But in appreciating the practical facility of this method, we must bear in mind that the constant, when once ascertained for any century, remains unchanged throughout the whole of that century; and that the solar epact, when once ascertained for any year, can scarcely require recalculation during the remainder of that year: furthermore, that although the rule for calculating the epact, as just recited, is so extremely simple, yet even that slight mental exertion may be spared to the mass of those who might benefit by its application to current purposes; because it might become an object of general notoriety in each current year. And I am not without hope that "NOTES AND QUERIES" will next year set the example to other publications, by making the current solar epact for 1852 a portion of its "heading," and by suffering it to remain, incorporated with the date of each impression, throughout the year.
Let us now recur to the allotment of the regulars at the beginning of Bede's description. Placed in succession their order is as follows:—
| April and July | I, | or Sunday | |
| January and October | II, | or Monday | |
| May | III, | or Tuesday | |
| August | IIII, | or Wednesday | |
| March, Feb., and November | V, | or Thursday | |
| June | VI, | or Friday | |
| September and December | VII, | or Saturday |
There is no great difficulty in retaining this in the memory; but should uncertainty arise at any time, it may be immediately corrected by a mental reference to the following lines, the alliterative jingle of which is designed to house them as securely in the brain as the immortal and never-failing, "Thirty days hath September." The order of the allotment is preserved by appropriating as nearly as possible a line to each day of the week; while the absolute connexion here and there of certain days, by name, with certain months, forms a sort of interweaving that renders mistake or misplacement almost impossible.
"April loveth to link with July,
And the merry new year with October comes by,
August for Wednesday, Tuesday for May,
March and November and Valentine's Day,
Friday is June day, and lastly we seek
September and Christmas to finish the week."