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 twenty-four years' labor, the Decretals.
1165. Malcolm IV, king of Scots, died of a lingering disease, at Jedburgh, after a short reign. His subjects were rebellious, but by his vigor he overcame them all.
1565. Pius IV (John Angelo de Medicis) died. He was not of the Florence family, but brother of the famous marquis de Marignan, and distinguished as an ambassador. He evinced his zeal for the church by his enmity against the Turks and heretics.
1641. Anthony Vandyck, the celebrated Dutch painter, died. He was a pupil of Rubens, and excelled his master in delicacy of coloring. His pictures preserve in high perfection the dress and costume of the times.
1669. Clement IX (Julius Rospigliosi) died of grief, at the loss of Candia, which was taken by the Turks. His reign was disturbed by the schisms of the Jansenists.
1674. Edward Hyde, lord of Clarendon, died at Rouen, in France, in exile. His name is immortalized by the History of the Rebellion, a splendid monument of his genius and impartiality, which he finished in exile.
1680. Comet seen at Albany.
1683. John Oldham, an eminent English poet, died of small pox. His genius lay chiefly in satire.
1694. Paul Signeri died at Rome; a theological writer, and a popular preacher and active missionary of the Jesuits.
1702. Haagen Swensden executed for stealing and marrying Mrs. Pleasant Rawlins, an heiress.
1708. John Higginson died; the first minister of Salem, Mass.
1788. Jonathan Shipley, bishop of St. Asaph, died. He was a distinguished prelate and eminent among his episcopal brethren for his firm and determinate opposition to the American war.
1798. John Reinhold Forster, an eminent English writer on natural history and philosophy, died at Halle, in Germany. He accompanied Cook in his second voyage round the world.
1804. The British under admiral Popham attacked fort Rouge at the entrance of Calais harbor with explosion vessels.
1808. The Chinese interdicted the English from trading until their soldiery were drawn from Macao.
1808. The British rejected the French and Russian proposals for peace.
1811. Americans under general Harrison left the battle ground at Tippecanoe, on their return to the United States.
1813. Battle on the Nieve, near Bayonne; the British under general Hope attacked the French under Soult, without obtaining any decisive advantage.
1814. Joseph Bramah, a very ingenious English engineer and mechanist, died.
1815. The exiled emperor Napoleon, took possession of the villa of Longwood. This year, at its dawn, found him sovereign of the little island of Elba; ere the vernal equinox he was again emperor of France; before the summer solstice he was finally defeated at Waterloo; the year closed over him a solitary exile.
1816. The bank of England commenced paying specie on one and two pound notes dated prior to 1812.
1824. Battle of Ayacucho, in Peru, between the royalists under La Serna, 9,310, and the patriots, 5,780, under Sucre, which terminated in the total defeat of the former, who lost 1800 killed, and their general taken prisoner. Loss of the patriots, 370 killed. This victory accomplished the delivery of Peru from the Spaniards.
1824. Jose La Serna, viceroy of Peru, wounded and taken prisoner at the battle of Ayacucho, which put an end to his authority in that state. He commenced his career in the artillery, and served at Saragossa under the celebrated Palafox. His skill in the art of war did not avail him against the determined bravery of the revolutionists.
1831. Disturbances in Ireland; the soldiers fired upon a mob of 2000 Irish; whereupon the mob rushed upon the soldiery and killed 19 out of 34.
1831. Ibrahim Pasha completely defeated before St. Jean d'Acre.
1833. John Jebb, bishop of Limerick, died. He was an accomplished author, a learned theologian, and an amiable man. His publications, though not numerous, were of high merit.
1835. President's message reached Boston in 26 hours and 50 minutes from Washington. It was formerly announced as an instance of extraordinary speed that the message reached Boston in 64 hours. In 1841 the message reached New York in 8 hours 53 minutes, and probably was in Boston within another 8 hours. Dr. Franklin once expressed an opinion that the time would come when the mail might be conveyed from Philadelphia to Boston in a fortnight, and perhaps in a week. The regular time is now 24 hours.
1842. Samuel Woodworth, well known as an American poet, died in New York. He was the author of the popular song, the Old Oaken Bucket.
1850. Bem, the Hungarian general, died at Aleppo.
1853. The men and women of Harbor creek, near Erie, Pa., turned out in large numbers, tore up the rail road track, burnt the ties and bridges over the culvert, and plowed down the track to its former level.
1854. The king of the Sandwich islands to prevent the overthrow of his government by lawless violence, accepted the aid of the naval forces of the United States, Great Britain and France.
1856. Father Matthew, called the apostle of temperance, died at Cork, Ireland, aged 66. He devoted himself in early life to the regeneration of his countrymen among the poorer classes who had fallen under the tyranny of strong drink.