedicated his temple at Jerusalem, 1005 B. C. 1087. William II , surnamed Rufus, proclaimed and crowned king of England. 1415. Harfleur, a town in France, surrendered unconditionally to Henry V of England, after a siege of five weeks, and their defences had been demolished. 1417. Francis Zabarella , an Italian cardinal, died; noted for his great learning and virtues

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SEPTEMBER 27.

SEPTEMBER 27.

489. Theodoric , the Ostrogoth, defeated Odoacer, king of Italy, near Verona, who fled to Ravenna. 642. Sigebert , king of the East-Angles, assassinated. He was a munificent prince, noted as the founder of churches, schools and monasteries; supposed to have been the founder of Cambridge university. 1087. William II , surnamed Rufus, crowned at Westminster. In his reign Malcolm of Scotland was slain at Alnwich by the earl of Northumberland, whose spear piercing Malcolm's eye, gave to Northumberla

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SEPTEMBER 28.

SEPTEMBER 28.

490 B. C. Battle of Marathon is said to have occurred at the full of the moon on this Julian day. (See Aug. 6 .) 351. Battle of Murza, on the Drave, in which the emperor Constantius defeated Magnentius in a most desperate conflict. 855. Lothaire I , emperor of Germany, died. He seized the person of his father, and confined him in a monastery, and waged a bloody war with his brother, during which 100,000 men fell in a single battle. 1014. Nearly the whole of Flanders was immersed by a storm. 1066

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SEPTEMBER 29.

SEPTEMBER 29.

1066. William ( the Conqueror ) landed in England, at Pevensey, in Sussex, and made the conquest of the country, and revolutionized its institutions. 1399. Richard II resigned his right to the crown, publicly acknowledging his incapacity to reign. 1494. Columbus met with his brother Bartholomew at the town of Isabella in the West Indies, after a separation of fourteen years, during which the latter had paid an unsuccessful visit to the court of England. 1513. Fall of Tournay, in Belgium, which c

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SEPTEMBER 30.

SEPTEMBER 30.

610 B. C. A total eclipse of the sun, foretold by the skill of Thales, which determined the battle between the Lydians and Medes. 480 B. C. The Carthagenians were overthrown at Gelo by Himera. 480 B. C. The great victory of Themistocles over the Persians at Salamis, is also placed upon this day by some authorities. (See Aug. 20 .) 61 B. C. The great and unrivaled triumph of Pompey, which continued two days, for having concluded a war of 30 years, in which he had vanquished, slain and captured 2,

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OCTOBER 1.

OCTOBER 1.

2016 B. C. The call of Abraham is placed by Eusebius upon this day, A. M. 1921. The Cæsarian era used by the Syrians, commenced from the same Julian day, first of their month Tisri, B. C. 48. 325. Constantine ordered that those criminals hitherto employed by a barbarous custom in the gladiator shows, should be sent to the mines. 829. Michael II ( the Stammerer ), emperor of the East, died. He was of obscure origin, and dragged from prison to the throne on the death of Leo. He compelled the Chris

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OCTOBER 2.

OCTOBER 2.

331 B. C. Darius , king of Persia defeated by Alexander at Arbela, losing 300,000 men. This defeat of Darius decided the fate of Persia. 322 B. C. Aristotle , the celebrated Greek philosopher, died. It is said that he threw himself into the Euripus because he could not satisfactorily explain the cause of the tides. He was the first person on record who was possessed of a private library. 1346. The Scots under king David took Liddel castle in Cumberland, after a siege of six days, beheaded the go

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OCTOBER 3.

OCTOBER 3.

382. The Goths submitted to the Roman empire under Theodosius. 1003. Abdulmalik ibn Shoheyd executed; a poet and historian of Cordova, who for his military services was made governor of Toledo. He wrote a history of the Spanish Arabs in 100 vols.; was put to death by order of Hisham II. 1187. Jerusalem acquired by the arms of Saladin the Turk. 1405. Henry IV granted to sir John Stanley the isle of Man in the Irish sea. 1573. The Spaniards abandoned the famous siege of Leyden; during which Kanava

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OCTOBER 4.

OCTOBER 4.

633. Edwin ( the Great ), king of Britain, killed at Hatfield. He wielded the sovereignty 17 years, during which the cumulus of heathenism began to break up in large masses. 1226. Francis , of Assisi, died; founder of the order of Franciscans, or gray friars. 1253. Robert Grosseteste , an English prelate, died. He wrote several voluminous works, possessed great learning, and a clear and vigorous intellect. 1434. Cosmo de Medici reentered Florence from exile, and was received with the most extrav

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OCTOBER 5.

OCTOBER 5.

678. Justin II , emperor of the east, died. He was a weak prince, but had a wife to govern him and the empire with ability. 610. Phocas , a Chalcedonian noble who seized on the empire of the east by the murder of the emperor Maurice and his children, beheaded by Heraclius, governor of Africa, who conspired against him. 1056. Henry III , emperor of Germany, died. After making war against Poland, Hungary and Bohemia, he passed into Italy, expelled three popes, and was crowned by a fourth. 1540. El

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OCTOBER 6.

OCTOBER 6.

877. Charles II ( the Bald ), of France, poisoned. He succeeded to the French crown 840, and was elected emperor by the pope 875. The feudal government may be said to have begun under him. 1274. The English parliament restrained usury. The Jews in consequence were obliged to wear a badge. 1285. Philip III ( the Bold ), of France, died. He was proclaimed king while in Africa with his father on a crusade, where he defeated the Saracens, and concluded a truce with them for 10 years. 1470. Henry VI

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OCTOBER 7.

