The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-21
TODAY IN HISTORY

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER n


a strange sccnc was enacted IN London
on lhc night OF December II, 1869. Near
SUFFOLK street wcr" assembled fifteen or
twenty OF his maJesty's guards. mounted
and unmountcd, under the command Of
SIR Thomns sands and the son Of the
Earl OF lnchiuuiu. From 10 o'clock to .
they waited impaticntly for the coming
OF Sir John Coventry. whom they expect
ed TO pass on his way horne from tho
tavern AT which he snppcd. At length he
came. and. dlviniug ihcir hostile purpose
2l glance. Sir John snatchcd a lamhcau
from his servant. and, drawing his sword.
placed his back against the wall and
bravcly defended himself with both
weapons. He succeeded in Jashing
q Bricn and some others OF his assalant3
To tho ground. but was forced to succumb
To superior numbers. After they had dis
armed him. the Cowardly crew threw him
down and, cutting his nose To the bone,
left him
This atrocious act was pcrpctratcd in
accordance with the orders or tho duke
OF Monmouth, Coventrys rrofcs8cd
friend: but the actual Instigator was
Charles II. himself IN parliamentary
committee of ways and means. "a motion
had been made: THAT toward tho supply
every ono that resorts TO any OF the play
houses who sits In tho boxes, shall pay
one shilling: every ono who sits In the
person three pence
This was opposed 6y the court party
on the ground that the players wcrc the
kings servants and part OF his pleas
uertincntly. but indscrcetly ssllcd:
Whether tho kings pleasure lay among
the men or TN" women that aCtcd?
This wag touching Old Rowley too
near 70 be pleasant, and Il did not need
much argument to persuade Charles that
II tho oftcnsc was allowed 10 pass un
punished reflections on royal weaknesses
would become dangerously common. And
so the king. forectful OF obligations In
CURED by the fugitive Charles Stuart,
determined 10 make an example OF Cow
entry. and carried out his resolve despite
tho rcmoustranccs Of his brother.
Parliament WAS furious al tho indiSnity
offered to ono OF It's members on tho very
night after its adjournment, and made II
the first subject for consideration upon
rcaSScmblinc. The result Of Its dehhefa-
tions was TN" passing Of an act baniShIng
tho principal actors IN the affair with
special clause rendering them incapable
uf receiving the royal pardon; while TO
prevent recurrence Of th" O0cnSc, the
cutting. manning and dishGuring Of any
man WAS made felony without benefit oi
clergy and punishable by death. The
Coventry act, as IL was called. remained
on tho statute books til the year 1873,
when IL was repealed.
II IS a curious circumstance thai
Pcpys records tho fact that Sir William
Coventry. unclc 10 SIR john. mcditatcd.
about nine months previous 10 tho out
rage on his nephew a similar revenge
10 that taken bv Charles. Sir William
faucicd that EiliiErcw intended To bring
him upnn tho stage. and bc accordingly
gave lhc dramItist 10 understand that "
any uf his actors did offer anything Ike
representing him that he would not com
plain to NV lord Chambc rlain, which was
TOO weak. nor got him beaten as Sir
Charles Scdlcy Is said 10 have done. but
that he would cause his nose to he SLIT
To-day Is the birthday or Thomas
Beckett. archbishop ~ Canterbury OllO;
John Ecplcr distinguished astronomer
N5ID. Mary Virginia Tcrhunc CMarion
Earland'D. author Os&lJ. and David T..
granard. Arctic explorer USjG), TO-DAY
~ tho dat" Of the death Of Giovanni
BocpaCcio celebrated talc-writcr 1316l =
Catherine OF BraGanZa, queen Of Charles
IL Of England G705). and Rev. Dr. Har-
rjs. eminent clergyman and author (S5Sj.