Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1851-12-31
For the Lsvisburg Chronicle.
DIVISIONS OF TIME, ETC.

The length of the year, As well IS its
divisions, was, amongst the ancients, very
various. Previous to the time of Julius
Caesar, the length of year was generally
reckoned to consist of IL months, Of 30
days each. This was the mode Of the
Egyptians and Of some others. The The
bans improved upon this, by adding st
days to each year, and they claim the
honor Of discovering that the true year
consists Of 3659 days.
When Julius Caesar obtained the SOW
ereignty in Rome, he found that the
months had reccded considerably from the
seasons to which Numa had some time be-
fore adjusted them by improving upon and
adding to the year of Romulus 80 days,
which before had consisted Of 304 days
To bring the months forward, Julius formed
4 year of Is months, which, on account Of
its length, and the changes which it made,
was called the ''Y ear of Confusion. This
year terminated 45 years before Christ.
He then gave TO each month the number
of days that they still retain as they stand
in our almanacs. He also ordained that
every fourth year should have one day in
tercalated This was done by reckoning
the 9th day, or the sixth Of the calends Of
February, twice over, and this year was
therefore called 6iissectile or "leap year. ="
At present, this day is intercalated by ad-
ding one day to the second month of the
common year. This ordinance still left
things imperfect, although very much i'm
proved, for as the true tropical year con-
sists of 365 days, 5 hours, 4S minutes, and
81 seconds, instead Of 365 days and 6 hrs,
in course Of years it was found that the
sun arrived too soon at the equinoctial
points.
1t was apparent, then, that there was
still an error, although the cause Of 1t re-
mained unknown, or at least the error was
not rectied, until the time of Pope Greg
or, NIL, A. D. 1882. Gregory invited
all the most learned mathematicians and
astronomers of his age, to Rome, for the
purpose of investigating this matter. AT
ter ten years spent in the inquiry, it was
found that the year had been made of too
great length. The gain, since the time
of Cesar, amounted to 10 days, and Greg
CRY therefore ordained that the 4th of Oe-
tober should be then called the 14th, and
that henceforth every year that was divis-
ible by 4 should consist of 366 days,
except those centuries or years not divisi-
BILE by 400, and these and all other years
should consist of 500 days. The years
1000, 1000, &c, are therefore leap years,
bat the years 100, 1900, 1900, .lOO, &C.,
are common years Under this arrange
u4nt. the error Is very slight, amounting
to less than day in 5000 years.
The English did not adopt this correc-
ton of the Julian year until the year l75l.
By this time it was necessary to set the
calendar forward IL days. They therefore
called the Sd of September, the l4th, and
also made their year, which had previously
commenced on the 25:h Of March, to be-
gin on the 1st of January, thus making
that year one fourth shorter.
There are several cycles, or circles of
years, in use in chronology. The Solar
Cycle is period of % years, in. which
time the sun has the same place in the &C.
liptio upon the same day of the year-the
Rise rtiHe CENTURIES that are