MAY 30.
542. Arthur, a British prince, died. He was a victorious warrior against the surrounding nations, and is celebrated as the founder of the knights of the round table at Winchester.
1216. Louis of France, at the invitation of the rebel English barons, crossed the channel with 680 sail, and landed at Sandwich.
1252. The epoch of the Alphonsine tables, constructed by Hazan, a Jew, by order of Alphonso the wise, commencing with the day of his accession to the throne of Leon and Castile.
1416. Jerome of Prague, burnt for the heresy of protestantism, at Constance, and suffered with great fortitude.
1431. Joan of Arc, the Maid of Orleans, burnt at Rouen, for sorcery and intercourse with infernal spirits, by the English. Chapelaine celebrated her in 12 times 1200 verses; Southey has made her the subject of an epic, and Schiller of a tragedy.
1484. Charles VIII (the affable), inaugurated at Rheims, in his 15th year. He was met at the gates by a young damsel, habited as Flora, who delivered him the keys of the city.
1498. Columbus sailed from the port of St. Lucar de Barrameda, with a squadron of six vessels, on his third voyage of discovery, with additional powers. The Indians were to wear a mark of brass or lead coin about their necks, which were to be exchanged for others on the payment of their tribute money.
1521. The Spaniards under Cortez, invested Mexico with 917 Spaniards and 75,000 Indians, which were soon increased to 200,000. He had 86 horses, 3 large iron cannons, and 15 smaller of copper, 1000 Castilian pounds of gun powder and a large quantity of balls and arrows, the strength of his little army having doubled by the supplies from Spain and the Antilles. The Spanish troops, in proceeding to their posts, in commencing the siege, had several engagements with the Mexicans. In attempting to break the aqueduct of Chapoltepec to cut off the water from the city, a powerful resistance was made. At one assault, so thick was the shower of arrows, darts and stones, which were shot at them, that 8 Spaniards were killed, and more than fifty wounded, and they were with difficulty able to retreat to Tlacopan, where they encamped.
1539. Ferdinand de Soto, landed on the West coast of Florida, in search of gold. He is supposed to have wandered over many of the southern states; but being disappointed in his great object, he returned without effecting a settlement.