IN DAYS THAT HAVE GONE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3006, 25 October 1911, Page 82

IN DAYS THAT HAVE GONE.

Oct. 22.—Revocation of Edict of Nantes, 1685. Sir Philip Frances born, 1740. First steamer built in Now South Wales, 1831. Dogger Bank outrage, 1904. Oct. 23.—Battle of Edgehill, 1642. John Jortin, born, 1698. Thomas Hughes born, 1823. Lord St. Aldwyn born, 1837. Oct. 24.—-First election Tasmanian Legislative Council, 1851. Dr Crace Calvert died, 1873. F. T. Palgravo died, 1897. Oct. 25.—Cancer died, 1400. Agincourt, 1415. George II died, 1760. Macaulay born, 1800. Balaclava, 1854. Annexation of Transvaal proclaimed, 1900. Sims Beeves died, 1900. Oct. 26.—Hogarth died, 1764. Melbourne to Sydney telegraph opened, 1858. Capo to Australia' oablo opened, 1901. Prince Ito assassinated, 1909. Oct. 27.—Captain Cook born, 1728. ■ Joseph Strutt born, 1749. British Association formed, 1831. President Roosevelt born, 1858. Metz capitulated, 1870. Oct. 28.—Alfred the. Great died, 901. Loche died, 1704. Statue of Liberty dedicated New York, 1886. Grant Alien died, 1899. In 1598 Henry of Navarre, who had become King ot Fiance with the title of Henry lv, signed the famous edict of Nantes which gave to French Protestants the right to exercise their reiigion. The edict was again confirmed in 1622, but during the reign of Louis AIV the persecution of the Huguenots commenced afresh. On October 22, 1685, he revoked the edict, with fatal effects for France. The Huguenots formed a large proportion of the best middle olass of the kingdom—its manufacturers, its merchants, its skilled and thrifty artisans. Infamous efforts were made to detain them in the country, and there force them to apostacy or hold them under punishment if they withstood. But there was not power enough in the monarchy, with all its absolution, to enclose France in such a wall. Vast numbers escaped—.half a million it is thoughtcarrying their skill, their knowledge, their industry, and their enegry into Holland, England, Switzerland, all parte of Protestant Germany, and across the ocean to America. France was half ruined by the loss. It was not until the reign of JSapoleon Bonaparte that Protestants received the same civil and political rights as the Roman Catholics. The British nation was thrown into a state of fierce anger at the news of what came to be known as the "Dogger Bark" outrage," perpetrated by the Russian fleet on October 22, 1904. The fleet, which had been in preparation for many months, was just commencing its long journey to Port Arthur, and while passing the Dogger Omk it opened fire on a large fleet of Hull trawling vessels. Several fishermen were killed, many wounded, and some of the trawlers sunk or badly damaged. For a brief time it appeared that Britain might be drawn into the war, but the anger ol tho nation turned rather to scornful ?hn r t Sl °^^ en - tlw> ? x P lan ation was given that fhe Russians had, in their nervous diead, imagined the fishing vessels to be Japanese tornedoers. UB The battle of Edgehill, i n Warwickshire, fought on October 23, 1642, between the Royalists under Prince Rupert and the Parliamentary army under the Earl of Fn he th W flrS VT P ? rtant ei Wment rovnl W ° f Llndsa y. who headed tho Swte T r^ lj w °™ded. The King lest 5000 dead. The action was indethough Parliament claimed the vic-

Francis Turner Palgrave, English critic h 1 in He had a distmgushed university career, and was at. one time assistant ml vate secretary to Mr Gladstone Palgrave pubhshed both criticism and poetry, but hit work as a cntic was by far" the more important. His principal contribution to the development of literary taste was contained in his < Golden Treasury of English. Songs and Lyrics," an anthology of the best poetry in the language constructed upon u plan sound and spacious, and followed out with a delicacy of feeling which could scarcely be surpassed. The influence cf tms treasure house of poetry, with the standards which it set up to taste and selection, had been incalculable Pah-rave followed it with a "Treasury of Sacred bong, and a second series of the " Golden .treasury ; but in neither of these was quite the same exquisiteness of judgment preserved.

