The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-02-04
ANCIENT AND MODERN DIVISIONS OF
TTHU


It is not generally known that, little more
than century ago, New Years day was cele-
brated on the 25th Of March throughout the
British dominions, including America.
The following enactments, adopted by Par
lament, entitled can act regulating the Com
meneement of the Year, and for correcting
the Calendar in use, were passed in the
twenty-fourth year of thereign of George IL
PREAMBLE. Whereas, the legal supputa-
ton of the year of our Lord-acoordipg to
which the year beginneth on the 25th day of
March-hath been found by experience to be
attended with divers inconveniences. etc.
"Eadctments.-That throughout his Ma
jesty's dominions in Europe, Asia, Africa,
and America the said supputation, according
to which the year Of our lord beginneth on
the 25th day of March, shall not be made
use of from and after the last day of De-
cember, 1751; and that the 1st day of
January next following the said last day of
December shall be reckoned, taken, deemed,
and accounted to be the first day of our Lord
1852, and so on from time to time. The first
day of January in every year which shall
happen in time to come shall be deemed and
reckoned the first day of the year, etc.
The act further corrects the calendar thus:
And that the natural day next immedi-
ately following the I'd day of September shall
be called and accounted to be the 14th day of
September, omitting for that time only the
eleven intermediate nominal days of the
common calendar"
We believe that in the State of Rhode
Island to this day all farm and other leases
date from the day of the ancient New Year,
namely, the 25th of March.
The ancient divisions of the day differed
widely frem the customs Of our own time.
The Chaldeans, Syrians, Persians, and In
dians began the day at sunrise, and divided
the day and night into four parts. The divi-
sion of the day into quarters was in use long
before the division into hours.
The Chinese, who begin their day at mid
night, and reckon to the midnight following,
divide the interval into twelve hours, each
equal to two of ours, and known by a name
and particular figure.
In Egypt the day was divided into unequal
hours. The clock invented by Ctesibius o.
Alexandria, b. G. 250 was SO contrived as tc
lengthen or shorten the hours by the flowing
of water.
The Greeks divided the natural day int
twelve hours-a practice derived from the
Babylonians.
The Romans called the time between the
rising and the setting sun the natural day
and the time in the twenty-four hours the
civil day. They began and ended their civil
day at midnight, and took this practice from
uner aHclenG laws, anu customs, ana rlCes o.
religion, in use long before they had any idei
! of the divisions into hours.
The first sun-dial seen at Rome wa,
brought from Catania, in Sicily, in the frs
Punic war, as part of the spoils of tha
city; and, after this period, they divided the
day into twenty-four hours. An officer, called
Gccensus, at one time proclaimed the hours
and at the bench of justice announced every
three hours the time of day.
In the Turkish Empire time is reckoned by
certain portions of the natural day, resem
bling the "watches" of the ancient Jews ani
Romans. Public clocks not being in use
these divisions Of time are proclaimed from
! the minarets.