Concerning the year thirty-three,

Suiting the words of the Gofpels for the year when our Lord fuffered death.

E are able to fhow that, in the year 782 U.C. 30 A. D. of the Roman reckoning= 33 Anno Chrifti, the date of the Calendar New Moon of the Vernal equinox was on the 22nd of March, with Golden Number VI. of the Metonic Cycle (fee Table of Numbers, p. 224).

And thus, as the Jewish date for the commencement of the year, viz., I Nifan, would correfpond to the 22nd and 23rd of March; the 14th of Nifan would fall to the 4th and 5th of April, for the date of the Calendar Full Moon, A.D. 30, with Year Letter A, when the Feast of the Paffover would be at hand.

We will now proceed to fhow how the words of the Gofpels fuit thefe dates.

=

NOTE.-Golden Number v. would be the number for a Greek year commencing in Hecatombaon July, but as the Table of Golden Numbers, &c., has been made to fuit the fixed form of the Julian year, the new number vi. comes into ufe in January.

Eleven days being the difference between dates written according to the two styles, Old and New, the day after Wednesday the 2nd of September 1752 was called Thurfday the 14th of September 1752, omitting the 3rd to the 13th both inclufive. The introduction of the Gregorian system had previously been attempted in England, but without fuccefs.

In the reign of Henry VIII. [21 July, 1514] Pope Leo X. wrote to the king, that, in consequence of Easter falling at the wrong time, from the errors of the Calexdar, he had confulted the most skilful theologians and aftronomers of the time, who all agreed in its inaccuracy, and that the moon was five days old when it was reckoned the first by the Church. And confidering the impropriety that any such error should be tolerated,— the Lateran Council then fitting, -and fo give cause of ridicule to Jews and hereticks, he had written to learned men for their opinion. On referring it to the Synod, many difficulties had appeared in adjusting the queftion. He therefore begged the king to send to the Lateran Council the beft theologians and aftronomers in his realm to affist in providing a due remedy; or write that they should, that their opinions might be laid before the 10th Seffion, to be held on the first of December. Rome, 21 July, 1514 [6 Henry VIII.] State Papers, Public Record Office, Foreign and Domestic Series, Henry VIII. (Calendar, vol. i. p. 846, No. 5262).

The Julian Calendar, however, was not then corrected. Another attempt was afterwards made to introduce into England the new style of writing dates during the reign of Elizabeth, but it was not attended with fuccefs. It appears by the "Lords' Journals," vol. ii. pp. 99-102, that on the 16th of March 1584-5, 27 Elizabeth, a Bill

was read, "the first time," in the House of Lords, entitled, "An Act giving Her Majesty authority to alter und "new make a Calendar, according to the Calendar used in "other Countries." It was read a second time on the 18th of the fame month, after which no notice occurs of it.

In the Calendar of State Papers, made by Mr. Bruce [Domestic Series, Charles I. vol. cccxliij.], there is a reference to "A Book of Rough Notes by Nicholas [Sir "Edward Nicholas, Secretary of State], of proceedings "of the Council" at their several meetings during this month [January, 1636-7]; and amongst the Memoranda will be found the following entries concerning a proposed alteration of the commencement of the

year.

[1636-7.] Jan. 21. Speak with Lord Keeper and "Mr. Attorney to draw a proclamation for altering the style or date of the year to begin in January.”

"[1636-7.] Jan. 25. To mind the Lords and Lord "Keeper to speak with the Judges and Mr. Attorney "about altering the date of year [of] our Lord; that it may begin the first of January as in other kingdoms." "[1636-7.] Jan. 25. Mr. Attorney is to speak with "the Judges about the date [of] beginning of the year."

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It was not, however, until the year 1752, that the alteration in the commencement of the year in England took place on the 1st of January, the new style being introduced in September.

The alteration from the Old to the New Style of writing dates, in foreign countries, we have already stated was made in the year 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII, after great confideration, he having been formally charged by the Council of Trent with the task of correcting the Julian Calendar,-published his new Calendar, the neceffity for which was caused by the discovery

that the Civil Year was in advance of the Solar Year

[See p. 6].

The further contents of this volume may be briefly noticed under separate heads.

Correfponding Dates. These are given so that any date written in either the Old or New Style may be easily seen. They will be chiefly required to serve with dates belonging to the Hegira, the era in use in Turkey, and other countries where the Mohammedan Calendar is now ufed; the dates of the "Hegira" being found written according to the Old Style, and unintelligible to many English readers, unless reduced to the corresponding New Style dates now used in England.

Year-Letters are required with the Perpetual Calendars for each letter, that the day of the week of any Christian date may be determined. A "table" for finding the Year-Letters for all years being neceffary, one has been made to ferve for the whole extent of the Chriftian era, from I Anno Domini to the present time, calculating the years always from 1 January according to the Julian form of year and the Dionyfian reckoning.

Perpetual Calendars, fixed. These, being made feparately for each Dominical Letter, the system by which each Sunday letter is produced is eafily understood, while the letters which belong to all the days of the week are known. The advantage alfo of the fixed Calendar is that there can be no unexpected movement to cause annoyance or mistakes.

The Roman and Church Calendar is given with the Golden Numbers, so that the dates of the "Calendar " New Moon may be ascertained; thus ferving for a

Perpetual Lunar Calendar" for the Old Style, with the Golden Numbers, and for the New Style, by obferving