1618. One WILLIAMS, a barrister, arraigned for libeling the king, was executed. 1643. Parliament of England ordered the _Book of Sports_ to be burned by the common hangman. 1670. FRANCIS ANNIBAL D'ESTREES, a French statesman, died, aged 98. He distinguished himself by several military exploits, and wrote some valuable historical works. 1682. WILLIAM PENN, published in England his frame of government for the colony of Pennsylvania. 1687. A proclamation was issued by government to establish a manufactory for white paper in England. 1700. STEPHEN MORIN, a French protestant divine, died at Amsterdam. He was professor of oriental languages; his dissertations on various subjects of criticism and antiquity were highly esteemed. 1705. LEOPOLD I, emperor of Germany, died. He was long engaged in sanguinary war with the Turks and the French, who pillaged and destroyed his frontier towns. 1706. Lateral eruption of the peak of Teneriffe. A volcano opened at the south side, towards the port of Garachico, and in a few hours not an edifice of that populous city was left standing. 1710. NICHOLAS JOSEPH POISSON, a French priest, died. He was the friend of Descartes, and a philosopher; distinguished for his eloquence and as an author. 1751. JOHN PICHON died; a French Jesuit and an author. 1757. Battle of Prague, between the Prussians under Frederick the great and the Austrians. The Prussians were victorious, after a bloody contest, in which the distinguished general, count Schwerin, was killed. Austrian loss 24,000; Prussian loss 18,000. 1760. LAWRENCE SHIRLEY, earl of Feraro, executed at Tyburn for the murder of his steward. He was a man of no mean mental acquirements, but passionate and often inflamed by inebriety. 1776. Congress declared the authority of England over the thirteen colonies abolished. 1785. THOMAS DAVIES (alias _Honest Tom Davies_), an English author, died. He was educated at the university of Edinburgh, became an actor, afterwards a bookseller, turned strolling player, married Miss Yarrow, an actress of great beauty, returned to bookselling, became bankrupt, was relieved by the assistance of Dr. Johnson, wrote the _Life of Garrick_, several other biographies and innumerable miscellanies, and was entrusted with the publication of Granger's _Biographical History of England_. 1789. JOSEPH BARETTI, an Italian lexicographer, died. He emigrated to England, where he published an Italian and English dictionary, and assisted Dr. Johnson in compiling his dictionary. 1789. Assembly of the states general of France, at Versailles. This may be called the first day of the revolution, although the object of the meeting was to prevent such a catastrophe. 1795. The law went into operation in England imposing a tax on wearing hair powder. 1802. Cleopatra's coffin, head of the Theban ram, and other Egyptian curiosities, arrived in England. 1804. France formed into an empire.