Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-10-31

A. D., ths loss had amounted TO 10 days and
Pope Gregory 18Th endelvored 30 remedy the
evil aud save the preciou time from running
itself away without use. Such was tho accu-
ratenoss Of his computations, the natives soon
adopted them. Spain, Portugal and France
almost Immediately. GermIny and Denmark
in 1900. In England il was adopted in 1852
by act Of Parliament, directing the 81 OF Sep
tembar to be sty'ed tie l4th. This was called
the change from Old to N1o Stgie The old
style OF computing time IS still retained IN the
Greek and Armnian churches, and believe in
Russia. The names Of the days Of the week
are OF Anglo-Sax)n origin, while he mines Of
the months are wholly Roman January ia
derived from Janus, who was one Of tho 4upe-
rl0r gods Of Rome. Romuius. the founder Of
Rome, dedicated to this god that celebrated tenn
pie which was Away open in time Of war, and
shut in time Of peace Jlnus WA the god of
the year. lie WAS considered as the inventor of
locd- and doors and gataa hence, Keeper Of
door or gate IS called jlaaor. Ia sacrifices,
prayers were fire.. of3rol to Janus, as being the
door Of access to the other gods. lie is repre-
sented az having two faces looking IN opposite
directions. Some have it that it indicated thar
as he stood upon tie first day Of the new year
"a day sacred to hm--he cju'd look back upon
the past end on into the future. He il also
represented with q key in his hand with -
affairs beneath his Ieet-th9 z months, and his
d1gers 90 arranged as to express 36j-.the mum
Der Of days in the year.
February was 50 called from Fobriarins, the
month OF explat)n amoas the Romans on the
18th VI this month the great feast Of expatlon
and pnrifcltion was held This month, as well
as the above, WAS introduce into the Roman
calender by Hume. March had its name from
the god Of war Mars, the supposed father Of
Romulus, and 10 honor Of whom he commenced
the year with this month, And may there not
be another zpa1atlon, grounded in the resem-
blanco existing be,ween the character Of the
month March and the nature Of the old, fierce
Roman wArgod Mars?
April is derived from the Latin word Apriis,
and this lrom the verb apvis, sgniiying to open ;
50 called as being the month in which trees and
flowers open their buds And every AIrl are
we remind ID Of i.s nam, when with jly we be-
hold the trees aad shrubs and flowers putting
forth their bul,-opeaing for the leaves and
flowers aud fruit OF summer
May is from Minus, Latin wJsd, % named
in honor OF the goddess MAia, whose name
properly signihed moiber. Ia this month tie
Greeks cHyred sacTi6c to the gods los the
ripening Of the corths frots Maa was one
Of the Peiadss and some say the brightest Of the
number. This is suggestive, for May is in
many respects, the brightest Of the months.
June was named in honor Of the goddess Juno.
july 1fmarly called Qlintiis Che ffth
month reckoning from March, the first month Of
the year as orlered by RjmlIGs) was changed
to July, in hanJl Of Jaiun Cmar, who was
bora during this month.
Augus., formerly the Ss1diis Mensis-sixth
month, has its present name In honor Of Angus
tls Cear, who entered upon his first consulate
in this month
September, the h MONTH from Sep.em the
Latin word for sven. October, from Octo,
eight. November, from Novem, nine. Decem
Der, from Decem, ten.
The year. Different nations have commenced
the year at different seasons and months. Tie
jews and early Romans commenced to reckon
the new year from March The Greeks, from
the 2ls; oi jane, the time of the summer SOL
stice. The Christian clergy Of the middle ages
and after the Reformation comm need at the
25th Of March. And ibis mode was practiced
unly e;sally in England and in the American col
onies until 1902, when, as already noted, there
WAS a change from 0. 5. to n. s., and immedi-
ately the first of January was adopted as the
beginning Of The year This was no new time
for the years commencement The Romans did
50 in the iegu Of Nama, the Pad Emperor, and
1t Is presumed this practice was continued by
them from that time, The reason why our year
e,mmenccs with January in preference to any
other month is evidently inierable from the
character Of the old Roman god Janus, He
was termed the FGthsr, and sometimes God of
gods Tne original inhabitants Of Italy called
him the God of tbs year." This god tie
Romans addressed at the commencement Of any
work or any particular division OF time,
There may be another reason, but this seems
to bear the stamp of phusbiIity,-if not Of
certainty,