The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1878-05-01

days varied being the least number tia lid
i could make 4 year, and some years containing
DIS many as 1856. As might naturally be ex-
i peotod great confusion resu ted. The heath
en- priests who had these matters in charge,
were frequently ignorant, and the mistakes
| thence arising imperatiyely demanded r.
form. This was introduced By Julius Caesar,
46 3. g. by his decree the year was TO be
considered s65 days and . hours in other
words, one year il every four was to have 366
days, and the other three $685. All the nations
adopt this mode of reckoning, and its nse be-
came universal in those countries in whose
history we are best posted and most familiar.
But scientific accuracy in the length Of the
year was not yet attained. The Julian calan-
dAr as Caesars mode Of computation was call
ed, made the year II minutes and 10 seconds
too long. This seems like tribe, but ia the
eossrse Of centuries the truth of the old Scotch
proyerb, Many mickle makes muckle, ;"
was demonstrated. In 1889 the error had
amounted to ten days. The Gregorian calen-
dar was in that year introduced by Gregory
XIII, Pope of Rome f; it was based upon the
fact that the time occupied by the earth in
making its annual journey around the sun is
1855 days, hours and 40 Misunderstanding a
few seconds. To remedy the mistake of 10
days arising from Caesars false calculations,
he decreed that Oct. 3, 1882, should be Oct.
10. To prevent the mistake from occurring
again it was arranged that hereafter the open
IN in ,cl,o ba
sdered leap year, except one in four eentur-
les, beginning with the year 5000. The Gre
gorian Calendar was at once adopted by all
those countries where the authority of the
Pope was recognized. Protestant countries
were generally slow in adopting it,-probably
from their mistrust of everything proceeding
from Rome-Germany, in 1700 abandoned
the Julian for the Gregorian calendar, and
Great Britain, in 1862, 40 years after Rome
had set the example. In Russia Greece, and
most parts of the East the change has not yet
been made. The difference between the !" Old
Style " and the g New Style" as tie Julian
and Gregorian modes of computation are re-
speetiyely called, now amounts to twelve days.
Thus to-day in Western Europe and America
is Thursday, April 1Sth but in Greece and
Russia it is Thursday, April 9th. In consult
ing old documents the historian has to inquire
especially whether the old or new style was
prevalent at that time in that country if he
desires accuracy in date. To obviate this diff
iieulty for long time it was common to in
sert both dates on documents. Thus Wash
ington's Birthday in the last century was FREE
quently written Feb. eloyen-twenty-tw 1882
Another difficulty encountered by the his
torian in bis inquiries into dates in the oden
times arises from the fact that until within
the last hundred years there was no uniform
ity as to the commencement of the year.
Some nations adopted one day for the lew
Year and some another. These differences are
found at remote period of antiquity. The
ancient CarthaginIans Egyptians, Persians,
Syrians and other Eastern nations commenced
their year with the Autumnal equinox. The
ctgi5 year of the Jews ran from the same day,
but their religious year dated from the Vernal
equinox. The early Greeks and other ancient
nations in the North of Europe selected The
Winter Solstice, but tho later Greeks changed
it for the Summer Solstice. The present New
Year, JAN 1, was first adopted by the Ro-
mans, but their example was not followed
by modern nations until recently The New
Years adopted were the feast days of the Rom
ish Church, as that Church in that age pre-
vailed in all Christian lands. Those most
common were the Nativity or Christmas, Dec.
% the Circumcision, Jan. the Annuncia-
~. 7 81. No. Mo- nd
The New Year sometimes varied in different
ages in the same nation. Thus France, un-
der the Merovingian kings kept March 1
under the Carlovingians, March 20 UNI
der the Capetians, Easter s; and from 1904
Jan has been the day. The same day, Jan.
1, was adopted in Scotland in 1900, and in
England-but not till 1859. The difficulty
arising from this diversity is illustrated in the
fact that the execution of King Charles !, of
England, is given by Scottish writers as oc-
curing on Jan. 80, 1919, but by English
writers as on Jan. 80, 1913. To obviatc this
difficulty it was customary to give both years,
when the date was such that it would be one
year in one country and another in another.
Thus Charles l was beheaded Jan.
Both, 1889. In Mohammedan coun-
tries the year is still composed of lunar
months, for the solar year has never been
adopted, and the New Year of course falls ON
different days in different years.
1t is customary now to date the year from
the supposed time of our Saviour's BIRTH
Thus the number Of the present year 1878
shows that it is one thousand eight hundred
and seventy eight years since the nativity of
Christ. The rest of the date is made up of
month and day. The months are not lunar
months, but the year has been arbitrarily di-
vided into twelve months for the sake Of con-
venience. The days in the respective months,
as all know, have no particular names but are
numbered from to 20, 80 and 81, according
to the number Of days in any particular
month. Thus the date is composed of three
acknowledgements and day of month.
For the sake of simplicity the same system is
applied to events which occurred before the
time of Christ the years being counted back
ward from his birth. Care is required here
by the student of ancient history, G. g., if
n 1roI 10, he