NOVEMBER 11.
397. St. Martin, the apostle of Gaul, died. He was a soldier, converted to Christianity, and made bishop of Tours. The festival of Martinmas was instituted in honor of him, in the year 560.
619. St. John (the Almoner) died. He was a native of Cyprus, raised to the see of Alexandria.
1100. Nuptials of Henry I of England (Beauclerk) and Maud, the fair daughter of Malcolm, king of Scots, and niece of Edgar Atheling, "of the right kingly kin of England."
1213. Date of the most ancient writ, summoning four discreet knights of the counties, to meet king John at Oxford, in 15 days from All Saints, ad loquendum nobiscum de negotiis regni nostri.
1400. Timour the Mogul sacked Aleppo, the capital of the Mamelukes. He thus addressed one of the cadhis: "I am not a man of blood; and God is my witness, that in all my wars, I have never been the aggressor, and that my enemies have always been the authors of their own calamities."
1462. Anne of Cyprus, died. She married Lewis, duke of Savoy, and showed herself able, active and discriminating at the head of public affairs.
1572. Tycho Brahe observed a new star in Cassiopeia, a phenomenon which had not been recorded since the age of Hipparchus. In splendor it was equal to Jupiter and Venus, and did not change its position in two years.
1620. The Plymouth pilgrims signed an instrument for their government, which was to go into force on their landing. It had the signatures of 41 of their number; and they with their families amounted to 101 persons. John Carver was chosen governor for one year. Thus did these intelligent colonists, says Holmes, find means to erect themselves into a republic, even though they had commenced their enterprise under the sanction of a royal charter; "a case that is rare in history, and can be effected only by that perseverance which the true spirit of liberty inspires."
1621. Robert Cushman arrived at Plymouth, in a ship from England, bringing 35 persons to remain in the colony, and a charter procured in London.
1623. Philip de Mornay, baron du Plesis Marly, died; an illustrious French protestant, a political and polemical writer, and privy counselor of the king.
1671. Thomas Fairfax, one of the principal generals in the civil wars of England, died.
1673. Battle of Choczin; the Turks defeated by John Sobieski, with the loss of 28,000.
1692. The negroes of the Barbadoes conspired against their masters for which many of them were executed.
1714. George I issued an order of council against the clergy meddling with state affairs in their sermons.
1750. Apostolo Zeno, a learned Venitian, died. He was a poet, and historian to Charles VI; his works are numerous and popular.
1778. A body of tories, Indians and British regulars, under the notorious John Butler, attacked fort Alden, at Cherry Valley. After an attack of 3 hours, they retreated, having killed 10 soldiers, and massacred 32 inhabitants, mostly women and children.
1793. John Sylvain Bailly, a famous French astronomer, died. He was induced to leave his studies for political distinction, and lost his life by manifesting some regard for justice.
1793. The amount of gold and silver collected in Paris from all parts of the republic, for the purpose of carrying on the measures of the government vigorously, was about two hundred millions of dollars.
1794. A treaty was concluded at Canandaigua between the United States by Timothy Pickering, and the Six Nations by 58 of their chiefs, among whom were Red Jacket and Cornplanter.
1794. Marquis Lafayette escaped from the prison at Olmutz.
1797. Joseph Toaldo, an Italian physician, died. He was professor of mathematics at Padua, and bestowed much attention on subjects of electricity, astronomy and meteorology.
1805. Battle of Diernsten; the French under Mortier defeated the Russians after a sanguinary battle.
1807. Three British orders in council restricting neutral trade with France and her allies. This was termed a paper blockade, was strongly resisted by America, and finally, with other aggressions, brought on a war in 1812.
1807. The decree of Napoleon restricting the trade of Holland went into operation, by which the commerce of that country, after a long declension, was totally ruined.
1813. Battle of Williamsburg, in Canada. The Americans under general Boyd, 1700, attacked the British, 2170. The victory was claimed by both parties, though it seems to have been with the British. American loss, killed 102, wounded 237; British loss, officially stated at 180—thought to exceed 500.
1817. Francisco Espoz y Mina, one of the most distinguished of the Spanish patriots, executed in Spain.
1835. Great tempest on lake Erie; a number of lives and vessels lost; the water rose higher than it was ever known before at Buffalo, and did great damage.
1837. Thomas Green Fessenden, an American poet and agricultural writer, died. He conducted the New England Farmer many years; was a man of extensive information and considerable literary acquirements.
1849. Henry Maynadier, a revolutionary officer and army surgeon, died at Annapolis, Maryland, aged 93.
1855. Thomas Wilde, baron Truro, died at London. As one of the best pleaders at the English bar, he was employed as one of the counsel for queen Caroline. He filled many offices of distinction and became lord chancellor in 1850.
1855. Jeddo, in the island of Japan destroyed by an earthquake.