OCTOBER 7.

929. Charles III ( the Simple ), of France, died. His abilities were unequal to his station; he was defeated in battle by Hugh, and confined seven years in prison, in the castle of Peronne, where he died. 1492. The ship Nina, rigged with latteen sails and usually ahead of the others, supposing she had discovered land, hoisted her flag and fired a Lombardo. This was soon found to be an illusion; the insubordination broke forth among the crews, when Columbus, with the two Pinzons, commanders, was

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OCTOBER 8.

OCTOBER 8.

66. Cestius , the Syrian prefect, in his fatal retreat, was defeated by the Jews at the pass of Bethhoron. Nero received this disastrous news at Achaia, and called in Vespasian. 451. Fourth œcumenical council assembled at Chalcedon, where the heretic Eutyches was finally condemned. 622. Mahomet made his public entry into Medina. He was mounted on a she camel, and an umbrella shaded his reverend shoulders. 1200. John , king of England, and his new queen, Isabella, were inaugurated. The devil was

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OCTOBER 9.

OCTOBER 9.

1047. Clement II , pope, died. He was a Saxon, elected the year previous, and distinguished for his zeal against Simony. 1192. King Richard of England embarked from Palestine in a single ship for Europe. 1253. Robert Greathead , bishop of Lincoln, and a learned and voluminous writer, died. 1326. Hugh Spencer , a favorite of Edward II, hanged at Bristol, which city he defended against the forces of queen Isabella. 1555. Justus Jonas died; a learned coadjutor of Luther and the other reformers, and

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OCTOBER 10.

OCTOBER 10.

432 B. C. Battle of Potidæa, on its revolt from the Athenians, in which Socrates and Alcibiades were nobly distinguished for their prowess and friendship. In that year Anaxagoras, Phidias and Aspasia were prosecuted, the first for his impiety. 324. Constantius , the second and favorite son of Constantine, was installed by his father cæsar of the Gallic provinces. 1571. "The field of Tulliangus was stricken" between Adam Gordon and Arthur Forbes, brother of lord Forbes, where the said Arthur was

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OCTOBER 11.

OCTOBER 11.

1347. Louis V , emperor of Germany, killed by a fall from his horse. This event prevented a new civil war, which threatened the happiness of Germany. 1441. The government of Venice prohibited the printing and vending of playing cards by foreigners in those dominions. 1492. Columbus discovered the Bahama islands, his first discovery of land. 1521. Leo X issued a decree, conferring upon Henry VIII of England the title of Defender of the Faith. 1531. Ulricus Zuinglius , an able and zealous Swiss re

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OCTOBER 12.

OCTOBER 12.

638. Honorius I , pope, died. He presided over the church with great zeal and wisdom. 1303. Boniface III ( Benedict Cajetan ), pope, died. His ambition and insolence were unbounded, and he hurled the thunders of the Vatican against the kings of France and Denmark; but the former despising his threats, had him seized. 1307. All the knights templars in France ordered to be arrested, and on the following day the grand master, the templars and all their possessions were seized. 1424. John de Troezno

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OCTOBER 13.

OCTOBER 13.

49. Tiberius Drusus Claudius , emperor of Rome, died of poison administered by his wife. He succeeded Caligula, and became contemptible for his vices and weakness. 409. Irruption of the Vandals into Spain, who, dividing her prolific territories, turned their swords into ploughshares. 643. Oswy , of Northumberland, and 10th king of Britain, ascended the throne. The great controversy for the celebration of Easter, was decided by him. 1164. The great council opened at Northampton, England, for the

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OCTOBER 14.

OCTOBER 14.

1066. Battle of Hastings, and defeat of Harold by William of Normandy, which placed the latter upon the throne of England. The battle lasted from morning till sunset. William had three horses killed under him, and there fell about 15,000 Normans; but on the side of the vanquished, the loss was much greater, and included Harold and his two brothers, who were slain. 1066. The first earl created in England. Alfred in 920 used this word as king is now used. 1292. Edward I , of England, declared John

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OCTOBER 15.

OCTOBER 15.

55 B. C. Titus Lucretius Carus , one of the best of the Latin poets, died. 1564. Andreas Vesalius , a celebrated Dutch anatomist, died. He revived the study of anatomy in Europe, which had been neglected, and impeded by the prejudices of ignorance. 1608. Birthday of Evangeliste Torricelli , the Italian mathematician, and inventor of the barometer. 1634. About sixty men, women and children, with their horses, cattle and swine, commenced a journey from the vicinity of Boston, through the wildernes

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OCTOBER 16.

OCTOBER 16.

1529. The Turks under Solyman abandoned the famous siege of Vienna. 1555. Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley , English bishops, burnt at Oxford. 1586. Philip Sidney , an English statesman, soldier and scholar, died of a wound received at the battle of Zutphen. 1660. Hugh Peters , a famous English prelate, executed for conspiring, with Cromwell, the king's death. 1678. Cæsar Egasse du Boulai died; register and historiographer of the university of Paris, of which he wrote a history in 6 vols. folio.

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OCTOBER 17.

OCTOBER 17.

940. Athelstan , king of England, died. He was bountiful, wise and affable; ascended the throne at the age of 30; became distinguished by the titles of conqueror and faithful , and left behind him a name of great renown, respected at home and abroad. 1346. Battle of Nevil's Cross; the Scots under king David Bruce signally defeated by the English under Philippa and lord Percy. Bruce was taken prisoner and 15,000 of his men slain. 1492. Columbus named the more civilized island Fernandino, now Larg

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OCTOBER 18.

