NOVEMBER 19.
1231. Elizabeth of Thuringia, a saint of the church, died. She was distinguished by the mild virtues of her sex, and when the country was oppressed with famine and pestilence, she caused hospitals to be erected, and fed and clothed a multitude of the poor, wandering about in a humble dress relieving the sorrows of the wretched. She was regarded as a saint during her life, and four years after her death was canonized. Her monument is one of the most splendid remains of Gothic architecture in Germany.
1530. The diet at Augsburg issued a severe decree against the protestants, which was sanctioned by the emperor Charles V.
1590. Jerome Zanchius, a German protestant theologian, died. His commentaries on St. Paul's epistles were published after his death. He was a professor of theology at Heidelburg, and sustained the character of a learned, pious and benevolent man.
1628. John Felton, the assassin who killed the duke of Buckingham, favorite of Charles I of England, executed at Tyburn. The king proposed the rack previous to execution, that his accomplices might be discovered. But the judges unanimously declared that the English law did not allow of torture. This was the first adjudication on this subject.
1649. Caspar Scioppius, a learned German, died, aged 73. He acquired the name of the grammatical cur, from his indiscreet attacks upon every person of eminence. His talents and acquirements were extraordinary, and his works more numerous than his years.
1665. Nicholas Poussin, an eminent French painter, died. He was long unable to maintain himself by his pencil, till his genius finally burst through the clouds of
prejudice, and established his character as a great and sublime artist.
1672. John Wilkins, bishop of Chester, died; a most ingenious and learned English theologian, critic and mathematician.
1674. Samuel Danforth, the colleague of John Elliot, the Indian missionary, died at Roxbury, Mass. When he was contracted in marriage the celebrated John Cotton preached the sermon, customary in New England on such occasions, before the nuptial ceremony. He published several almanacs, and an astronomical account of the comet which appeared in 1764.
1677. Francis Junius, a German linguist, died in England. He was highly distinguished for his skill and researches in the Anglo Saxon and Gothic languages, which he pursued at Oxford, England.
1703. The Iron Mask (Masque de Fer), died at the Bastile in Paris, after an imprisonment of forty-two years. This mysterious personage is supposed to have been the twin brother of the king, and various authors have attempted to prove his identity with other characters of that day. It was at first believed that the mask which he was compelled to wear constantly on pain of instant death, was made of iron. But it was composed of black velvet, strengthened with whalebone, and fastened behind the head with a padlock. He was confined for imperious reasons of state, but was treated with the utmost deference and respect.
1731. William Edie, bellman of Canongate, in Edinburgh, died, aged 120. He had buried the inhabitants of Canongate thrice. He was 90 years a freeman, and married his second wife, a young woman, after he was 100 years old.
1741. Anthony Banier, a celebrated French mythologist, died. His Mythology and Fables of the Antients has been translated into English.
1744. A single battalion of Prussians under Wedel disputed the passage of the Elbe at Solnitz for five hours, against the whole Austrian army; and, under the fire of fifty cannons, thrice repulsed the Austrian grenadiers. Wedel lost two officers and 100 men killed, and acquired the title of Leonidas.
1761. Noel Anthony Pluche, a French writer on natural history, died. His Spectacle de la Nature is known to all the world.
1789. Junction of the Thames and Severn rivers by canal; an important event in English inland commerce. This canal ascends the vale of Calford to the height of 343 feet by 40 locks; there entering a tunnel through the hill of Saperton, for the length of two miles and three furlongs, and descends to the Thames by 22 locks.
1790. James Hay Beattie died; a Scotchman of eminent talents, who was made assistant professor of moral philosophy and logic at Aberdeen at the age of 19.
1793. A number of persons met in Edinburgh and held a convention similar to that in France, but were arrested and sent to prison.
1794. The treaty signed at London between England and America, called Jay's treaty.
1801. Joseph de Beauchamp, a French theologian and astronomer, died. During a residence in the Levant, he made many astronomical observations, constructed a map of the Tigris and Euphrates, and surveyed the Black sea.
1806. Richard Weston died; an English thread hosier, who became eminent as a horticulturist, and published some useful tracts on that subject.
1806. Hameln, on the Weser, captured by the French, who took Von Schoeler and five other generals, 9,000 Prussians, some other troops, and great quantities of ammunition and stores.
1806. Mortier entered Hamburg and confiscated all British property found there.
1806. Nicholas Claude Ledoux, a fortunate though vain French architect, died.
1809. Battle of Ocana; the French under Soult defeated 50,000 Spaniards. Joseph Bonaparte commanded in person in this battle under Soult.
1812. Battle of Koutovo; the French under Ney attacked in the defiles near Krasnoy, on the very spot where Davoust had been defeated two days before. Although the French fought with the greatest courage and most desperate intrepidity, they were defeated with terrible slaughter, and the loss of all their cannon, baggage and colors. Scarcely had this second victory been obtained, when the last columns of the rear guard appeared in sight, and were compelled to surrender, 100 officers and 11,000 men.
1812. Americans under colonel Pike made an incursion into Canada, assaulted and carried a British post, burnt their blockhouse, and returned with only five wounded.
1813. American Com. Porter took possession of an island in the South sea, called by the natives Nooaheevah, which he called Madison's island, in honor of the president.
1816. Eclipse of the sun observed at Paris. It was total at Copenhagen.
1818. Abdullah ibn Saud, the last emir of the Wahhabis, was beheaded at Constantinople, which put an end to the temporal power of that sect.
1835. Charles Coote, an English
author, died. He was for some years editor of the Critical Review, and wrote various historical and other works of merit.
1850. Richard M. Johnson, a Kentucky soldier and statesman, died at Frankfort, aged 70.
1853. Samuel H. Crafts died at Craftsbury, Vt., aged 84. On the organization of the town, which was settled by and named in honor of his father, in 1792, he was chosen town clerk, and held the office 37 years; and he filled every public office in the gift of Vermont during some part of his lifetime.
1855. Thomas Copeland, an eminent English surgeon and medical writer, died at Brighton, aged 74.
1855. Theodric Romeyn Beck, an eminent medical writer, died at Albany, N. Y., aged 64. He was one of the originators and most ardent supporters of the geological survey of the state; but is best known by his Medical Jurisprudence. He was a member of many scientific societies at home and abroad, and his whole life was one of uninterrupted and efficient labor.