In 1415 Henry V of England, seeing a favourable opportunity in the distracted state of Franco, invaded her a® the rightful king coming to dethrone a uurnor, and began by taking Harfleur, at the mouth of the Seine, after a seige which cost him so heavily that he found it prudent to >-o----treat towards Calais. Tho French intercepted him at Agincourt and forced him to give them battle. He had only 20,000 men, but they formed a well-disciplined and wellordered army. The French had gathered 80,000 men, but they were a feudal mob. The battle ended in the routing and slaughter of the French with small loss to Henry's force. His army remained too weak in numbers, however, for operations in a hostile country, and the English King returned _ home, with a great train of captive princes and lords. The "charge of the Li<rbt Brigade" at Balaclava on October 25, 1854, is one of those immortal events that illumine the pages of British military history. An army of 30,000 Russians had advanced against the English position ; but they encountered Sir Colin Campbell's Highlanders, and their cavalry was routed by an inferior force of British cavalry. During the engagement., owing to an unfortunate misconception of Lord Raglan's order, Lord Luean ordered Lord Cardigan, with the light cavalry, t'o charge the Russian army, which had reformed on its own ground, with its artillery in front. Tho order was most gallantly obeyed and great havoc was mado on the enemy, but of 670 British horsemen only 198 returned. Apart from the story of his works, the life of ' William Hogarth, the greatest English pictorial satirist, when divested

of doubtful tradition, is singularly devoid of incident. His contemporaries failed adequately to recognise his merits as a painter, and persisted in regarding him as an ingenious humorist alone, but time has reversed' that unjust sentence. Regarded as a wit, a humorist, a satisist upon canvas, ho has never been equalled, whether for his vigour of realism and dramatic power, his fancy and invention in the decoration of his story, or his merciless anatomy and. exposure of folly and wickedness.

Captain James Cook, the celebrated navigator, was born on October 27, 1728, at the village of Marton, in Yorkshire. In 1755 no joined the royal navy and was appointed master successively of the sloop Grampus, of the Garland, and the Mercury. In 1768 he was appointed to conduct an expedition which was then projected for the purpose of making observations on the impending transit of Venus, and 1 prosecuting geographical researces in the South Pacific Ocean, and it was as a result of this expedition that ho gained the information that made Australia and New Zealand clearly known to-.the world. Distinguished honours were paid to his memory both at Home and by foreign courts; and a. suitable pension was settled upon his widow. During the Franco-German War Marshal Bazaine, with an army of nearly 200,000 men, were shut into the town of Metz, in Lorriane. A desperato sortie on October 7 failed, and on October 21 the army encamped within Metz found itself without provisions. Surrender was made on October 27 of Marshal Bazaine, Canrobert. and, Le Boeuf, 66 generals, about 6000 officers, and 173,000 men, including the Imperial Guard, and great quantities of artillery and standards. One cause of the fall of Metz was the great army that it contained, for it might have been successfully defended by 20,000 men. Bazaine was tried and condemned to death for surrendering, but the punishment was commuted' to 20 years imprisonment on the Isle of St. Marguerite, from which he escaped in 1874.

King Alfred the Great, born at Wantage : in 849, died on October 28, 901. at the ago of 52, and was buried at Winchester. The greater part of his reign, which commenced in 871, was taken up with a bitter struggle against th© Dance, in which he was largely successful. His rare wisdom and the surpassing grandeur of his character were, however, oven more evident from -his wisie and enlighted rule of his people in time of peace. The beautiful and inspiring example of his life, devoted unsparingly to thoughtful and patient labours for his people, to encourage them, to bring knowledge to them, to secure them in social order and public peace by watchful Government and just laws, had an influence that augmented all the fruits of his statesmanship. In the judgment of Professor Freeman, Alfred's "is the most character in history," no other oii record having ever "so thoroughly united all the virtues both of ruler and the private man." Time but adds to King Alfred's praises. With one consent -our historians agree in characterising him as the' wisest, best, and greatest king that ever reigned in England.