OCTOBER 18.

447 B. C. Battle of Coronea; the Bœotians gained a great and most important victory over the Athenians. Clinias, the father of Alcibiades, and Tolmides, fell. 33. Agrippina , the virtuous wife of Germanicus Cæsar, died in exile of starvation. She was banished after the death of her husband. 1216. John ( Lackland ), king of England, died, aged 47. No prince in English history has been transmitted to posterity in darker colors; ingratitude, cruelty, and perfidy, were habitual in his character. 154

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OCTOBER 19.

OCTOBER 19.

202 B. C. Battle of Zama, in which Hannibal was defeated by Scipio. 125 B. C. The era of Tyre began, with the month Hyperberetæus. The months are the same as those used in the Grecian era; the year similar to the Julian. 1453. The fall of Bordeaux, after a siege of seven weeks, when Guienne, an English province, was incorporated with the French monarchy. 1492. Columbus discovered the island of Isabella. 1608. Geoffrey Fenton , an eminent English writer, died. He served queen Elizabeth in Ireland

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OCTOBER 20.

OCTOBER 20.

480 B. C. The battle of Salamis is, by respectable authority, placed upon this day. (See Sept. 30 .) 1422. Charles VI of France, died. He succeeded to the kingdom at the age of 13, and during a reign of 42 years the kingdom, by foreign invasions and internal factions, was ruined, and passed into the hands of the English. 1524. Thomas Linacre , a learned English physician and divine, died. He was the best Greek and Latin scholar of his age, and founded the college of physicians. 1579. The Scottis

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OCTOBER 21.

OCTOBER 21.

1097. The siege of Antioch opened by the crusaders. (See June 3 .) Baldwin founded the principality of Edessa in this year. 1217. The fortress of Alcazar-do-Sal taken from the Moors, after a hard fought battle, by the Portuguese under Alphonso II, assisted by William, earl of Holland, with a portion of the fleet and forces bound for the crusade. 1439. Ambrose of Portico, in Romania, died; distinguished by his fluency in the Greek tongue, at the councils of Basil, Ferrara, &amp;c. 1441. Marge

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OCTOBER 22.

OCTOBER 22.

50 B. C. The civil wars of the Romans began in which Cæsar and Pompey were arrayed against each other. 615. Columbanus , an Irish missionary and reformer of monastic life, died in Italy. In his character he was intrepid, violent and fearless. 741. Charles Martel , duke of Austrasia, died. He was the actual sovereign of France during 25 years, under the titles of mayor of the palace, and duke of the Franks. He repeatedly vanquished the Suevians, Frisons, Allemans and Saxons, and at the famous bat

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OCTOBER 23.

OCTOBER 23.

439. Carthage, foremost in effeminacy, and second in importance among the western cities, was taken from the Romans and spoliated by Genseric, the Vandal, 585 years after the destruction of her republic by the younger Scipio. 472. Flavius Anicius Olybrius , emperor of the west, died, after a very brief reign. 524. Anicius Manlius Torquatus Severinus Bœthius , a celebrated Roman philosopher, executed. He fell under the displeasure of Theodoric. 1340. Nicolas , of Lyra, a Norman Jew, died. He was

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OCTOBER 24.

OCTOBER 24.

996. Hugh Capet , king of France, died. He acquired the throne by his merits and courage, and became the head of the third race of the French monarchy. 1553. John Wayland , queen Mary's "allowed printer," received his charter; yet Thomas Green, a journeyman of his, was imprisoned and whipped, for printing a book entitled Antichrist . 1601. Tycho Brahe , the Danish astronomer, died. He chose the study of astronomy when it was a science of small repute; and though he immortalized his name, yet it

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OCTOBER 25.

OCTOBER 25.

322 B. C. Demosthenes , the Athenian orator, died at the isle of Calauria, as is supposed by poison, to save himself from falling into the hands of his enemies alive. 1154. Stephen , king of England, died. He usurped the throne, which belonged to Matilda, wife of Henry IV, of Germany, whose son Henry II, succeeded him. 1400. Geoffrey Chaucer , the father of English poetry, died. 1415. Battle of Agincourt, in France; the English army had been reduced by disease and sword from 30,000 to 15,000, wh

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OCTOBER 26.

OCTOBER 26.

1656 A. M. Noah entered the ark on the 10th day of 2d month, answering to this day of our month. The ark was 525 feet long, 87 broad, and 52 deep; requiring about 245,000 cubic feet of timber; its capacity two millions cubic feet of space; was commenced about 1556 and completed 1656, having been 100 years in building. 1331. Ismael Abulfeda , prince of Hamath, in Syria, died. Before he began his reign he distinguished himself by his researches in geography, and published in Arabic an account of t

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OCTOBER 27.

OCTOBER 27.

42 B. C. Battle of Philippi, and death of Marcus Junius Brutus . This eventful day threw into the hands of two autocratical magistrates, of no tried reputation, and rivals by nature, the universal rule, with the liberties of their country. There were just twenty days between the deaths of Cassius, "the last of the Romans," and his friend Brutus, in the two great battles of Philippi. 251. Valerian elected in full senate to the restored Roman censorship, an office which had dropt with the life of

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OCTOBER 28.

OCTOBER 28.

312. Battle of Saxa Rubra, and overthrow of the tyrant Maxentius, by Constantine. The whole race of Maxentius was extirpated, and the prætorian guards abolished at Rome. 900. Alfred ( the Great ), king of England, died, aged 51, in the 28th year of his reign. To him is ascribed the mode of trial by jury. 1216. The crown and other regalia of England being lost, Henry III was crowned with a plain circle of gold on his temples. 1485. Rodolphus Agricola , a Dutch author, died. He was one of the most

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OCTOBER 29.

