TO DAY IN HISTORY

Southland Times, Issue 20495, 25 May 1928, Page 6

TO DAY IN HISTORY

MAY 25. ♦ Born: John Mason Good, medical writer at Epping, 1764; John Pye Smith, theologian, at Sheffield, 1774; Francis Edward Todleban, military engineer, at Mitau, Courland, 1818. Died: Cardinal d’Amboise, minister of Louis XII, 1510; Dr. George Fordyce, medical writer and teacher, 1802; Dr. William Paley, author of “Natural Theology,” 1805; Edmond Malone, critic, 1812. Events: Bank Holidays Act passed (U.K.) 1871; Natives under Te Whiti’s orders began ploughing lands occupied by Europeans at Parihaka, 1879; Australia adheres to Postal Union, 1891; Italy declares war on Austria, 1915. Georges d’Amboise was born in 1460 at Chaumont-sur-Loire of a noble family, and he served as almoner on Louis XI before being appointed Archbishop of Narbonne in 1492 and of Rouen in 1493. He became chief minister to Louis XII in 1498 and was created a Cardinal. d’Amboise carried out many legal and ecclesiastical reforms in France but his foreign policy, aimed at strengthening French influence in Italy to make his way to the Papacy easy, was unsuccessful. His relief work in Lyons during the plague endeared him to the citizens. He died there in 1510. His tomb in the Rouen Cathedral is a fine example of Renaissance work. William Paley, the British theologian, was the son of a schoolmaster at Peterborough. He was born in 1743 and wag educated at Giggleswick and Cambridge. In 1763 he took a living in Westmoreland, and later was rector to Bishop Wearmouth. He died at Lincoln where he was sub-dean in 1805 and he was buried in Carlisle Cathedral. Paley’s writings include "Principles of Moral and Political Philosophy” (1785), “Evidences of Christianity” (1794) and “Natural Theology” (1802). Count Franz Edouard Ivanovitch Todleban entered the Russian Army in 1836, and served in the Caucasus in 1848-51, but his fame rests on his organization of the defences of Sevastopol in the Crimean War. Wounded during the siege he was made Chief of the Engineers after it was over. The reduction of Plevna by the Russians in the Russo-Turkish War 1877-78 was due chiefly to his skill. He died on July 1, 1884. Todleban wrote an account of the siege of Sevastopol in five volumes. THE PLAGUE AT MARSEILLES. The arrival of a ship from Sidon on May 25, 1720, at Marseilles brought the plague into that city, and caused the death of an immense number of persons. It was the last time that this formidable disease appeared in Europe in any force. Only by the most active and rigorous arrangements was the evil prevented from extending into tfie rest of France. Severe as the affliction was it brought out some gratifying results in showing of how much unselfishness human nature is capable. A monument was erected in 1802, to commemorate the courage shown on the occasion by the principal public functionaries of the, city and by upwards of 150 priests and a great number of doctors and surgeons who died in the course of the zealous efforts to relieve and console the afflicted. Among other matters adverted on this interesting monument is ‘‘Hommage au Dey Tunisien, qui respects ce don qu’un pape (Clement XI.) faisoit au malheur.” FLITTING-DAY IN SCOTLAND. The 25th May as the Whit-Sunday term (old style) was a great day in Scotland, being that on which, for the most part, people change their residences, (says an old writer in quaint language!. For some unexplained reason the Scots “remove” oftener than their southern neighbours. They very generally lease their houses by the year, and as thus at every twelve month’s end are able to shift their place of abode. Whether the restless disposition has arisen from the short leases, or the short leases have been the result of the restless disposition, is immaterial. That the restlessness is a fact is what we have mainly to deal with. It haps, accordingly, that at every Candlemas a Scots family gets an opportunity of considering whether it will, in the language of the country, sit or flit. The landlord or his agent calls to learn the decision on this point; and if “flit” is the resolution he takes measures, by advertising, to obtain a new tenant. The two or three days following upon the Purification, therefore, become distinguished by a feathering of the streets with boards projecting from the windows, intimating "A House to Let.”