THIS WEEK’S HiVERSiIES

Evening Star, Issue 20032, 24 November 1928, Page 14

THIS WEEK’S HiVERSiIES

IJOVEMBER. A bomb outrage occurred at Romo on November 18, 1000.- St. Peter’s Church had been beautifully decorated in honour of the anniversary of ids dedication. The attendance was exceptionally largo. Cardinal Rampolla was assisting thb choir in the chapel. The last masses were over, and when the canon at the altar of St. Petronella, in tho right aisle, close to where the explosion occurred, started to pronounce tho blessing, a. tremendous roar echoed through tho building. Dense smoke spread everywhere, with a strong smell of gunpowder. So unexpected . was this happening that it is not surprising that panic followed. The officiating clergy vainly tried to quell tho fears of tho congregation by calling out that tho noise was only that of a noonday gun, but terror was so groat that tho multitude rushed for the doors.’ Women fainted, and a grave disaster seemed imminent, but suddenly tho smoko cleared and tho panic was allayed. Tho bomb was placed under the scaffolding erected behind Canora’s celebrated tomb of Pope Clement XIII. Though the scaffolding caught (iro, the monument fortunately was uninjured. A Ion" fuse had been employed so that the perpetrator of tho deed was enabled to enter and deposit the bomb and _ quietly depart after a brief interval without attracting notice.

NOVEMBER 19 That the perils of tho deep have not disappeared with the achievements of science (vas illustrated last week by the sinking' of the Vestris in mid-ocean, and tho loss of 111 lives. But disasters are not as common as they were in the sailing ship days, when the windjammer lacked tho contrivances that are now available to-day in case of trouble. Pof instance, there is not tho danger from (ire that existed half a century ago. An appalling disaster due to this cause occurred on November 19, 1874. The Cospatrick. a wooden ship of 1,200 tons, sailed from London for New Zealand on September 11, 1874, having on board a general cargo, 429 emigrants, and a crow, all told, of forty-four. Tho vessel was admirably fitted in every respect, and special precautions were taken to guard against that most terrible of marine dangers—fire. All went well for turn months. Then ono night about 12 o’clock tho cry of “Firel” was raised. It was no false alarm. The flames spread with such rapidity that Captain Elmslio lost all command over the crew and passengers. Further, tho captain was too late in giving the order to lower tho boats. Some were burnt and others capsized. In tho end two boats were afloat, but in neither was any supply of provisions or water. They hovered round the burning ship till sho_ sank. The captain was seen to throw his wife into the waves to give her a last chance of life, before he himself sprang from the burning wreck. Neither was saved. Tho two boats kept company for a time, and then got separated. One containing the first mate was never heard of again. Tho other, in charge of tho second mate, after making 540 miles in eight days, was picked up. In her were five men alive and ono dead. Two of the survivors died a day or two afterwards. Thus out of the ship’s company of 473 only three were left. The sufferings of those on the boat that was picked up were terrible. On one day three men died, on another four, and on tho third day six. After that the narrative of the second mate was not very clear, but several more deaths occurred. Those who survived maintained life by drinking the blood of those who died. It is surmised that the first boat, which had forty-two passengers on board, foundered, and their sufferings were thus mercifully cut short. NOVEMBER 20 James I. was dubbed In his time the wisest fool in Christendom. _ Another name applied to him ,which is seldom heard is that of the British Nimrod. In a letter dated November 20, 1611, from John Chamberlain, a gcntkfian and scholar, to his friend Sir .Dudley Carleton there_ appears the following passage regarding the King and his Queen The King is hunting in Newmarket, and the Queen is at Greenwich practising for a new masque.” This brief sentence exhibits very comprehensively the ruling passion of those two royal personages. Queen Anne was no" less fond of court masques and balls than her consort was of hunting. With James tho love of tho chase was an absorbing and overpowering passion. This was embarrassing to his counsellors, who had sometimes to go with him for five or six hours after a stag in oi-der to get five minutes’ conversation with His Majesty on State business. i The first English King of the Stuart race maintained seven packs of buckhounds at hunting lodges in different parte of the country. Any mishap to bis dogs or other untoward hunting incident always put him in a “ marvellous chafe,” with much explosive language. Tho King was not a very good rider, but this did not damp his ardour or recklessness in the James had an acquisitive eye, and his officers were empowered everywhere to seize hounds, beagles, spaniels, and “ mongrels ” for His Majesty’s disport. Once the Queen, shooting at a deer with her crossbow, mistook her mark and killed Jewell, tho King’s most special and principal hound, “ at which ho stormed exceedingly awhile, swearing many great oaths.” James forgave her, however, and next day sent her a “jewel ” worth £2,000 as a legacy from his dead dog. James was an inveterate punster.

