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The Every Day Book of History and Chronology. Joel Munsell
on book-binding. He ordered that all his books should be rubbed once a fortnight to prevent their moulding.
1693. An army of six or seven hundred French and Indians set out from Montreal to invade the Mohawk castles. (See Feb. 6.)
1730. Gov. Montgomerie granted the city of New York a new charter. Although that city had been put under the government of a mayor in 1665, it was not regularly incorporated until 1686.
1773. At Duff house, the residence of the countess dowager of Fife, the first masquerade ever seen in Scotland was exhibited.
1777. Vermont declared itself a free and independent state. It had been settled as a part of New Hampshire, but was claimed as a part of New York, and so decided to be by the British crown. But by the dissolution of the bonds which had held America in subjection to the crown of Britain, they considered themselves free from New York, to which the most of them had never voluntarily submitted; and being, as they said, reduced to "a state of nature," they assumed the right to form such connections as were agreeable to themselves. Accordingly they formed a plan of government and a code of laws, and petitioned congress to receive them into the Union.
1778. Nootka sound and the Sandwich islands discovered by Captain Cook.
1780. First exportation of woolen goods from Ireland to a foreign market.
1780. Unsuccessful attack by the Americans under Lord Stirling on the British at Long island.
1781. The traitor Arnold succeeded in burning some stores at Smithfield.
1783. William Alexander, Lord Stirling, an officer in the revolutionary army, died at Albany, aged 57. He was of Scotch descent, and from early youth a mathematician. Throughout the war he acted an important part, and was warmly attached to Washington. He left behind him the reputation of a brave, discerning and intrepid officer, and an honest and learned man. He was generally styled Lord Stirling, and was considered the rightful heir to the title and estates of that earldom in Scotland.
1794. A desperate engagement off the island of Corsica between three Sardinian ships and two Barbary xebecs. One of the xebecs was captured, but the other, rather than surrender, was blown up; upon which the prisoners taken, Turks and Algerines, 92 in number, were put to death.
1795. The French attacked the British outposts at Rhenen.
1795. The French national convention liberated Gen. Miranda and Capt. Lacrosse from prison.
1799. A revolution at Lucca in Italy, without bloodshed. Titles and exclusive privileges were abolished, the sovereignty of the people proclaimed, and a contribution of two millions of livres levied on the nobility alone, which was immediately presented to the French general Serrurier.
1805. Abraham Hyacinthe Anquetil Du Perron, the French orientalist, died, aged 74. He studied theology, but afterwards devoted himself with ardor to the study of the eastern languages. In 1754 he embarked for India, and with difficulty succeeded in finding some priests to instruct him in the sacred language of the Parsees. He returned to Paris in 1762 with a number of manuscripts, and proceeded to arrange them for publication. During the revolution he shut himself up with his books; but continued labors and an abstemious diet exhausted his constitution. He was a learned and excellent man.
1807. Battle between the forces under Christophe and Petion for the governorship of Hayti, which had been assumed by Christophe as the oldest general, on the death of Dessalines; but Petion had been subsequently duly elected. Christophe was defeated after a fierce encounter. A separation of the republic followed. Petion instituted a pure republic, while Christophe founded a monarchy.
1810. Masquerades and masked balls prohibited in the city of New York.
1815. The United States frigate President, Com. Decatur, captured by four British vessels, after a sharp action, and a chase of 18 hours. Loss of the Americans 22 killed, 59 wounded; British loss 11 killed, 14 wounded.
1825. Robert Goodloe Harper, an American statesman, died. He was born in Virginia, of poor parentage; acquired the rudiments of a classical education; served a campaign in the revolutionary army; after which he entered Princeton college. He subsequently settled in South Carolina, in the practice of the law, and acquired great reputation as a professional man and a politician.
1827. Jean Denis Lanjuinais died. He was a staunch defender of liberal principles, and opposed first the arrogant pretensions of the privileged class, although himself one of their number: afterwards he arrayed himself against the intrigues of Mirabeau, the violence of the mountain party, and the usurpations of Bonaparte, in the face of destruction. The object of his wishes was constitutional liberty. He escaped the axe of the revolution, and was even promoted to office by Napoleon.
1834. The city of Leira, in Portugal, taken by Count de Saldanha, and the garrison, of Miguelites about 1500 in number, made prisoners.
1836. Charles Lewis, one of the most eminent book binders in Europe, died. The splendidly bound books in the duke of Sussex's library are of his workmanship.
1842. Joseph Hopkinson died. His speeches in congress on the Seminole war were much admired. He was author of the song, Hail Columbia.
1844. The Fontaine Moliere, a monument to the great French dramatist, at Paris, inaugurated. It combines a public fountain with a monument, and stands opposite the house in which Moliere died.
1849. Reporters excluded from an adjourned meeting of a convention of the southern states.
JANUARY 16.
1543. An act of the English parliament was passed forbidding women, apprentices, &c., &c., to read the New Testament in English.
1556. Charles V of Germany, (Don Carlos I of Spain) resigned the crown of Spain to his son Philip, after a reign of 40 years. Of all his vast possessions he only reserved to himself an annual pension. It was under him that Cortez conquered Mexico.
1580. An act of the English parliament inflicting a penalty of 20 pounds for absenting from church.
1599. Edmund Spencer, the English poet, died, aged 46. His first poem, the Shepherd's Calendar, appeared in 1576. He went to Ireland as private secretary to the lord lieutenant, and commenced the Faery Queen while in that country. The rebellion took place with such fury that he was obliged to leave the country in so great confusion, that an infant child was left behind, and burnt with his house. The unfortunate poet died soon after his arrival in England, in consequence of these misfortunes.
1643. Parliament of England forbid free commerce, and ordered no wagon or carriage to go to Oxford without a license.
1668. The earl of Shrewsbury slain in a duel by the duke of Buckingham, who had lived in open adultery with Shrewsbury's wife. It is said that she, in the habit of a page, held Buckingham's horse when he was fighting with her husband.
1706. Articles of union between England and Scotland ratified by the Scottish parliament 110 to 69.
1715. Robert Nelson died, an English gentleman of fortune, which he employed in works of benevolence and charity. Few works on devotional subjects were more popular than his.
1748. The bottle conjuror imposed on a great multitude at the Haymarket theatre, by announcing that he would jump into a quart bottle.
1760. Pondicherry, defended by the French under General Lally, taken by the English under Colonel Coote.
1772. A revolution in Denmark which terminated in the imprisonment of the royal family, and finally the banishment of the queen, sister to George III of England.
1780. The Spanish fleet of 11 sail, under Langara,