OCTOBER 29.

1038. Angeloth , archbishop of Canterbury, died. He is noted for having refused to crown Harold, although he had enjoyed the patronage of his father Canute. 1268. Conradino , emperor of Germany, beheaded at Naples, at the age of 16. In a hazardous attempt to recover a part of his possessions which had been wrested from him, he fell into the power of his enemy. 1618. Walter Raleigh , an illustrious English nobleman, beheaded at the age of 66. He is memorable as a "statesman, seaman, soldier, chem

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OCTOBER 30.

OCTOBER 30.

69. Cremona, in Italy, sacked and burned, 286 years after its foundation. 1270. The seventh and last crusade ended by the treaty of Barbary. 1270. Conflict on London bridge, between the retainers of the bishop of Winchester (bad Beaufort) and the duke of Gloucester. 1485. Coronation of Henry VII , two months after Bosworth field, when was instituted the Yeomen of the Guard , consisting of 50 archers. At that time there raged in London a malady called the sweating sickness, which terminated fatal

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OCTOBER 31.

OCTOBER 31.

1448. John Palæologus , emperor of Constantinople, died. He reigned 29 years, and resisted the invasion of the Turkish foe, who pressed upon his borders. 1517. Commencement of the reformation by Martin Luther, who on this day published his 95 theses against the papal indulgences, &amp;c. 1579. John Stadius , a German historian and mathematician, died at Paris. He tarnished his scientific knowledge with astrological calculations. 1659. John Bradshaw died; celebrated as president of the tribun

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NOVEMBER 1.

NOVEMBER 1.

51 B. C. Cicero sat down before Pindenissum, a city in Cilicia. 79. Pompeii and Herculaneum buried by an eruption of Vesuvius. 1290. The persons of all the English Jews, 16,511, were banished, and their estates and treasures confiscated to the crown. 1399. John V ( the Conqueror ), duke of Brittany, died. 1483. Henry Stafford , duke of Buckingham, beheaded. He was the vile instrument of the third Richard's usurpation, and was executed by that king's order, without any legal process. 1596. Peter

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NOVEMBER 2.

NOVEMBER 2.

1656. A. M. The deluge began on the 17th day of the 2d month, answering to our November 2, on the supposition that the original civil year of the Hebrews began on the 16th of September, and contained 354 days. 285. B. C. Ptolemy Philadelphus , of Egypt, so memorable as a patron of learning, commenced his reign upon this Julian day; the year following that in which Pyrrhus was driven from Macedonia. It is the date of the Septuagint . 1502. Columbus entered the harbor which he named Porto Bello. T

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NOVEMBER 3.

NOVEMBER 3.

361. Constantius , the last of the sons of Constantine the great, died, after a reign of 23 years, and was succeeded by Julian. 461. Leo I ( the Great ) pope, died. Rome was pillaged fourteen days by Genseric during his reign. 1327. James II ( the Just ), king of Arragon, died, aged 65; deservedly regretted for his moderation, courage, benevolence and magnanimity. He conquered Sicily, and waged a long war against the Moors and the people of Navarre. He had the good fortune to unite Valencia and

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NOVEMBER 4.

NOVEMBER 4.

1493. Columbus discovered the island of Guadaloupe, the largest of the Carib or Cannibal islands, called by the natives Carucueria. The drinking vessels of this fierce people were formed of human skulls. They here saw the pine apple. 1611. Nicholas le Fevre (or Faber ), a learned and ingenious French writer, died. He was more ready to assist others than to appear as an author himself. 1613. Edward Brereword , a learned English antiquary, died. 1631. Lady Mary , eldest daughter of king Charles I,

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NOVEMBER 5.

NOVEMBER 5.

1500. Columbus arrived at Cadiz in fetters; when the king and queen, ashamed of the orders they had given, commanded him to be released. Notwithstanding the apologies of his sovereigns, Columbus never forgot this ignominy. He preserved his fetters, hung them up in his apartment, and ordered them to be buried with him. 1548. There fell in Thuringia what is described as a ball of fire, which was attended with a great noise; and a reddish substance like coagulated blood was afterwards found on the

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NOVEMBER 6.

NOVEMBER 6.

606 B. C. The memory of the book of Jeremiah torn and burnt by king Jehoiakim, was observed as a fast, on the 6th of the Hebrew month Caslew . 63 B. C. Cataline assembled the conspirators on the evening of this day, to fire the capital and cut off the principal citizens and the senate. 644. Omar I , the second caliph after Mahomet, assassinated. His reign was signalized by many important events. The most extraordinary success attended the arms of the new religion; 36,000 towns and villages were

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NOVEMBER 7.

NOVEMBER 7.

63 B. C. Cicero , with the authority of a consul, summoned the senate to the temple of Jupiter, where it was assembled only in times of public alarm, and delivered his famous invective in the presence of Cataline. 3 B. C. Caius Cilnius Maecenas the friend and counselor of Augustus, died. To him Virgil dedicated his Georgics , and Horace his Odes . 1280. The statute in English law called quo warranto , passed. 1297. Wallace granted a protection to the monks of Hexham, for their lives and possessi

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NOVEMBER 8.

NOVEMBER 8.

