The Every Day Book of History and Chronology. Joel Munsell
with matters of religion and learning. His publications are more than 40 in number; one of which gave offence to the clergy and was publicly burnt.
1730. The British parliament passed an act prohibiting any subject lending money to a foreigner or other nation.
1740. The English Capt. Knowles took from the Spaniards the castle of St. Lorenzo in South America; a large amount of spoil fell into the hands of the conquerors.
1742. Peter Sabbathier, a French Benedictine, died. He was engaged 23 years in making a collection of the Latin versions of the Bible, which was published 1743 in 3 vols. folio.
1744. War between France and Great Britain declared.
1751. Fredrick, prince of Wales, died.
1754. John James Wetstein, a learned Swiss divine, died. He traveled through several countries of Europe to examine the various manuscripts of the Greek Testament, and on his return to Basel published his Prologomena; he was immediately persecuted as a Socinian, and compelled to flee his country. He found protection at Amsterdam, where he died.
1764. Thomas Slack commenced the New Castle Chronicle, a paper still well sustained in England.
1773. Philip Dormer Stanhope, earl of Chesterfield, died, aged 79. He was one of the most celebrated wits of his age, an eminent statesman, political, epistolatory and miscellaneous writer. His Letters, containing advice to his son, prove him to have been an excellent scholar; but the critical reader will find that they insidiously inculcate the loosest principles.
1773. Stephen Leake, an ingenious writer on coins and heraldry, died at Thorp, England.
1776. John Harrison, an eminent English mechanic, died. He was the son of an obscure mechanic, but made himself famous by the invention of a time-keeper, in the form of a watch, for ascertaining the longitude at sea, for which he received from parliament about $90,000.
1782. Spain acknowledged the Independence of the United States.
1782. A blockhouse situated on Toms' river, New Jersey, attacked by a body of royalists. Capt. Huddy defended the place while his ammunition lasted, and on surrendering was executed without a trial.
1783. Robert Saunders, a self created LL. D., died. His Notes on the Bible profited him very little, though in a pecuniary point of view they profited others.
1794. Insurrection of the Poles. The Russian troops evacuated Cracow, and the patriot Kosciusko took possession.
1794. Charles Philip Ronsin, with a number of his confreres, guillotined at Paris. The revolution brought him out from obscurity only to display the natural deformity of his character. He was promoted to the office of minister of war, and then to the command of an army. He met his fate at the hands of Danton and Marat, who had raised him up.
1797. Battle in the passes of Eisach in Saxony, between the Austrians under Gen. Laudohn, and the French, who captured 8 cannon and 1500 soldiers.
1801. Paul, emperor of Russia, assassinated. His reign was remarkable for its caprice and eccentricity.
1804. The county of Seneca, in Western New York, formed.
1838. Thomas Attwood, an eminent English musical composer, died, aged 73.
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 1834—exhibiting the curious phenomenon of a space of 240 years without snow.
1609. Henry Hudson sailed from Amsterdam on the voyage in which he discovered the North or Hudson river, and explored it as far as Albany.
1661. The Savoy conference, concerning the liturgy, between 12 bishops with 9 assistants, and a like number of presbyterians appointed by King Charles II.
1678. Ypres, in Belgium, surrendered to the French after a siege of 7 days.
1688. First establishment of charity schools in England.
1693. Printing ordered to be introduced into New York.
1711. Nehemiah Grew, a London physician, died. His merits and skill procured him a very extensive practice; he was also author on subjects connected with his profession.
1741. The British under Admiral Vernon took the castle of Bocca Chicca, in Carthagena, by assault.
1751. The commencement of the year in England was altered from this day to the first of January, to conform with the custom of other European countries, which had long before adopted the Gregorian calendar. For this purpose there was passed an act of parliament, directing that the year should commence on the first of January, and that eleven days, from the 2d to the 14th September, 1752, should be omitted, so that the 3d of September should be dated the 14th. This occasioned great perplexity and confusion of dates, arising from the computations by the old and new styles.
1754. William Hamilton, an ingenious Scottish poet, died. His pieces are distinguished for liveliness of imagination and delicacy of sentiment.
1761. The first tree cut towards clearing land for cultivation in the town of Bennington, Vt. The honor of the act belongs to Samuel Robinson, who on that day began the settlement of the town. In 1790 it contained 4,000 inhabitants, and by actual return their industry produced 26,000 yards of linen cloth, made in private families from flax of their own raising.
1763. Elias Farneworth, an English prelate, died; distinguished as the translator of Machiavelli and several other European authors.
1792. Lake Harantoreen, in the county of Kerry, Ireland, sunk into the earth.
1792. The British under Gen. Campbell carried by storm the batteries at Port Royal in Grenada.
1793. Hebert, Anacharsis Cloots and 18 others, chiefs of the Cordelier Club, executed at Paris.
1799. Florence and Leghorn in Italy, fell into the hands of the French.
1799. Battle of Stockach in Germany. The princes of Furstenberg and Anhalt-Bernburg killed.
1800. The county of Greene, in New York, erected.
1801. The British army in Egypt reinforced by the Turks.
1808. Charles IV of Spain wrote to Bonaparte protesting against his abdication in favor of Ferdinand VII, as having been extorted from him by force, at the same time offering to place himself and the royal family in Bonaparte's power.
1809. Anna Seward, an English poetess, died. She exhibited an early taste for poetry, and her poems were popular in their day, and often republished. She held a correspondence with the literati of her time, and her letters were published in six volumes, octavo.
1810. Bonaparte issued a decree giving liberty to all state prisoners in France, and a free pardon to all deserters.
1811. Battle of Campo Major in Portugal, in which the British under Gen. Beresford defeated the French, took 600 prisoners, and drove them to Badajos.
1811. British frigate Amazon destroyed off cape Barfleur by part of the Cherbourg squadron.