SEPTEMBER 17.
1575. Henry Bullinger, one of the early reformers, died. He was one of the authors of the Helvetic Confession, and assisted Calvin in drawing up the Formulary. His works form 10 vols. folio.
1614. Thomas Overbury poisoned in the Tower with an envenomed clyster contrived by the earl of Somerset and his countess. (See [Sept. 15].)
1621. Robert Bellarmin died; an Italian cardinal, and one of the most celebrated controversial writers of his time.
1651. Constantine Caietan (Thomas de Vio), an Italian cardinal, died. He made a literal translation of the Bible from the original.
1665. Philip IV, of Spain, died. He was unsuccessful in his wars with Holland and France; and the Portuguese also rebelled, and compelled him to acknowledge their independence.
1673. James Barrelier, a celebrated French ecclesiastic and naturalist, died. He traversed the south of France, Spain and Italy, and during a residence of 25 years at Rome, collected plants and other objects of natural history, with a view to their publication. Dying before the work was completed, he bequeathed his manuscripts to the library of a convent; but soon after his death all his collections were dispersed, and some were burnt, except the copperplates, which were collected and published by Jussieu.
1683. Controversy between lord Baltimore and William Penn. Lord Baltimore appointed Col. Talbot to demand of Penn all the lands lying on the west side of the river Delaware and south of the 40th degree, as a part of Maryland.
1690. A fire in Boston destroyed the printing office of Bartholomew Green, which was the best furnished in America.
1703. Gelders, a Prussian city, surrendered to the duke of Marlborough, after having been long blockaded, bombarded and reduced to a heap of ashes.
1720. William Burnet, son of the English bishop, took upon him the government of New York.
1753. The first theatre in New York opened in Nassau street by Lewis Hallam; the third stage on which the productions of the dramatic muse were exhibited to the inhabitants of the new world. The days of performance were Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and so continued for near half a century.
1759. Quebec taken.
1762. Francisco Geminiani, died; an extraordinary performer on the violin, and composer for that instrument.
1767. Frances Sheridan died; an
ingenious novelist and dramatic writer, and mother of Richard Brinsley Sheridan.
1771. The Prussians under Gen. Platten, destroyed the Russian magazines on the frontiers of Poland.
1775. Americans under Gen. Montgomery laid siege to St. John's Canada.
1782. Permacoli, in Hindostan, surrendered by the British to Hyder Ally and the French.
1785. Anthony Leonard Thomas, a French poet and prose writer, died.
1787. The constitution of the United States adopted by the federal convention at Philadelphia, and referred to the conventions of the separate states for concurrence.
1795. The French national assembly directed that a copy of the Dictionary of the academy, with the notes and additions in the margin, deposited in the library of the committee of public instruction, should be delivered to the booksellers, and that after a new one should be completed that it be returned; 15,000 copies to be printed.
1796. Battle of Altenkirchen, in which the celebrated French general Merceau was killed.
1802. Richard Owen Cambridge died; an elegant English poet, critic and miscellaneous writer.
1811. A beautiful annular eclipse of the sun was observed at Richmond in Virginia and other places adjacent.
1814. Sortie and battle of Fort Erie. The British sine qua non, totally defeated, and compelled to break up the camp and retire. British loss, killed, wounded and prisoners, 578; American loss, 82 killed, 216 wounded, 215 missing—513.
1837. Henry Brown, a soldier of the revolution, died at Boston, Ohio, aged 104. He was at the battle of Bunker Hill, and other engagements.
1839. Matthew Carey, a celebrated printer and bookseller of Philadelphia, died. He was a native of Ireland, and a man of great activity and benevolence. His writings are numerous and well known.
1840. Emma Roberts, an English authoress of considerable note, died at Poonah, in India.
1842. Henry Floyd, a bricklayer of Romsey, England, died, aged 47. He was remarkable for his great bulk, being the largest man in England. His weight was about 500 lbs. Notwithstanding the unwieldiness of his frame he was in constant attendance upon his business, was shrewd, intelligent and good natured, and much respected. His coffin contained nearly 200 feet of inch board.
1851. John Kidd, librarian to the Radcliffe library, died at Oxford, England, aged 76. He wrote upon medicine, mineralogy and geology, and furnished one of the best of the Bridgewater treatises.
1854. The steamer City of Philadelphia, seven days out from Liverpool, with 540 passengers, struck upon cape Race and became a total loss. The passengers were saved.
1855. The corner stone of the public library laid in Boston with appropriate ceremonies.