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 prætorian guards.
1099. Jerusalem taken by the crusaders on the 39th day of the siege. Two huge movable towers had been constructed, and rolled with great labor to the foot of the fortifications. From the tops of these they fought the besieged on even terms till afternoon, when a warrior named Letolde leapt upon the ramparts and was followed by all the other knights, and drove the Saracens down into the city. The standard of the cross was planted in triumph on the walls, and after 460 years of bondage, the holy city passed from under the Moslem yoke. The victory thus bravely won, was tarnished by the ferocity of the conquerors. The number who were slain in the city amounted to 70,000, and the Jews were burnt in their synagogues.
1535. Trajan's floating palace (which was sunk at a great depth in lake Nemi, Italy, 1340 years before) explored by Marchi in a diving machine. It was found in a tolerable state of preservation, measuring 500 feet in length, 270 in breadth and 60 in depth. This magnificent work was designed for the retirement of a prince celebrated for his magnificent taste, and were it possible to rescue it from its present position, or examine the interior, many valuable relics might be brought to light, to enrich the cabinet of the antiquarian if not to subserve the use of the sciences.
1546. The protestants having assembled a force of 70,000 foot, 15,000 horse, and 6,000 pioneers, with 120 cannon, 800 ammunition wagons, 8,000 beasts of burden, determined to support their cause by the force of arms. They issued a manifesto, and sent a letter to Charles V. (See [July 20].)
They were, however, overcome without battle, in consequence of having separated themselves into small bodies early in 1547.
1557. Anne of Cleves, one of the queens of Henry VIII of England, died. The king demanded her in marriage after having seen her picture. But the painter had flattered the beauty, and the king becoming disgusted with what he termed a Flanders mare, obtained a divorce and sent her home again. She retired, seemingly unconcerned, and no doubt considered it a matter of great good fortune to have escaped with life.
1557. A great dearth of breadstuffs in England; wheat £2 13s. 4d.; malt £2 4s.; peas £2 6d. per quarter.
1567. Mary, queen of Scots, unable by entreaties or threats, to induce her followers to fight any longer in her cause, surrendered herself up to her disaffected subjects, by whom she was imprisoned.
1570. Ignatius Azevedo, a Portuguese Jesuit, murdered. He relinquished the enjoyment of a large fortune to embark as a missionary to India, was captured by pirates, and with nineteen of his companions, barbarously massacred, near Palma.
1575. Henry, duke of Anjou, divested of the Polish crown, in full diet, and the throne declared vacant.
1610. The Halve Maan, in which the first white man sailed up the Hudson river, arrived at Amsterdam on her return, having been detained in England since Nov. 7 of the previous year.
1614. Peter de Bourdeilles, lord-abbot of Brantome, in France, died. He served an apprenticeship in arms under Francis of Guise, and is supposed to have visited most of the countries of Europe, either in a military capacity or as a traveler. His memoirs or works were published in 1666, and several editions have since been printed. It is represented to be a rare work, but has never been translated into English. (Biog. Univer. says [July 5], q. v.)
1685. James, duke of Monmouth, beheaded. He was the natural son of Charles II, against whom he rebelled; and on the accession of James II, he invaded England, was defeated, (See [July 5],) imprisoned and finally brought to the scaffold, after having made the most humiliating petitions for his life.
1715. Bell, the Scottish traveler, left St. Petersburg for Persia, with the Russian embassy, in the quality of physician. They were obliged by the severity of the weather to halt at Cazan and pass the winter, and were detained there till June 4, 1716. They then proceeded by Astraken, the Caspian sea and Tauris to Ispahan, where they arrived in 1717.
1716. The island of Corfu, besieged by 80,000 Turks, and defended by the Venetians, was attacked by the Turkish admiral with 22 ships, and an attempt was made by the land forces to storm the citadel; but the Venetian fleet destroyed that of the Turks, and the garrison, making a counter sally with 2000 men, took the Turks by surprise in the rear, who fled, leaving 4000 dead in the trenches.
1751. John Wilson, an eminent English botanist, died. His occupation was that of a shoemaker, and he ranks among the self-elevated men, who without a liberal education have distinguished themselves by scientific and literary abilities. He became an expert and accurate botanist before Linnæus's method of discriminating species improved the science, and published a Synopsis of British Plants. He was the first writer that attempted a systematic arrangement of indigenous plants in the English language.
1761. Dominico Passionei, a learned Italian cardinal, died. He made a valuable collection of books and manuscripts, and was particularly distinguished as the friend and patron of literature.
1769. The general court of Massachusetts refusing to make provision for the support of the British soldiery, with whose presence they were favored, governor Bernard prorogued that assembly.
1776. British king's ships Phœnix, Rose and two tenders, effected their passage to Tarrytown, on the Hudson, under a heavy cannonade from the New York batteries, &c.
1778. France declared war against England, and 40,000 men were assembled in Normandy for the invasion of England. The plan was not carried into effect, because the French and Spanish fleets, which were to protect the landing, were dispersed by contrary winds.
1782. William de Bure died; a Paris bookseller, famous for his knowledge of old, curious and valuable books.
1785. A new mufti of Constantinople prohibited the reading of foreign gazettes and newspapers, in whatever language they might be written, under severe penalties.
1789. Louis XVI, accompanied by his two brothers, went to the states general of France, and declared his determination to act in concert with the national assembly, a title which he then employed for the first time. They returned on foot to the palace, amid the shouts and blessings of an immense crowd.
1791. Great riot in Birmingham, England. Dr. Priestley's house and library destroyed by the mob. His philosophical apparatus was the best in the world, and his library and manuscripts above price, and not capable of being restored.
1795. Desperate engagement between a British private armed lugger of 12 guns,
and 9 French vessels of 65 guns altogether. The French were beaten off after an incessant action of 18 hours.
1797. The exiled French ministers were permitted to return to France on taking an oath to support the constitution.
1800. Bryan Edwards died; a British West India merchant, author of an elegant History of the West Indies, and other lesser productions, connected with the islands in that part of the world.
1802. Thomas Dermody, an Irish poet, died, aged 28. He was employed as Greek and Latin assistant in his father's school, at the age of 9 years; and is said to have written as much genuine poetry at 10, as either Cowley, Milton or Pope had produced at nearly twice that age. He was, at the same time, a depraved wretch, and died of intemperance.
1807. Joseph McKeen died; an American mathematician, and first president of Bowdoin college.
1808. Murat placed upon the throne of Naples by Bonaparte, under the title of king Joachim Napoleon. He governed with prudence and vigor.
1815. Bonaparte surrendered himself to captain Maitland, of the British ship Bellerophon.
1819. "A steam vessel entered one of our ports from America," says a British writer under this date.
1834. The inquisition again abolished in Spain.
1839. Winthrop Macworth Praed, an eminent English orator and statesman, died.
1853. An earthquake at Cumana, in Venezuela, South America, destroyed many edifices and killed 600 persons.
1855. The first legislature of the new state of Panama, formed of the provinces of Panama, Azuen, Veraguos and Chiriqui, met at Panama. Justo Arogemena was appointed superior chief.