Now, the difference in styles during the 15th century is nine days; during the 16th and 17th centuries, ten days; the 18th century, eleven days, and the 19th, twelve days. In regard to the sailing of Columbus, the change is made by suppressing nine days, calling the 3d the 12th of August. In regard to the birth of Washington, the change is effected by suppressing eleven days, calling the 11th of February the 22d. As regards Russia, she could have made the change last year by calling the 20th of December, 1888, the 1st day of January, 1889, thereby suppressing twelve days, and making the year 1888 to consist of only 354 days, and the month of December twenty days. The methods of computation, both Old and New Styles, will be explained in another chapter.
To persons unacquainted with astronomy, the difference between Old and New Styles would probably be better understood by the diagram on the 25th page. The figures represent the ecliptic, which is the apparent path of the Sun, or the real path of the Earth as seen from the Sun, in her annual or yearly revolution around the Sun in the order of the months, as marked on the ecliptic.
Attention is called to four points on the ecliptic, namely, the vernal equinox, the autumnal equinox, the winter solstice, and the summer solstice. These occur, in the order given above, on the 21st of March, the 21st of September, the 21st of December and the 21st of June. It has already been stated that if the civil year correspond with the solar, the seasons of the year will always come at the same period. Julius Cæsar found the ancient Roman year in advance of the solar; Gregory found the Julian behind the solar year; so one reforms the calendar by intercalation, the other by suppression. [Appendix D.]
Cæsar restored the coincidence of the solar and the civil year, but failed to retain it by allowing what probably appeared to him at the time a trifling error in his calendar. The error, which was 11 minutes and 10.38 seconds every year, was hardly perceptable for a short period, but still amounted to three days every 400 years. Hence the necessity in 1582 of reforming the reformed calendar of Julius Cæsar to restore the coincidence. [Appendix E.]
From the meeting of the Council of Nice, in 325, to 1582, a period of 1257 years, there was found to be an error in the Julian calendar of ten days. Now, in 1257 years the Earth performs 1257 annual and 459,109 daily revolutions, after which the vernal equinox was found to occur on the 21st of March, true or solar time; thus concurring with the vernal equinox of 325. But the erroneous Julian calendar would make the Earth perform 459,119 daily revolutions to complete the 1257 years, a discrepancy of ten days, making the vernal equinox to fall on the 11th instead of the 21st. It will be seen by the diagram that the ten days were deducted from October, in 1582, making it a short month, consisting of only twenty-one days.
The discrepancy between the Julian and Gregorian calendar amounts to thirty days in 4000 years; three months in 12,175 years. Hence, in 12,175 years the equinoxes would take the place of the solstices, and the solstices the place of the equinoxes. In 24,350 years, the vernal equinox would take the place of the autumnal equinox, and the winter solstice the place of the summer solstice.
And in 48,700 years, according to the Julian rule of intercalation, there would be gained nearly 365¼ days, or one entire revolution of the Earth. So, to restore the concurrence of the Julian and Gregorian years, there would have to be suppressed 365¼ days, calling the 1st day of January, 48,699, the 1st day of January, 48,700.
Thus would disappear from the Julian calendar twelve months, or one whole year, it having been divided among the thousands of the preceding years.
