they made the intercalation the beginning of each fourth year. This erroneous intercalation was continued for thirty-six years together, in which space of time twelve days were intercalated; instead of nine.-This mistake was likewise corrected by AUGUSTUS, who ordered, that the following years should not be intercalated; that so these three days, which by the overhastiness of the priests, were over-reckoned, might be swallowed up in this interval. Afterwards he ordered, pursuant to CÆSAR's intention, that at the beginning of each fifth year one day should be intercalated, and that this order should, for an everlasting remembrance, be cut in brass." AUGUSTUS, proud of having corrected these errors, and ambitious of participating with JULIUS the honour of being known to future ages as a patron of science, caused the month SEXTILIS to be named AUGUSTUS; and, as he thought proper that the month so dignified should comprize a number of days equal to that named from JULIUS, he was obliged not only to alter all the subsequent months, but to deprive February of one of the days before assigned to it; so that his calendar stood, thus, Januarius 31 Martius 1 31 with the intercalary day every 4th year, as before mentioned: which regulation, with a very trifling difference, was for near sixteen centuries almost universally followed, and is observed at this day. Pope GREGORY XIIIth finding that, by the introduction of the Bissextile days, a difference had arisen of ten days between the calendar and actual time, owing to the odd minutes and seconds which the Bissextile year occasioned the calendar to exceed the true period of the sun's progress; and being desirous of celebrating Easter according to the original institution: he, by the advice of CLAVIUS and CIACONIUS, caused those ten days to be abated in the year 1582, by having the 11th of March called the 21st, thereby making March to consist of 21 days only: and, in order to prevent the seasons of the year from retrograding as they had done before, he ordained that three intercalary days should be omitted in every 400 years, by reckoning all those centurial years whose date consists of entire hundreds not divisible by 4, or into hundreds without remainder, such as 1700, 1800, 1900, 2100, &c. &c. to be only common years, and not Bissextile years, as they would otherwise have been. The imperfections of the JULIAN CALENDAR had not, however, escaped notice long before this regulation; PETRUS AB ALLIACO, and CUSA, two learned Cardinals, not only pointed them out to the Councils of Constance and Lateran, but suggested the means for their correction; and in 1474, Pope SIXTUS the IVth, engaged REGIOMONTANUS, a celebrated Mathematician, in this task of reform, though from the circumstance of the death of this person the project was not carried into effect. The last amendment of the Calendar having taken place under the direction of Pope GREGORY, was out of respect to him called the GREGORIAN, or NEW STYLE, in opposition to the JULIAN, or OLD STYLE, and has been adopted by almost every Christian nation. It was not, however, admitted in this country until the year 1752, when the 10 days expunged by GREGORY, and another day, which since his time had accrued, were taken out of our calendar, and the 3d of September reckoned the 14th, whereby that month consisted of only 19 days. The Gregorian style was immediately acceded to by all those parts of Europe which were under the Papal authority, but the Protestants adhered to the JULIAN style with obstinate pertinacity; and the Protestants of Germany have the credit of having first rectified such inconsistency, by throwing 11 days out of their calendar in 1700; while it is worthy of remark, that the Russians, regardless of propriety, still adhere to the Julian style, and therefore, by another Centurial Leap-year having occurred, viz. in the year 1800, they now differ from us 12 days in their date of time. As, by this last regulation, the register of time has been brought so close to the actual solar year that their variance will not amount to a whole day, until after the lapse of 5760* years, there is every reason to conclude that not any further improvements are hereafter likely to be attempted; and it is greatly to be hoped that, without a reasonable prospect of material improvement, the venerable structure, with all its progressive advances towards perfection, may be left as it now stands. On the 5th of October, 1793, during the awful reign of ROBESPIERRE, when the French rulers employed themselves alternately in deeds of death, and minute attention to trifles, a new calendar, framed by FABRE D'EGLANTINE, was presented to the convention, at that time governed despotically by ROBESPIERRE, formed upon so republican a * This period of time, by an extraordinary coincidence, nearly, and according to some calculations precisely, accords with the reputed age of the world when the new style was adopted in this kingdom: It is divisible into four equal portions of 1440 years each, agreeing with the cardinal divisions, or four seasons, of the year, which are calculated from the equinoctial and solstitial stations; and, by a further coincidence, 1440 are the number of minutes of a day, or the shortest measure of time depending upon the sun. model, as effectually to destroy every allusion, either to things before held sacred, as relating to the Deity, or respectable as complimentary to human. virtue in past ages. This silly innovation was adopted and persevered in, until some time after the present RULER of France had destroyed all the benefits that might originally have been expected from the revolution, and nearly overturned every regulation that had reference to the republic, to establish which that unhappy country had been so lavish of her blood and treasure: and as all important facts connected with the history of France, during the short period of this calendar's existence, were recorded according to this new nomencla-. ture, intended to designate the actual passing seasons; it may be interesting to shew by the following table, in what manner the French months agreed with those of other nations, to which even France itself has found it absolutely necessary to 3 Frimaire,. Frosty or sleety,.... Nov. 21. ..... June 19. 10 Messidor,... ... Corn Harvest,. Summer.11 Thermidor, 12 Fructidor, .... Hot, . Fruit,.. July 19. Aug. 18. |