The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-01-17

the course OF the moon lne year ~
composed Of twelve lunar months
when common and Of thirteen lunar
months when embolismic; and these
years succeed eachtother IN such . way
that after q period on nineteen years
the commencem ent Of the Jewish year
arrives .. the same epoch as the solar
year. The Jewish year Is therefore .
lunar-solar year. ard the civil year Of
this remarkable people, In common
with all Oriental nations. commences
with the new moon Of September. and
the ecclesiastical year A. the new moon
in March.
The Egyptians, who reached a high
state Of civilization In the dim twilight
Of remote antiquity. calculated the
year rs consisting Of three hundred
and sixty daya or twelve months =
thirty days In the pursuit Of astr6fN
ogy that vain attempt 70 evolve the
secret ~ the supposed mystic connec-
tion between the celestial bodies and
the destiny Of mRn-the Egyptians
we're unconsciousty laying the ground
work Of the sublime science Of astron-
cfnys AMI in q period OF continued OBJ
~seryation they found that the year OF
three hundred and sixty days fell short
Of a true solar year by Ave days This
nesg year came into force and com
rnenced on the 2sth Of February. g47 b.
q and this day was the beginning Of
the eraSpf Nebonassae. The year Of
three hundred and sixty-hvc days sgas
followed for aspcriod Of seven hundred
and t~ssenty-threc years: bat IN the
year IS u. g. a supplementary day was
added every four years, and this year
~of three hundred and sixty-ffve and one
fourth days became . Fixed wear, md
was adopted BY the Romans WHEN they
conquered Egypt. This year was also
adopted BY the Copts, and the frst ycnr
Of the era Of the Martyrs commenced
on the 29til Of August. A u. 2sg.
The Greeks. the~wiost cultured II The
~nations Of antiquity, were rather slow
to turn their powers Of observation to
the sky. They employed at frst-bor-
rowing from the Egg ptians and the
Babylonians--the year Of three hun
dred and sixty days, divided into
twelve months of thirty days Each
month consisted on three decades: and
this Is the sole example 10 ancient his
tory Of a week of ton days. Melton, OF
Athens. In 49, b. g, having observed
the sunmer solstfce, found TINT a
period Of. nineteen solar years con-
tanned two hundred aud thirty Ave
lunations exactly. and THAT at the end
OF this period the sun and the moor re-
turned TO the same point in the heav-
ems. This discovery was considered so
important that an recount ~ Ii was
carved in letters Of gold upon the tenn
pie Of Minerva, and hence the origin Of
what Is gcnerally known as the golden
number. For the purposes or chronol-
ogy, the Greeks counted the years BY
means of olympiads: the irst olympiad
occurred 776 b q, and the last Ia the
year 40 OF the Christian era.
The Roman year, as instituted BY
NINA and regulated by the moon. con-
sisted Of three hundred and ffty-cight
days, divided into twelve months 81
unequaled length. But this year Of
three hundred ana fifty-fiye days did
not correspond TO the periodic return
Of b seasons, and In the time OF Jul.
ius Caesar the Roman calendar had
fallen into great disorder. To correct
this confusion. Cesar sought the as
sisfance Of S~osigenes, a distinguished
astrohorner OF Alexandria; and it was
decided that the civil year should con-
sist az three hundred and kixty-nve
days sz hours in other words. that
there should ID three consecutive
/ years If three hundred aud f,xty-fse
days, and3that the fourth should con-
tain three hundred and sIxty-six
days, the extra day being intcrcalatcd
between the ed and the gath OF Feb
ruary; and us the Gath was the sexto
calendas IL days prior to tho lAt OF
March infinsive-the additional day
was called Observation-Disclosures; hence
the origin If our word bissextile.
This change took place in the year ~
u. G.; and lto correct the disorders in
the calendar, It was necessary that the
previous year should consist oil four
hundred and forty-hve days. The Jul
ian year Is still actually followed hy
the Russians, Greeks, and some Oriea-
tai Christians.
The year as fixed BY Julius Cesar be
ing fully eleven minutes longer than
the true solar year, another change
was made inkthe year 1852, when Pope
Gregory XIII. ordered that Thursday,
the 4th of October, 1852. shoulI be fol-
lowed bv Friday the 18Th Of October
This. as It has been called, the New
style, was not adopted in England TIL
the rear 1859. The quarter days are
Christmas, Lady Day. Midsummer and
Michaelmas; So. when the New Style
came INTO operation. these days
were aivapced, 50 to speak. eleven
days, and thus became the 9Th OF Jan
nary, April and July, and tie 10th Of
October mosasimportant days in con-
nection with stock and annuity bust
ness Chambers Journal.
onder work or : watch.
Hare WI, any ;daa II tha a.a~33