1607. HENRY HUDSON sailed from Gravesend on his first voyage for the discovery of a northwest passage to India. In this voyage he discovered the island of Spitzbergen. 1619. The famous Calvinistic convocation, the synod of Dort, caused their decrees to be publicly read, and dissolved the council. (May 9? 29?) 1637. A court was summoned at Hartford, Conn., to take measures to secure the colony against the depredations of the Pequot Indians. They determined that an offensive war should be carried on against them, and voted to raise 90 men! The Pequots then numbered 5000 fighting men. 1660. The convention parliament having heard Charles's letters read by sir John Granville, voted that the government of England should be by king, lords, and commons. 1683. ROBERT FITZGERALD received a patent in England for making salt water fresh. 1701. JOHN DRYDEN, an illustrious English poet, died. "What he has done in any one species or distinct kind of writing would have been sufficient to have acquired him a great name." 1703. Battle of Pultusk, in Poland, in which the Swedes under Charles XII defeated 10,000 Poles. 1707. Union of England and Scotland consummated. 1708. CLAUDE DE VERT died; he devoted much attention to the ceremonies of the church of Rome, of which he wrote a history. 1727. FRANCIS PARIS, a French ecclesiastic, died. He retired from office, bestowing his property upon his brother, in order to devote himself to the austerities of a religious life. After his death crowds flocked to his grave to touch his holy monument, till the authorities caused the church yard to be shut. 1737. JOHN ALPHONSUS TURRETINI died; professor of ecclesiastical history at Geneva, distinguished for his learning. 1755. JOHN BAPTIST OUDRI died; an admired French painter. 1760. WILLIAM DUNCAN died; an ingenious Scottish critic, professor of philosophy at Aberdeen, and translator of _Cæsar's Commentaries_. 1771. LOUIS PETIT DE BACHAUMON died; a native of Paris, known as the author of several literary works. 1772. GOTTFRIED ACHENWALL, an eminent German lecturer on statistics, history and the laws of nature, died at Göttingen. 1774. WILLIAM HEWSON died; an eminent English anatomist, and medical author. 1775. ISRAEL LYONS died; a celebrated English mathematician. 1776. Dr. ADAM WEISHAUPT, professor of canon law at Ingolstadt, founded the secret society of the illuminati. 1785. MILES COOPER died; a learned English divine and poet. 1786. GIBBON concluded the fourth volume of his _History_, immortal as its subject. 1789. The states general of France met at Paris, convened by the king to calm the troubles of the state, which he had not power to quell, and which had now assumed a menacing appearance towards royalty itself. 1790. Indian war commenced between the British and Tippo Saib, sultan of Mysore. 1807. Slave trade in the West Indies proscribed in the British parliament.