532. Pope Boniface II died; his father was a Goth; he was elected to the pontifical office in 530. 1226. Louis VIII ( the Lion ), king of France, died. He was distinguished for his valor, and waged successful war against the English and other nations. He finally lost the greater part of his army by contagious disease, and perished by it himself. 1231. Abdu-l-lattif , an Arabian physician, historian and traveler, died, aged 69. He wrote upwards of 160 works, of which a history of Egypt is highly

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NOVEMBER 9.

NOVEMBER 9.

2348 B. C. The great flood began, according to Polyhistor, from Berosus, upon the 15th, or the ides, of the Assyrian month Doesia, agreeing with this day. This event was prefigured to the patriarch in a vision, when the deity enjoined him to commit to writing a history of all things, which he was to bury in the city of the sun, at Sipara. The same uninspired authority informs us, that Noah was the tenth king of the Chaldea, and that he reigned 18 sari. 1606. Jerome Mercurialis died; an Italian p

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NOVEMBER 10.

NOVEMBER 10.

1757. A. M. The waters of the deluge had subsided, and the earth became dry on the 27th of the 2d month, corresponding with this date (Nov. 10). 570. Birthday of Mahomet , as settled by the Benedictines: by other authority, April 21, 571. 1202. Siege of Jadera, now Zara, by the Venitian crusaders. It was a Roman city, colonized by Augustus. 1270. Edward I joined the African crusade before Tunis, a few weeks after the death of Louis, in his tent. 1444. Battle of Varna, between the Turks under Amu

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NOVEMBER 11.

NOVEMBER 11.

397. St. Martin , the apostle of Gaul, died. He was a soldier, converted to Christianity, and made bishop of Tours. The festival of Martinmas was instituted in honor of him, in the year 560. 619. St. John ( the Almoner ) died. He was a native of Cyprus, raised to the see of Alexandria. 1100. Nuptials of Henry I of England ( Beauclerk ) and Maud , the fair daughter of Malcolm, king of Scots, and niece of Edgar Atheling, "of the right kingly kin of England." 1213. Date of the most ancient writ, su

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NOVEMBER 12.

NOVEMBER 12.

606. Boniface III , pope, died. He established the superiority of the popes over the patriarchs of Constantinople. 1035. Canute ( the Great ), king of Denmark, died. He took part of England from Edmund Ironsides, and afterwards seized the whole kingdom. 1041. The people rose on the tax collectors of Hardi Canute of England, and slew them. 1493. Columbus arrived at Navidad, on the north side of Hispaniola, where he had left a colony on his first voyage, and had the mortification to find that the

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NOVEMBER 13.

NOVEMBER 13.

36 B. C. Octavius Cæsar received the oration for his great naval victory over Sextus, the younger Pompey, in the Sicilian war. 1002. Massacre of the Danes, throughout England, by order of king Ethelred, one of those infamous shifts by which coward tyranny secures its sinister purposes. Neither age nor sex was spared, and among the victims was Gunilda, sister of Sweyn, king of Denmark. Her husband and children were butchered before her eyes. In the following year Sweyn invaded England and swept t

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NOVEMBER 14.

NOVEMBER 14.

332. B. C. Era of the accession of Alexander the great to the Persian rule. 565. Justinian I , emperor of Rome, died. He built St. Sophia's church at Constantinople, and reduced the Roman laws into a code, which was called the Digests or Pandects. 1318. The greatest earthquake ever known in England. 1524. Francisco Pizarro sailed from Panama for the conquest of Peru. Diego de Almagro, and Hernando de Luque a priest, associated with him under bonds and oaths for mutual protection. This expedition

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NOVEMBER 15.

NOVEMBER 15.

26. Agrippina , the mother of Nero, perished by order of her ungrateful son. She married the emperor Claudius, whom she poisoned to raise Nero to the throne. 1213. The first regular English parliament assembled by writ at Oxford. 1280. Albertus Magnus , a Swabian philosopher of extraordinary genius, died. His writings have been collected in 21 vols. folio. 1577. Francis Drake sailed from England with five ships and 164 men, professedly on a voyage to Egypt, but really with the intention of saili

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NOVEMBER 16.

NOVEMBER 16.

534. Justinian published his immortal Code of civil ordinances, amended in conformity with the Pandects which issued from the legal armory in the year preceding. It is called the second edition, although enriched with two hundred of his own laws, and fifty decisions of obscure points in jurisprudence. 1093. Margaret , of Scotland, died. She was the sister of Edgar Atheling, fled to Scotland on the invasion of William the Conqueror, and married Malcolm, king of the country. She was an amiable and

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NOVEMBER 17.

NOVEMBER 17.

375. Valentinian I , emperor of Rome, died. He rose by his merit to the throne, and divided the empire with his brother Valens. He defeated the Germans, and restored tranquility to his African provinces. In giving audience to the ambassadors of the Quadi, whose country he had subdued, he ruptured a blood vessel in a fit of passion, which proved fatal. 537. Belisarius , who was then defending Rome against the Goths, exiled pope Sylverius for treachery. 1292. The government of Scotland was adjudge

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NOVEMBER 18.

NOVEMBER 18.

1247. Robin Hood , the leader of a band of robbers who infested the recesses of Sherwood forest, England, died. The chief, with his formidable band, continued their plundering life with success, and with little opposition, from the year 1189 to 1247. It has been attempted to identify him with Robert, earl of Huntington, whom the malice of his enemies banished from the court of Richard I. The following epitaph is said to have been engraven upon his tombstone at Kirklees: 1518. Cortez sailed from

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NOVEMBER 19.

NOVEMBER 19.

