error, however, was soon perceived, and Augustus ordered that the intercalations should be omitted in the 41st, 45th, and 49th years.

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Before the time of Augustus the two months preceding September had been called, appropriately, “ Quintilis” and “ Sextilis,” (the 5th and 6th months) reckoning March the 1st month. After the death of Julius Cæsar, Quintilis was changed into his name "Julius," July, by Marc Antony; and in the reign of Augustus, the other month took his name. See the Calendar of Julius Cæsar at large, in that most usesul and entertaining little work, " Time's Telescope for 1814.”

III. OF THE OLD AND NEW STYLE.

MODERN chronologers have used the Julian year, as being a measure of time extremely simple, and tolerably accurate: and to this standard they refer all events that have happened from the beginning of the world. Though admirably adapted, however, to common use, the Julian year was still imperfect; for as the annual revolution of the sun (or the earth) is not exactly 365 days 6 hours, but 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 45 seconds, the civil year exceeded the solar year by 11 minutes 14 seconds; which in about 130 years amounted to a whole day; and, consequently, in 47450 years, the beginning of the year would advance through all the seasons, and in half that time, the summer solstice would, by the Calendar, have fallen in the midst of winter.

Sosigenes had, in the reign of Julius Cæsar, observed the vernal equinox on the 25th of March. At the Council of Nice, held A. D. 325, it was fixed on the 21st of March; and from that time to A. D. 1582, when the next reformation was effected, the error amounted to about 10 days; so that the vernal equinox was now found to happen, on the 11th of March, instead of on the 21st, as it would have done, had the Julian account agreed with the course of the sun.

In the year 1474, Pope Sixtus IV. being convinced of the necessity of a Reformation, sent for Regiomontanus, a celebrated mathematician, to Rome, to engage in this undertaking; but his premature death suspended the project, and it was not till after a lapse of 100 years that Pope Gregory XIII. with the assistance of learned men, and after 10 years consideration and labour, had the honour of accomplishing, what several preceding pontiffs and councils had attempted in vain. A brief was published in the month of March, A. D. 1582, announcing the "NEW STYLE," by which the ancient Calendar was abrogated, and the new one substituted in its stead, called, from the Pope's name, " THE GREGORIAN CALENDAR.”

According to this, the 10 days gained by the old account were taken from the month of October of that year, (that is, the 5th day was called the 15th), and the equinox brought back to the 21st of March, as settled by the Council of Nice. In order to prevent the recurrence of a similar variation, it was fixed, that instead of ever hundreth year being a BISSEXTILE, (as was the case before, in common with every other 4th year,) every four hundreth year only should be such, and the rest reckoned as common years; by which means three days were sunk in 400 years, being about the error of one day in 130 years, as above noticed, and consequently by making the years 1700, 1800, and 1900, to be common years, instead of leap years, the error arising from the odd time would be properly corrected.

Playfair observes, that the method of intercalation used in the Gregorian Calendar is not the most accurate-97 days, or 100.3, are inserted in the space of 4 centuries; this supposes the tropical year to consist of 365 days, 5 hours, 49′, 12", on which supposition, the interpolation would be exact, and the error would scarcely exceed one day in 268,000 years. But the reformers of the Calendar made use of the Copernican year of 365 days, 5 hours, 49′, 20", wherefore, instead of inserting 97 days in 400 years, they ought to have added 41 days in 169 years, or 90 days in 371 years, or 131 in 540 years, &c. Recent observations have determined the tropical year to be 365 days, 5′′, 48′, 45′′, 30′′, admitting which to be true, the intercalations ought to be as follows:

Years. 4. 17. 33. 128. 545. 673. 801. 929. 1057. 1185. 1313. Days. 1. 4. 31. 132. 163. 199. 225. 256. 287. 318. 1441. 2754. 4067. 9447. 51302. 60749. 172,800.

8.

349. 667. 985. 2288. 12425. 14713. 41,851.

that is, one day in 4 years, or rather 4 days in 17 years, or still more exactly, 8 days in 33 years, &c, and if 41,851 days were intercalated in 172,800 years, there would be no error at all, as every succeeding number is more accurate than the preceding one. As this method is different from that now in use, the Gregorian Calendar must still be corrected after a certain period of years. The correction, however, will be inconsiderable for many. ages, as a day and a half, only, would be necessary to be suppressed in a space of 5000 years.

When Pope Gregory had reformed the Calendar, he directed all the ecclesiastics under his jurisdiction to conform to it, and exhorted the Christian Princes to use it in their dominions. Accordingly it was soon adopted by all the Roman Catholic countries; in Spain, Portugal, and part of Italy, on the same day as at Rome; but in France not till the month of

December, when the 10th was reckoned the 20th day. The Roman Catholic States in Germany adopted it A. D. 1583. But the Protestant States at that time refused it; for as the reformed religion was in its infancy, and the zeal of its professors violent, their opposition to the Pope was unbounded. Whatever bore the appearance of his authority, however beneficial, was rejected as an encroachment upon their newly acquired liberties; and hence arose a difference of 10 days between the methods of reckoning, which when a bissextile was suppressed became 11 days.

This difference between the Old and NEW STYLE, as the Julian and Gregorian accounts are generally called, occasioned great confusion in the commercial affairs of the different States of Europe; and therefore the Gregorian, or "NEW STYLE," was, at length, generally received. The Protestant States in Germany adopted it in Feb. A. D. 1700; Denmark about the same time; but Sweden not till March, 1753.

In Great Britain the inconvenience arising from these two modes of reckoning was much felt, and several attempts were made to introduce the reformed Calendar. But here also popular prejudices were at first, and continued for a long time, too obstinate to be subdued.

