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 of refugees and criminals, and to increase the population, neighboring females were dragged within its boundaries.
323 B. C. Diogenes, the cynic, died at Corinth, aged 90. He was expelled from his native city, Synope, for coining false money. His smart sayings and repartees were taken for wisdom, and his misanthropy and residence in a tub for philosophy! He snarled at the follies of men—wherein he differed from two other great philosophers, one of whom laughed at, the other wept for, the foibles of the world.
248. The thousandth anniversary of the foundation of Rome celebrated, in the reign of the emperor Philip, when Pompey's famous theatre was burnt.
1073. Alexander II, pope, died. He possessed one Christian virtue, that was charity for the Jews, whom he protected from murder and rapine.
1109. Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury, died. He was no sooner invested with the robes, than he began a quarrel with the king, in which he was worsted. He was a haughty prelate, and the first who insisted on the celibacy of his clergy in England. He was canonized under Henry VII.
1143. Peter Abelard, a learned Frenchman, died. His love and misfortunes have saved his memory from oblivion; and the man whom his own century have admired as a profound divine, is now celebrated as the martyr of love. The letters of Abelard and Heloise are frequently republished, and there is a voluminous life of the lovers by Berington.
1284. Alfonzo X (the wise), king of Castile and Leon, died. He was a man of great learning, and was the first king who had the public documents written in Spanish, which he did with a view to polish and enrich the language. His son usurped the throne, and it was with the greatest difficulty that he got it back again, by calling in the troops of the Moors; and the excommunication of the pope.
1480. William Caxton, the first English printer, finished the translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses, as we learn from his own memorandum, as follows: "Ouyde his booke of Metamorphose Translated and fynnysshed by me William Caxton at Westmestre the xxii day of Apryll, the yere of our lord m.iiijc.iiijxx. And the xx yere of the Regne Kynge Edward the fourthe." This work is not known to have been printed, but there are several fragments of the work preserved in manuscript.
1519. The armament under Cortez arrived on the coast of Chalchiucuechan, a part of the Mexican empire.
1526. Battle of Paniput, in Hindostan, between Ibrahim Lodi, sultan of Delhi, and the Tartar prince Raber. Ibrahim was defeated and killed, which decided the conquest of Hindostan by the Tartars.
1545. The mines of Potosi opened. They were discovered by an Indian peasant, while hunting. A shrub which he had laid hold of to support himself, was torn up by the roots, and disclosed to the hunter a rich mass of silver. The population of the city increased so rapidly that in 1611, a little more than half a century afterwards, there were 160,000 inhabitants, but in 1826 they had decreased to 12,000. There are at present less than 100 mines worked, and these conducted with great ignorance and disadvantage.
1671. Anthony Godeau, a French divine, died. He was one of the first and brightest ornaments of the academy of belles-lettres, an active and attentive prelate, and exemplary in every part of his conduct. He wrote a valuable Ecclesiastical History, 3 vols. folio.
1679. The council of 30 constituted by Charles II. They consisted of 15 whigs and 15 tories—chosen by their property to balance the commons, the former valued at £300,000, that of the latter at £400,000.
1696. Brigadier Ambrose Rockwood with two others, convicted at Tyburn for high treason and executed on the 29th. They were the first prisoners having the benefit of council, &c.
1718. Philip de la Hire, a French mathematician, died, aged 78. He is characterized as a great and good man whose days were employed in study, and his nights frequently in astronomical observations. His scientific pursuits were various, and his works numerous and valuable.
1757. Battle of Reichenberg, in Bohemia; the Prussians under Schwerin defeated the Austrians under Count Konigseg. Austrian loss 1,000 killed, 400 prisoners; Prussian loss, 100 killed and wounded.
1765. David Mallet, a Scotch poet, died. His name is familiar as an author, although his place is not very high on the roll of fame; there is no species of composition in which he was eminent.
1770. Marriage of Louis XVI and Maria Antoinette, archduchess of Austria; when 4,000 persons perished in the crowd that assembled to witness the procession.
1773. Ali Bey, governor of Egypt, died. He was the son of a Greek sold by a band of robbers to the Janisaries, who raised him to power; and was finally enabled to throw off his obedience to the Porte. He was humane and generous, and possessed an elevated mind.
1794. Guadaloupe and its dependencies, Marigalante and Deseada, surrendered to the British.
1809. Battle of Landshut, in Bavaria, when Napoleon following up his victory of the previous day, attacked the Austrian army and defeated it. The Austrians lost 30 pieces of cannon, 9,000 prisoners, baggage, &c., and retreated to concentrate their forces at Eckmuhl.
1818. New York state library established.
1836. Battle of San Jacinto, in Texas, between the Mexicans, 1,500, under Santa Anna, and the Texans, 783, under Gen. Houston. The Mexicans were defeated, with the loss of 630 killed, 208 wounded, and 730 prisoners, among whom were Santa Anna and Gen. Cos; also 600 muskets, 390 sabres, 260 pistols, several hundred horses, and $12,000 in specie, fell into the hands of the victors, who lost 2 killed, 23 wounded.
1843. Augustus Frederick, duke of Sussex, died in London. He was an untiring patron of the deserving aspirants in any art.
1844. Henry Baldwin, one of the judges of the United States supreme court, died at Philadelphia.
1853. Lewis C. Beck, noted for his attainments in natural science, died at Albany, aged 53. He published works on botany and chemistry, and one on the mineralogy of New York.
1855. A riot broke out at Chicago, occasioned by the license question; the military were called out.