411. The Civil Year is that which is in common use among the different nations of the world; of which, some reckon by the Lunar, but most by the Solar. The Civil Solar Year contains 365 days, for three years running, which are called Common Years; and then comes in what is called the Bissextile or Leap-Year, which contains 366 days. This is also called the Julian Year on account of Julius Cæsar, who appointed the Intercalary-day every fourth year, thinking thereby to make the Civil and Solar Year keep pace together. And this day, being added to the 23d of February, which in the Roman Calendar, was the sixth of the Calends of March, that sixth day was twice reckoned, or the 23d and 24th were reckoned as one day; and was called Bis sextus dies, and thence came the name Bissextile for that year. But in our common Almanacks this day is added at the end of February.
Lunar Year.
412. The Civil Lunar Year is also common or intercalary. The common Year consists of 12 Lunations, which contain 354 days; at the end of which, the year begins again. The Intercalary, or Embolimic Year is that wherein a month was added, to adjust the Lunar Year to the Solar. This method was used by the Jews, who kept their account by the Lunar Motions. But by intercalating no more than a month of 30 days, which they called Ve-Adar, every third year, they fell 33⁄4 days short of the Solar Year in that time.
Roman Year.
413. The Romans also used the Lunar Embolimic Year at first, as it was settled by Romulus their first King, who made it to consist only of ten months or Lunations; which fell 61 days short of the Solar Year, and so their year became quite vague and unfixed; for which reason, they were forced to have a Table published by the High Priest, to inform them when the spring and other seasons began. But Julius Cæsar, as already mentioned, § [411], taking this troublesome affair into consideration, reformed the Calendar, by making the year to consist of 365 days 6 hours.
The original of the Gregorian, or New Style.
414. The year thus settled, is what we still make use of in Britain: but as it is somewhat more than 11 minutes longer than the Solar Tropical Year, the times of the Equinoxes go backward, and fall earlier by one day in about 130 years. In the time of the Nicene Council (A. D. 325.) which was 1431 years ago, the vernal Equinox fell on the 21st of March: and, if we divide 1431 by 130, it will quote 11, which is the number of days the Equinox has fallen back since the Council of Nice. This causing great disturbances, by unfixing the times of the celebration of Easter, and consequently of all the other moveable Feasts, Pope Gregory the 13th, in the year 1582 ordered ten days to be at once struck out of that year; and the next day after the fourth of October was called the fifteenth. By this means the vernal Equinox was restored to the 21st of March; and it was endeavoured, by the omission of three intercalary days in 400 years, to make the civil or political year keep pace with the Solar for time to come. This new form of the year is called the Gregorian Account or New Style; which is received in all Countries where the Pope’s Authority is acknowledged, and ought to be in all places where truth is regarded.
Months.
415. The principal division of the year is into Months, which are of two sorts, namely Astronomical and Civil. The Astronomical month is the time in which the Moon runs through the Zodiac, and is either Periodical or Synodical. The Periodical Month is the time spent by the Moon in making one compleat Revolution from any point of the Zodiac to the same again; which is 27d 7h 43m. The Synodical Month, called a Lunation, is the time contained between the Moon’s parting with the Sun at a Conjunction, and returning to him again; which is in 29d 12h 44m. The Civil Months are those which are framed for the uses of Civil life; and are different as to their names, number of days, and times of beginning, in several different Countries. The first month of the Jewish Year fell according to the Moon in our August and September, Old Style; the second in September and October, and so on. The first month of the Egyptian Year began on the 29th of our August. The first month of the Arabic and Turkish Year began the 16th of July. The first month of the Grecian Year fell according to the Moon in June and July, the second in July and August, and so on, as in the following Table.
| No | The Jewish year. | Days | No | The Egyptian year. | Days | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tisri | Aug.-Sept. | 30 | 1 | Thoth | August 29 | 30 | |
| 2 | Marchesvan | Sept.-Oct. | 29 | 2 | Paophi | Septemb. 28 | 30 | |
| 3 | Casleu | Oct.-Nov. | 30 | 3 | Athir | October 28 | 30 | |
| 4 | Tebeth | Nov.-Dec. | 29 | 4 | Chojac | Novemb. 27 | 30 | |
| 5 | Shebat | Dec.-Jan. | 30 | 5 | Tybi | Decemb. 27 | 30 | |
| 6 | Adar | Jan.-Feb. | 29 | 6 | Mechir | January 26 | 30 | |
| 7 | Nisan or Abib | Feb.-Mar. | 30 | 7 | Phamenoth | Februar. 25 | 30 | |
| 8 | Jiar | Mar.-Apr. | 29 | 8 | Parmuthi | March 27 | 30 | |
| 9 | Sivan | April-May | 30 | 9 | Pachon | April 26 | 30 | |
| 10 | Tamuz | May-June | 29 | 10 | Payni | May 26 | 30 | |
| 11 | Ab | June-July | 30 | 11 | Epiphi | June 25 | 30 | |
| 12 | Elul | July-Aug. | 29 | 12 | Mesori | July 25 | 30 | |
| Days in the year | 354> | Epagomenæ or days added | 5 | |||||
| In the _Embolimic year after Adar they added a month called Ve-Adar of 30 days. | Days in the year | 365 | ||||||