the Grand Remonstrance and refuses to the demand for the removal of Catholic bishops from the House of Lords. Rioting breaks out in Westminster after the King's refusal is announced, and the 12 Anglican bishops stop attending meetings of the Lords. December 27 – According to a journalist who witnessed the events of 1641, John Rushworth, the term "roundhead" is first used to describe supporters of the English Parliament who have challenged the authority of the monarchy. Rushworth writes later that during a riot on the 27th, one of the rioters, David Hide, draws his sword and, describing the short haircuts of the anti-monarchists, says that he would "cut the throat of those round-headed dogs that bawled against bishops." December 30 – At the request of King Charles, John Williams, the Anglican Archbishop of York joins with 11 other bishops in disputing the legality of any legislation passed by the House of Lords during the time that the bishops were excluded. The House of Commons passes resolution to have the 12 bishops arrested. King Charles, in turn, issues an order on January 3 to have five members of the House of Commons arrested for treason. Date unknown The Dutch found a trading colony on Dejima, near Nagasaki, Japan. The Massachusetts Bay Colony adopts a law making witchcraft a capital crime. Moses Amyraut's De l'elevation de la foy et de l'abaissement de la raison en la creance des mysteres de la religion is published. René Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy is originally published. The town of Falun, Sweden is given city rights by Queen Kristina. A massive epidemic breaks out in northern and central China, just three years before the fall of the Ming dynasty. It races south down along the Grand Canal of China and the densely populated settlements there, from the northern terminus at Beijing, to the fertile Jiangnan region. In some local areas and towns it wipes out 90% of the local populace. Births January–March January 6 – Wolfgang Dietrich of Castell-Remlingen, German nobleman (d. 1709) January 13 – Patrick Hume, 1st Earl of Marchmont, Scottish statesman (d. 1724) January 18 – François-Michel le Tellier, Marquis de Louvois, French war minister (d. 1691) February 2 – Claude de la Colombière, French Jesuit priest and saint (d. 1682) February 3 – Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp (1659–1695) (d. 1695) February 4 – Jerolim Kavanjin, Croatian poet