NOVEMBER 21 Sir Thomas Gresham died on November 21, 1759. His enjoyment of Queen Elizabeth’s confidence, the magnitude of his transactions, and his princely liberality procured for him the title of the Royal Merchant. He was remarkable in his age for his public spirit. He built a huge mansion for himself, his idea being to turn it into a college, having seven professors, for whoso salaries Tie provided an endowment. In the Royal Exchange in London, however, he raised a more lasting memorial to his wealth and generosity. It cost a great sum of money. His mansion became known as Gresham College, and lectures were delivered there for years; but it acquired a more illustrious association, for it is regarded as the cradle of tho Royal Society. In his will Sir Thomas Gresham bequeathed legacies to his nieces and other relatives and to several of his “ preantysses,” Ho remembered the poor, those in prison, the hospitals, and various public institutions. Ho appointed his wife executrix, “m wycho behalffe I doe holly pat my trust in herr, and have no dought but she will accomplish© the same and all other things as ehal be requisite or exspedieant for bothe oar honnesties, fames, and good repportea in tins transitory world, and to the proffitt of the comen well, and relyffe of the carfnll and trewe poore, according to tue pleasvseur and will of Almyghtyc God, to whom be all honnor and glory©, for ever and ever.” NOVEMBER 22 Sir Martin Frobisher died of wounds received in battle on November 22, 1694. This gallant old rover would have desired no better fate. He wont to sea at the age of nine or a little more. His first voyage was to the West African coast, and its glamour and reports of much gold there attracted him in later years, and he set out on the quest for the North-west passage to Cathay, “knowing this,” as lie said, “ to be the onely thing of the world© that was left yet undone, whereby a notable mind mighte be

inado famous and fortunate.” TJiis Elizabethan sea hawk was persistent. Three times he crossed the Atlantic, and pushed his way up among the ioe and snow Think of it, on his first voyage his two ships were of twentyfive and twenty tons respectively. He got in sight of Greenland, where he lost the smaller ship. On his second voyage ho brought back 200 tons of pyritic ore, which he incorrectly believed contained gold. Little was hoard of Frobisher for a few years, but in 1585 he commanded a ship in Drake’s expedition to the West Indies, did good service in the preparatory task of hampering the designs of Spain, and in the struggle with the Armada covered himself with glory. Queen Elizabeth rewarded him with a knighthood. Frobisher nest married a daughter of Lord Wentwortli, and proposed to settle down as a country gentleman. This life, however, quickly palled. He could not resist the call of the sea, and ho was soon once more at the congenial task of scouring the seas for the treasure ships of Spain, Ho received Ids fatal wound at the siege of Brest, and was taken across to Plymouth, where he died. NOVEMBER 23 First Church, Dunedin, was opened on November 23, 1873. Saturday was depressingly wet, but the Sunday broke fine, and we are told in the ‘ Star’s ’ report of the proceedings that those who went half an hour before the time of commencing the service—--11 o’clock—were fortunate enough to get seats, and all others had to content themselves with the smallest possible amount of standing room, and several hundred were unable to gain admittance. “ The church is supposed to hold about 870 persons, but the main building, its side rooms, passages, even to its pulpit steps, were crowded There must have been over 1,000 "present.” The preacher was a distinguished visitor from Scotland, the Rev Dr Begg, who in the Old Country had been a friend of the Rev. Dr Burns. The original design of the church was forwarded from Melbourne by Mr R. A. Lawson, and was unanimously selected from one of several sent in. It was at first intended to use Caversham stone and bluestone, but eventually Port Chalmers stone was selected for the foundations and the base, and Oamaru stone for the body of the building. The cost of construction was about £14,000. Nearly_ five years was spent on the work, which was started before Dr Burns’s death. At the conclusion of the morning service it was intimated by Dr Begg that the Rev. Mr Dykes, of London, to whom the task of selecting a Minister for the church had been remedied, had acknowledged the receipt of the managers’ telegram, and hoped shortly to be able to announce the appointment of a suitable clergyman of high standing. NOVEMBER 24 Sir Henry Havelock died on November 24, 1857. He will always be remembered because of his connection with the Indian mutiny, in which he. showed great skill as a soldier. In a succession of fights he enhanced a reputation that was already good, but he was unable to relieve Cawnpore, while he only got through to Lucknow when reinforced by troops under Outram. The latter, with a chivalrous generosity characteristic of that heroic time, waived his superior rank and served under Havelock as a volunteer until Lucknow was saved. Havelock was a man of somewhat narrow ideas and a martinet in his profession. He was after the type of the grave and fearless Puritans who fought and conquered under Cromwell. His death from dystentery occurred just after the_ relief of Lucknow. ‘ For more than forty years,” ha said to Sir James Outram. in his last moments, “ I have so ruled my life that when death came I might face it without fear,”