Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-01-18
ABOUT ALMANACS.
HOW THE ART or CALCULATION
ORIGINATED.
while the World was Slowly Learning
How TO Count It Had No
History.


PREVIOUS to that important and convenient
revelation, there was practically no basis
OF comparison, no process OF marking the
course of time. no means of connecting the
past with the present. and the present with
the future. The art of calculation,
the whole great system of mathe-
mates, had its origin in the pebble
device, used 20 count sheep by dropping
pebble in a basket for each one
as 1t passed until an entire flock got by,
then enumerating another flock in the same
way. and finally determining the relative
numbers Of the two by alternately taking
pebble from each basket until one was
exhausted Next came the chalk-marks or
straight lines. in blocks of FIVE, the last
being drawn across the other four at an
angle. which plan is still largely employed f;
then the plan of two notched sticks-the
first double-entry idea-was evolved; then
came the digit system or counting in lives
and tens with the fingers; and. finally, the
Arabic notation, with its ten symbols or
figures, superseded all other methods.
II is easy to understand that while the
world was thus slowly learning how 70
count it could have no history. There was
no way to record events br TO adjust and
combine facts. The pebbles and chalk.
marks and notched sticks only answered
the crude purposes of life that took no
account of yesterday or tomorrow. II
was not possible for the average mind to
have any conception Of dates or periods,
distances or localities. The relation of what
was 10 what had been and what might be
did not enter into the prevailing order OF
thought and feeling. One day was rs a
thousand wears and q thousand years as
one day. The things of the past were IA if
they had never been. because nothing was
preserved; and things Of the future signi-
fed nothing. because the faculty of COM
prehension stopped with what the eye
could see and the feet tread upon. Men
ate and slept, propagated and died, and
that was all. They were even bercft OF
dreams. for there could be no dreaming
where there was no power TO imagine any
thing outside Of the dull end narrow con-
ditions Of such aform OF existence.
That was the era Of absolute freedom.
when each person stood apart, king in
his own right and responsible only as the
beasts were that disputed dominion with
him over the earth. lndividualism had full
opportunity. Mr.. Bellamy's backward
looking policy OF socialism, Of life without
class distinctions or laws Of discrimination
was thoroughly realized. But IL was spec
tacle of ignorance. of monOtOny. of stag
nation. The world did not move, strictly
speaking, and life was not worth living.
There was the alleged blessedness of having
no annals, but the felicity implied utter
emptiness. The people were exempt from
what Emerson calls " bondage to the past,
but that only meant that thew had not yet
learned the first lesson Of civilization. They
were simply in the same category with the
Astounding verdure and foliage-simply 50
much grass and arbOrescence. wind-swept
and unutilizcd. The secret OF progress was
withheld from them, and they were not
able 70 justify their presence on the planet
either in practice or in theory.
There was no intellectual growth, no per.
manent escape from the right of sayagory,
so long as the gift Of measuring space and
time was absent: men began to be men
only when they acquired that advantage,
and were able TO connect the experiences
of one generation with the necessities Oh
the next, or. in other words, TO grasp the
doctrine of accumulation which is the
source of all development. When they
came 10 see that the whole was greater
than any part. and that n part was
nothing unless rooted to the whole,
they were placed in the way OF
harmonizing themselves with their envi-
ronment and accomplishing sane and use
ful results. Time was invested with APP
preciable value, and the procession of the
DAYS took on practical purpOrt. Wings
were provided for intelligence. The Gagged
reason of the race secured the soaring
privilege, and It's horizon widened with
every effort. First the pebbles were cast
away, then the notched sticks, then the
digital device; and thus the dawn of histo-
~ slowly but surely approached.
The first almanacs-that il TO say. the
first histories-wcre of Arabian origin, and
reflected the local genius of the peopl lie IN
vpvy striking way. They. served a.
models in other countries for hundreds OF
years. The oldest known copy Of such q
work is preserved in the British Museum
and dates back TO the time of Rameses the
Great. of Egypt. who lived 1900 years be-
fore the birth of Christ. Ii Is written on
papyrus in red ink and covers period OF
six years. The entries relate to rell-
gious ceremonies. 10 the tates o.
children born on given days, and
10 the regulation OF business enter
prises in accordance with planetary lnilu-
ences. DO nothing at all this day" IS
one Of the warnings. " If thou seest any
thing at all this day It viii be fortunes. Is
another entry. Look not at rat This
day." Wash not with water this day,
and GO not ont before daylight
this dav" are some Of the additional eau
tions. This almanac was found IN an old
tomb. and is supposed to have been buried
with IT'S Egyptian owner when he was con-
verted into mummy for future explorers
to DIG up aud disco. in the interest OF SCI
ence and literature.
Next after this in point of age among the
existing specimens OF ancient alnanacs arc
some composed in thefJurLh century. They
are Roman Church calendars, giving the
dates Of feasts. the names Of tho saints. and
other religious infOrmatlOnr The Baltic ma
tions. who were not yersed in papyruS-
on nv "a
helyos. walking-sticks, and other art cles Of
personal use. The days were notched with
2 broad mark for Sunday. and the saints
DAVIS were symbOlized in various devices.
such as a harp for st. Davids, a gridiron
for st. Iawrence's a lovers knot for 81.
Valentines. and so on. The Saxon alma
macs are numerous. and contain historical
n we'll as ecclesiastical entries. 1t - pos
,ible TO trace in these curious records all
tie changes OF popular belief and taste.
They were prepared TO meet the current
demand, and so constitute a systematic
story OF what took place in successive
periods. and how knowledge increased
with the revolving years. We owe to them
most that We know of the people for whom
they were made and by whom they were
endorsed.
The almanacs of tho Middle Ages were
chiefly devoted to astrology, alchemy, and
like subjects. IL was IN their stars and not
in themselves that the people then con-
fded All events and conditions were
ascrbed 10 Celestial interference. The sky
was the supposed abode of both friendly
and malignant powers, in whose hands the
inhabitants of the earth We're playthings.
Superstition had perfect sway: and yet
some of the fancies were exceed
incly like the best of modern Wis
dom. The science of astronomy was still
far ~. but the astrologers made some very
pretty and plausible guesses, nevertheless.
with regard 10 the nature and relations OF
the various heavenly bodies. With the
naked eve and a glowing imagination they
saw much OF beauty and impressveness
that our telescopes do not disclose IN any
more effective manner. They assumed q
great deal in proportion to the amount OF
their actual knowledge, Of course, and
hence were false teachers in large part; ;
but at the same time, il will not do 10 deny,
they constructed fables that had wonder
ful merit IN their way.
II is not at all certain that we SEQ as
much in the heavens to-day, with oil our
improved facilities. as the ancients saw
under their restricted circumstances:
They We're sadly adrift az to the scheme or
creation, and the earth was to them the
predominating feature of the universe,
fat and stationary. and yet they evolved a
poetry of the stars which is still animatlng
nd c,,lapI,l NVa Ennrv now that the ear-u