1231. Elizabeth of Thuringia , a saint of the church, died. She was distinguished by the mild virtues of her sex, and when the country was oppressed with famine and pestilence, she caused hospitals to be erected, and fed and clothed a multitude of the poor, wandering about in a humble dress relieving the sorrows of the wretched. She was regarded as a saint during her life, and four years after her death was canonized. Her monument is one of the most splendid remains of Gothic architecture in Ger

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NOVEMBER 20.

NOVEMBER 20.

63. Shipwreck of St. Paul . It was a fortnight from the fast, and about the present day, that Paul, by the occular testimony of Luke, was cast upon the shores of Malta, where they wintered three months until the period of navigation in March. Josephus, the Jewish historian, was wrecked in the same sea, and in or very near the same year. 303. Diocletian and Maximian celebrated in a grand triumph their victories and those of the two Cæsars, their associates, in Persia and Britain, on the Rhine, th

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NOVEMBER 21.

NOVEMBER 21.

53 B. C. Marcus Licinius Crassus , one of the triumvirs with Cæsar and Pompey, killed at Haran in Syria. He was surnamed Dives , the rich, on account of his vast fortune. He once gave an entertainment to the whole people, in which 10,000 tables were set, and besides distributed corn enough to last each family three months. He perished, with a great part of his army, in an expedition against the Parthians, undertaken from motives of avarice and ambition. 533. The famous institutes, or system of e

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NOVEMBER 22.

NOVEMBER 22.

1200. King John , of England, held a famous parliament at Lincoln, where William, king of Scotland, did him homage in the sight of the people. 1419. Belthazar Cosa (John XXIII), pope, died. There was much opposition to his elevation, by rival claimants, and he was finally deposed and imprisoned three years. His liberty was purchased by acknowledging the election of Martin V. 1586. Sentence of death was announced to Mary queen of Scots, by lord Burkhurst, at Fotheringay. 1633. Leonard Calvert , b

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NOVEMBER 23.

NOVEMBER 23.

100. Clemens Romanus ( St. Clement ) died; a pupil of St. Paul and one of the fathers of the church. His epistle to the church of Corinth, though valuable for its antiquity, is excluded from the canon. 946. Edred , the successor of Edmund I of England, died of quinsy. 1585. Thomas Tallis died; "one of the greatest musicians that England ever bred." 1610. Bernard de Girard de Haillan , a French historian, died. His history reaches from Pharamond to the death of Charles VII, and he was the first w

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NOVEMBER 24.

NOVEMBER 24.

30. Eclipse of the sun in Palestine, accompanied by an earthquake, which overthrew several edifices at Niceas, in Bythinia. By the calculations of several eminent astronomers, it is demonstrated that this great eclipse, which is mentioned by Phlegon, and in the Grecian monuments, as having happened in the 202d Olympiad, took place on this day and year. Phlegon says, the day was changed into night at the 6th hour (noon), and the stars were seen. Between Cairo and Jerusalem it was wholly obscured

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NOVEMBER 25.

NOVEMBER 25.

165 B. C. Feast during eight days, commencing on the 25th of the Hebrew month Casleu, of the dedication of the temple, repaired and purified by the care of Judas Macabæus, being the anniversary of its profanation three years before by the order of Antiochus Epiphanes. 1185. Lucius III ( Humbaldo Allineigoli ), pope, died. He was twice compelled to fly from Rome to avoid the popular tumult. He established, with the countenance of the emperor Frederick, constitutions for the punishment of heretics

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NOVEMBER 26.

NOVEMBER 26.

380. Gregory Nazianzen installed in the see of Constantinople, by the hand of Theodosius, upon the removal of Demophilus, and the fall of Arianism in the East soon followed. 1120. Prince William , with Richard and Mary, children of Henry I, of England, with attendants and others, to the number of 180, wrecked in coming from Normandy, after which the king was never seen to laugh. 1504. Isabella , queen of Castile, died. Her reign was remarkable for the conquest of Grenada from the Moors and the d

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NOVEMBER 27.

NOVEMBER 27.

226 B. C. A solemn annual feast instituted at Rome, derived from the barbarians, when two Greeks and two Gauls, one of either sex, were inhumed alive, in the ox-market. It was instituted upon the invasion of the Boian Gauls, in order to fulfill a sybilline prophecy, that those terrible nations should one day be masters of the capitol. At this period the city inrolled 770,000 infantry. 222 B. C. Marcellus carried off the spoils of Viridomarus, which is the last single handed triumph. 8 B. C. Quin

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NOVEMBER 28.

NOVEMBER 28.

411. Flavius Julius Constantine put to death by order of Constantius. He was a private Roman soldier, who invested himself with the imperial purple in Britain, and added Gaul and Spain to his dominions. 741. Gregory III , pope, died. He was a charitable but magnificent pontiff, who added great splendor to the holy see. 1285. Peter III , king of Arragon, died. He is notorious for the massacre of the French in the island of Sicily, called the Sicilian Vespers , by which he became master of the kin

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NOVEMBER 29.

NOVEMBER 29.

92. Agrippa observed at Bethynia a conjunction of the moon with the Pleiades about 7 o'clock in the evening. 511. Clovis , the conqueror of Gaul and the real founder of the French monarchy, died. He fixed the royal residence at Lusatia, the modern Paris, which was originally situated on the isle of France, in the Seine. 1268. Clement IV ( Guy de Foulques ), pope, died. He was a Frenchman, of great moderation, prudence and impartiality. 1290. Eleanor , queen of England, died. She was a Castilian

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NOVEMBER 30.

NOVEMBER 30.