It was proposed, among other schemes, that an Act should be passed, declaring that there should be no leap-year for 40 years to come, by which means the 10 days that had been gained by the old account would have been imperceptibly lost, and the old style reduced to the new, without any sensible variation in the fixed times of feasts, &c. Though all attempts were for a time abortive, an Act of Parliament was, after much debate, obtained for the purpose A. D. 1752. As 170 years had elapsed since the Gregorian alteration took place, the Old Style had gained above a day more upon the course of the sun than it had at that time: it was therefore enacted, that, instead of cancelling ten days, as the Pope had done, eleven days should be left out of the month of September. Accordingly, on the 2d day of that month, A. D. 1752, the "Old Style" ceased, and the next day, instead of being the 3d, was called the 14th; and by the same Act the beginning of the year was changed from the 25th of March (up to which time, from the 1st of January, the year was indicated thus 174 for 1746 -175 for 1752, &c. as if the year 1751 was not finished, or the year 1752 begun) and made to commence, as at present, from the 1st of January.

In conformity to the Gregorian correction the 24 Geo. 2, ch. 23, also enacted, that the years 1800, 1900, 2100, 2200, 2300, &c. should be reckoned as common years, and every four hundredth year, beginning with the year 2000, should be Leap-years, or of 366 days, &c. and in the year 1800 the 29th of February was omitted accordingly. Russia is the only civilized state of Europe that now retains the Old Style.

IV. FRENCH, OR REPUBLICAN CALENDAR.

In France it was decreed on the 2nd of January, 1792, soon after the government was changed, that that year should be denominated "the 4th

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of Liberty." But after the death of Louis XVI. in 1793, it was determined that the year should be called the "1st of the Republic," and this suggested the idea of a republican Calendar.

M. de la Lande protested against the change; he was obliged, however, to acquiesce, and to prepare a new Calendar. After the example of the Egyptians, he preferred 12 equal months, with 5 intercalary days, adapting their denominations to the climate of Paris; viz. 1. "Vendemiaire," or vintage month; beginnning Sept. 23.-2. " Brumaire," or foggy; beginning Oct. 23.-3. “Frimaire," or sleety; beginning Nov. 22.4. "Nivose," or snowy; beginning Dec. 23.-5. " Pluviose," or rainy ; beginning Jan. 21.-6. " Ventose," or windy; beginning Feb. 20.7.." Germinal," or budding; beginning March 22.-8. "Floreal," or flowery; beginning April 21.-9. " Prairial,” or meadow; beginning May 21.-10." Messidor," or harvest; beginning June 20.-11. "Thermidor," or hot; beginning July 20-and 12. " Fructidor," or fruit; beginning Aug. 19, making in all 360 days; the remaining 5 days being the 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22 of Sept. the last day in the French year, were called the complementary days.

In this new Calendar, the months consisted of 30 days each, and were divided into three decades. The days of each decade were known by the names of Primidi, Duodi, Tridi, Quartidi, Quintidi, Sextidi, Septidi, Octidi, Nonodi, Decadi. The day began at midnight, and was distributed into ten parts, and these decimally divided and subdivided. To the five supernumerary days in common years, and six in leap-years, was applied the absurd appellation of " Sans Culottides," borrowed from a term of reproach (Sans Culotte) originally bestowed on the Republican party, on account of the meanness of their dress, their rank, and fortune; but which that party afterwards attempted to render honourable and popular; and amongst other means, by thus applying it to distinguish the leap-years in the Calendar. The year began on the 22d of September, a season, which, however inconsistent, recommended itself by being the time when royalty was decreed to be abolished. But the most flagrant innovation was the abolition of Sunday! the observance of which day was prohibited by a decree of the Convention, which directed every tenth day only (or decade) to be kept as a holiday! By this presumptuous alteration, the 52 days of

P

rest from labour, appointed by God himself, were reduced, even with the addition of the 5 Sans Culottides, to 41 out of 365 days.

In a short time the government under Robespierre allowed the observance of Sunday, as well as the Decade; and decreed a fête to the glory of the Omnipotent; while the decadery day was dedicated to "Nature and "the Supreme Being."

However novel the names of the months may appear, the French have no credit for invention on this head, as similar titles were used in Holland and Sweden; it is more to their credit that this "Calendar of Reason". was soon abolished, and the old one restored.

V. THE BRITISH CALENDAR.

first age

of

THAT Holy-days were observed in the Church from the very first Christianity, there can be no doubt, as the earliest writers notice the great Christian feasts, and speak of them as of Apostolical institution. To festivals of this description succeeded others in memory of Martyrs to the faith, the days of whose death were considered as their birth-day, or entry into the joys of eternity.

In subsequent ages the practice became much abused; and the Calendar was at length crowded with the names of dead Saints, whose characters while living could lay little claim to so honourable a distinction. The doctrine and practice of prayers to Saints, with the worship of relics, and images, followed; and so subversive were these superstitious customs of pure devotion, that the Holy Apostles themselves were almost forgotten, till their names were introduced into the Calendar, by a Council held at Oxford, A. D. 1222.-At the happy emancipation of these realms from Popery, the Reformers very properly corrected this evil; and while they retained many names in the Calendar-some as celebrating persons of real sanctity--and others merely for their indicating remarkable days in the business of the law, or on other secular accounts, they disclaimed all obligation to a public observance of any, except those dedicated to the person, and offices of Christ-and the worthies mentioned in the Gospel, or, as evidently tending to the honour and promotion of Christianity.

Days of the Week.

SUNDAY (Saxon,“ Sunnan-Dæg;" Roman, "Dies Solis.") The idol representing the sun was as a man with a face flaming with fire, and a burning wheel on his breast, emblematic of the sun's beams.