FEBRUARY 20.
1413. Thomas Arundel, archbishop of Canterbury, died. He was consecrated bishop of Ely at the age of 21, and became infamous by the severity of his conduct towards the reformers.
1437. James I, of Scotland, murdered, at the age of 44. He fell a martyr to his attempts to abolish the anarchy and disorder which prevailed throughout his kingdom. He was the first of the Stuarts, and stands on the catalogue of royal authors. (Is also dated 21st.)
1494. Matteo Marie Boiardo, count of Scandiano, died. In his Orlando Innamorato he immortalized his own peasants and the charms of the scenery at Scandiano in the persons of his heroes and the beauties of nature.
1571. Lewis Castelvetro, an Italian critic, died. He was famous for his parts, but more famous for spleen and ill nature. He distinguished himself chiefly by his Commentary upon Aristotle's Poetics, where, Rapin assures us, he always made it a rule to find something to except against in the text.
1579. Nicholas Bacon, an English statesman, died. He was appointed lord keeper of the great seal on the accession of Elizabeth, and was an able and judicious counsellor of that queen during 20 years.
1579. Drake, after many profitable captures in the Pacific, arrived at Lima, where he plundered all the ships in the harbor, in one of which was found a chest full of reals of silver, and a good store of silks and linen cloth.
1648. Thomas Damme buried at Minshull, England, "being of the age of seven score and fourteen" (154 years).
1725. A party of 40 New Hampshire volunteers on an excursion for hunting Indians, discovered a party of ten encamped for the night round a fire. Advancing cautiously at midnight, the enemy were found asleep and the whole shot. They were marching from Canada well furnished with new guns and ammunition, and a number of spare blankets, moccasins and snow shoes, for the accommodation of the prisoners they expected to take, and were within two miles of the frontiers. The party entered Dover in triumph, with the ten scalps stretched on hoops and elevated on poles; and received a bounty of £100 for each scalp, at Boston, out of the public treasury.
1736. A bill was introduced into the British parliament, placing a duty of 20 shillings a gallon on spirituous liquors, and £50 license for selling them, in order to prevent their excessive use; but was defeated so far as to tolerate punch at a