406 B. C. Euripides , the Greek tragic poet, died at Barmiscus, in Macedonia. He wrote 92 tragedies which were greatly esteemed, but of which only 19 are extant. 69. Andrew , one of the apostles, suffered martyrdom at Patræ in Achaia, upon the cross. He is the patron saint of Scotland. 1016. Edmund II ( Ironside ), king of England, assassinated. 1093. Malcolm III , king of Scots, who was the son of the gracious Duncan immortalized by Shakspeare in Macbeth, was slain in his 70th year. 1292. John

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DECEMBER 1.

DECEMBER 1.

627. Battle of Nineveh; the Romans under Heraclius defeated the Persians after a contest from daylight to the eleventh hour; 28 standards were wrenched from the hands of the conquered, and the cities and palaces of Assyria were opened for the first time to the Romans. 801. Alcuin , preceptor of Charlemagne, presented his illustrious pupil with a magnificent folio Bible, bound in velvet, the leaves of vellum, and the writing in double columns, and containing 449 leaves. Prefixed is a richly ornam

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DECEMBER 2.

DECEMBER 2.

1469. Pietro de Medici , governor of Florence, died, aged 53. He was of weak constitution, but well meaning and prudent, and was assisted by his son Lorenzo in affairs of state. Under his reign an attempt was made to wrest the reins of government from the family. 1549. Margaret de Valois , a French princess, died; noted for her learning and the encouragement she gave to commerce, agriculture and the arts among her subjects. 1552. Francis Xavier died; a French missionary, denominated the apostle

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DECEMBER 3.

DECEMBER 3.

69 B. C. The senate published a general thanksgiving in the name of Cicero for preserving the city from the Catalinian conspiracy. It was the first that had ever been decreed to any man in the gown; all other thanksgivings having been appointed for some particular service only. 1553. Pedro de Valdivia , having conquered the greater portion of Chili, and founded the city of Conception, was attacked by the Araucanians, defeated and made prisoner. 1557. The bond or covenant signed at Edinburgh, by

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DECEMBER 4.

DECEMBER 4.

1137. Lothaire II , emperor of Germany, died. He was king of Saxony when he was made king of Germany, and finally invested with the title of emperor. 1139. Roger , prior of Hexham, died; author of a history of the campaign of the Scottish army under king David. 1214. William ( the Lion ), of Scotland, died. He confederated with Henry of England against his father, and his inconsiderate valor at the siege of Alnwick, as well as many other rash acts, brought misfortunes on himself and disgrace upo

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DECEMBER 5.

DECEMBER 5.

1056. Macbeth , usurper of the Scottish throne, slain by Macduff, after a reign of 17 years. 1492. Columbus discovered the island of Hispaniola, called by the natives Hayti , or high country, from its mountains; Quesqueya , or the whole, from its dimensions; and Bohio , or house, from its very superior civilization. 1518. John James Trivulci , marshal of France, died. He was banished from Milan, his native country, and entered into the service of Charles VIII, under whom he distinguished himself

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DECEMBER 6.

DECEMBER 6.

342. St. Nicholas , an eminent Grecian bishop, and the patron of children, died. At the council of Nice he was said to be like a sun among so many stars. 884. Carloman , king of France, died. 1139. Alphonso I , king of Portugal, died; celebrated for the defeat of five Moorish kings at the battle of Ourique. 1216. Hertford, in England, taken by the French under Louis the dauphin. 1352. Clement VI ( Peter Roger ), pope, died. He was a doctor of the Paris university, and is represented by Petrarch

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DECEMBER 7.

DECEMBER 7.

424 B. C. The accession of Darius II ( Nothus ). This is also the date of the battles of Delium and Amphipolis, where Xenophon and Thucydides were present, and of the occupation of Cytheria by the Athenians. 43 B. C. Marcus Tullius Cicero , the celebrated Roman orator, statesman and philosopher, assassinated at his villa, by Popilius, at the instigation of Antony. 983. Otho II ( the Bloody ), emperor of Germany, poisoned. 1154. Landing of Henry II in England from France. 1229. The boy bishop sai

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DECEMBER 8.

DECEMBER 8.

1275. Meeting of Stationarii , or booksellers, at London. For a quarter of a century previous to this time, booksellers not unfrequently kept school in their porches. The portal at the north end of the cathedral in Rouen is still called Le Portail des Libraires , the porch of the booksellers. 1315. Battle of Morgarten, or Ægeri, in Switzerland; the Austrian army of 20,000 under the archduke Leopold, defeated by 1,600 mountaineers in the pass between the mountain and the lake. 1437. Sigismund , e

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DECEMBER 9.

DECEMBER 9.

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 twent

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DECEMBER 10.

DECEMBER 10.

590 B. C. The tenth day of the month Thanet was observed as a fast in memory of the investment of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. Zechariah promised the extinction of this day of grief, in joy and feasting, upon the restoration of the house of Judah, B. C. 518. 493 B. C. The immortal day when tribunes for the Roman people were first chosen; the anniversary also of their authority afterwards. 270 B. C. Epicurus , the Athenian philosopher, died on the 10th day of Gamelion, having three days before ob

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DECEMBER 11.

DECEMBER 11.

361. Julian , the new emperor, made his triumphal entry into the eastern capital, having traversed with victory the whole continent of Europe, from the Atlantic. 1282. Michael VIII ( Palæologus ), emperor of Rome, died. He was regent of the eastern empire, and took advantage of his situation to assume the supreme power. He retook Constantinople, which had been 58 years under the power of the French, and labored to reconcile the eastern and western churches. 1595. Philippe de Croi , duke of Aarsc

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DECEMBER 12.

