1498. Geronimo Savanarola, an Italian monk, burnt. His influence was so great at Florence, that for several years he guided the state as its sovereign; but when he attacked the corruptions of the church of Rome and the infamous conduct of pope Alexander VI, neither his purity nor his popularity could save him from destruction.
1533. Cranmer pronounced sentence of divorce between Henry VIII and Catharine of Arragon.
1609. The company of South Virginia not realizing the expected profit from its colony, obtained from king James a new charter, with more ample privileges. Their territory extended 400 miles on the Atlantic
coast, and "from the Atlantic westward to the South sea."
1610. The English wrecked on the island of Bermudas (see [July 24]), having built two small vessels and paid the seams with lime and tortoise oil, arrived in them at the settlement of Jamestown; they found the inhabitants reduced from 500 to 60, by famine; and seeing no other means of preserving them than by abandoning the country, they took them all on board, with the intention of returning to England. At this juncture lord Delaware arrived with three ships, 150 men, and plenty of provisions, and settled the colony.
1679. It was discovered that 27 members of the English parliament had been pensioners on the government.
1692. Third action off La Hogue, between the British and French fleets; 6 ships of the latter burnt.
1701. William Kidd with others executed at Execution dock, London, for piracy. In America every reminiscence of Kidd has yet an air of romance.
1706. Battle of Ramilles, in Belgium, between the French under Villeroy, and the allies under the duke of Marlborough, in which the latter were signally victorious. The armies contained about 60,000 men each; the loss of the French was 15,000, that of the allies 4,000.
1720. The French Mississippi scheme, projected by John Law, dissolved, like those bright floating circles which amuse and vex the hopes of children of a lesser growth.