DECEMBER 12.

1656 A. M. The rain of the deluge having ceased to fall, having continued 40 days, from the 17th of the 2d month, answering to our 2d Nov., q. v. 404 B. C. Darius II ( Nothus ), king of Persia, died, after a reign of nineteen years, and was succeeded by Artaxerxes Mnemon, his son. Cyrus, the younger, another of his sons, carried on several successful wars during the reign of Darius. 1271. Richard , king of the Romans, died, at Berkhamstead, England. 1600. John Craig , a Scottish ecclesiastic, di

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DECEMBER 13.

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 wa

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DECEMBER 14.

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

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DECEMBER 15.

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

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DECEMBER 16.

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 d

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DECEMBER 17.

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

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DECEMBER 18.

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 fa

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DECEMBER 19.

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

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DECEMBER 20.

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 eccl

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DECEMBER 21.

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 F

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DECEMBER 22.

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, es

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DECEMBER 23.

DECEMBER 23.

486 B. C. The accession of Xerxes the magnificent to the Persian throne, Nar. Era , 263. When Darius Hystaspes, his father, was cut off, he had reigned 36 years, from the thoth of N. E. 227, corresponding with the first day of January B. C. 521. The year 485, in which he died, is remarkable for two facts, the conquest of Syracuse under Gelon, and a comic work by Epicharmus, who added the Greek letters chi and theta to his native alphabet. 176. Marcus Antoninus entered Rome in triumph, after his

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DECEMBER 24.

DECEMBER 24.

361. George of Capadocia, Arian bishop of Alexandria, was assassinated in consequence of his oppression. 705. Ælfrid , king of Northumberland, died. 1156. Peter ( the Venerable ), a French ecclesiastic, died. He was sprung of a noble family, and became general of the order of Cluni. He was a man of great learning and exemplary piety. 1247. Robin Hood , the English outlaw, has his death placed on this day (See Nov. 18 ). 1460. Battle of Wakefield Green; the Lancasterians under Margaret queen of H

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DECEMBER 25.

DECEMBER 25.

The commencement of what is usually called the vulgar era, was four years prior to the date now used as the beginning of the Christian era. 98. Christ mass was first used as a festival. 283. Marcus Aurelius Carus , the Roman emperor, killed by lightning, beyond the Tigris. 400. Gainas , a Goth of great valor, killed. He became a general under Arcadius, and desolated Thrace, because refused a church for the Arians. 496. Clovis , the first Christian king of France, crowned at Rheims; a glorious da

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DECEMBER 26.

DECEMBER 26.

795. Adrian I , pope, died. He was a Roman patrician, who on his elevation to the pontificate highly embellished St. Peter's church, and displayed his benevolence and humanity during a famine occasioned by the inundation of the Tiber. 1135. Stephen crowned king of England on St. Stephen's day. 1292. John Baliol performed homage to Edward of England at New Castle. 1300. Edward I of England forbade the circulation of crockards, pollards, rosaries, and other foreign coins, as sterlings. They were a

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DECEMBER 27.

DECEMBER 27.

100. John ( the Evangelist ) died at Ephesus, aged 94. 1552. Catharine Von Bora , wife of Martin Luther, died. She was rescued from a nunnery with eight others by the assistance of the great reformer. She survived him several years. 1585. Peter de Ronsard died; a French elegiac and epigrammatic poet of a noble family. 1603. Thomas Cartwright , an English puritan of great eminence and learning, died. He was a sharp and powerful controversialist, author of a practical commentary on the gospels and

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DECEMBER 28.

DECEMBER 28.

1065. St. Peter's church at Westminster dedicated by Edward the confessor. 1278. Injunction of the primate of England to the nunnery at Godstow, that public prayers on this day, Childermas, should not any more be said by little girls. 1377. Wickliff divulged his opinion upon the pope's mandate. 1499. Earl of Warwick, the last of the male line of the Plantagenets, beheaded on Tower hill. 1601. The town of Kinsale, head of the sea, in Ireland, garrisoned by Spaniards and Irish catholics, surrender

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DECEMBER 29.

DECEMBER 29.

1170. Thomas Becket , archbishop of Canterbury, assassinated in his cathedral, aged 53. 1563. Sebastian Castalio , a French writer, died. His writings are very considerable, both for their number and quality, discover great knowledge of the languages, and are chiefly on scripture subjects. 1594. John Chastel , the son of a woolen draper at Paris, executed for an attempt to assassinate the king, Henry IV. 1674. Battle of Mulhausen; the French under Turenne, gained a victory over the Germans. 1680

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DECEMBER 30.

DECEMBER 30.

944 B. C. The winter solstice fell upon this day, according to the marble, by the table of Petavius; which places the period of Homer thirty-seven years later. 1535. The society of the Jesuits founded by Ignatius Loyola, a Spanish monk, who entered into an agreement with five of his fellow students to undertake the conversion of unbelievers and a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. From this small beginning it became a powerful society under the energy and shrewd policy of its leaders, and was raised to a

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DECEMBER 31.

DECEMBER 31.

71 B. C. Pompey and Crassus triumph at Rome. The former had closed the ten years' war in Lusitania, and Crassus the revolt of Spartacus at home. Marcus Lucullus triumphed the same year, bringing with him the Thracian colossus of Apollo. 192. Lucius Aurelius Commodus , a dissipated emperor of Rome, strangled, and Pertinax elected. It was in the reign of this emperor, A. D. 190, that the Capitoline library at Rome was destroyed. 406. The Huns, 100,000 strong, entered Gaul, and laid desolate her se

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