XIII. The Era of Pisa.

HIS era differed from our common Christian era only by preceding it by one year; probably, the first year of the Christian era was made to correfpond to 753 A.U.C.

instead of 754 A.U.C., the Dionyfian date.

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XIV. Era of the Armenians.

RMENIANS began their era on Tuesday, 9 July 552 A.D., when they confirmed the condemnation of the Council of Chalcedonia, which was pronounced A.D. 536, and by which they completed their schism.

The years of this era were vague, having only 365 days each, compofed of twelve months of thirty days each, with five Epagomanæ at the end of the last month to make up 365 days. The commencement of the year confequently varies when compared with the Julian dates, after each Julian Leap-year, like the years of the era of Nabonaffar.

Another year, called the Ecclefiaftical Year, was used at the fame time, which had the fame number of days as the years of the Julian era, the additional day in a fourth year being made up by a fixth epagomana, the months having each thirty days. The date in the Julian Calendar, correfponding to the commencement of this ecclefiaftical year was the 11th of Auguft. This form of year was discontinued A.D. 1330, when the Julian year was adopted.

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having each thirty days, with Aceliacz, or the five epagomanæ in common years, at the end of the last month, and a fixth in fourth years.

To reduce ecclefiaftical Armenian years to our Chriftian time, add 551 years and 222 days. In a Leap-year one day more, from the 1ft of March to the 10th of Auguft.

XV. The Perfian Era,

or

Era of Yezdegird III.

HIS era was formerly univerfally used in
Perfia, and is still used by the Parsees in
India, and by the Arabs occafionally. It
began on the 16th of June A.D. 632.

The year was compofed of 365 days without intercalation, and confequently was like the Egyptian and Armenian year, anticipating the Julian year by one day in every four years, which difference amounted to nearly 112 days in the year 1075, when the year was reformed

by Jelaledin, who ordered that the Perfian year thenceforth fhould receive an additional day whenever it appeared necessary to poftpone the commencement of the following year, in order to make it correspond to the course of the fun. This naturally took place once in four years; but after seven or eight intercalations the intercalation was poftponed for one year. By this arrangement the calendar could never require reformation. An inconvenience however attends this method, it being difficult to determine the length of the years beforehand, as well as the uncertainty of reckoning caused by the computation of perfons living under different meridians, those living towards the east sometimes beginning the year a day earlier than others living weftward.

The prefent practice of the Parfees in India varies in different provinces, fome beginning the year in September and others in October. The months are as follows:

I Ferwardin 2 Ardibehifht

3 Khurdad

4 Tir

5 Merdad

6 Sheriur

7 Meher

8 Aban

9 Ader

10 Dei

11 Behmen

12 Ifpendarmez.

The months have thirty days each with five days in common years and fix days in intercalary years, placed after Aban the 8th month.

To reduce this era to the Christian year, add 630 to the given year, and the fum will be the year of our era, in which the Perfian year begins, according to the prac tice of the Parfees.

XVI. Era of the Hegira.*

HE era of the Mohammedans, called the Hegira or "Flight of the Prophet," dates from the day on which Mohammed entered Medina after his flight from Mecca + [Friday the 16th of July, 622 A.D.] The years of the Hegira are Lunar years, each of which has nearly eleven days less than the Solar year. The Hegira's course is divided into cycles of thirty years, of which nineteen are common years, each one being composed of 354 days, and eleven are intercalary years, which have 355 days each. The Ift, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, and 11th months of the Lunar year have each 30 days, and the other fix months of the year have 29 days each, except in an intercalary year, when the twelfth month has a thirtieth day.

The eleven intercalary years are the 2nd, 5th, 7th, 10th, 13th, 16th, 18th, 21ft, 24th, 26th, and 29th of each cycle of thirty years. The average length of a year is taken at 3541 days, the twelfth part of which is

* This is fometimes written " Ijra," "Hijra," and " Hegira," (See State Papers.)

+ "The Moflems of Mecca, who had taken refuge fometime "before in Medina, hearing that Mohammed was at hand, came "forth to meet him at Koba. *** Numbers of the anfarians, or "auxiliaries of Medina, who had made their compact with Moham"med in the preceding year, now haftened to renew their vow of fidelity. Learning from them that the number of profelytes in the city was rapidly augmenting, and that there was a general difpofi"tion to receive him favourably, he appointed Friday [16 July, 622 66 A.D.] for his public entrance." [Life of Mahomet, by Washington Irving, 1850.]

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291, thus approaching nearly to the true lunation, there being (as is afferted) a difference of but three seconds of time, which will not amount to a day in less than 2260 years. The months of this era, like ours, confist of weeks, each day of which begins in the evening after sunset, and is termed by the Catholic Church ferial: thus our Sunday is the first feria of the Mohammedan week, and our Saturday the seventh feria.

In order to know which of the years of the Hegira are intercalary years, having 355 days, it is necessary to ascertain what pofition the year in queftion occupies in the cycle of thirty years. This is done by dividing the Mohammedan year's number by 30; and if there be any remainder, and it be either 2, 5, 7, 10, 13, 16, 18, 21, 24, 26 or 29 the year will be an intercalary one having 355 days. If there be no remainder, it will be a proof that the year in question is the thirtieth of a cycle, of which the quotient will furnish the numerical order. The commencement of any year of the Hegira, corresponding to the date in the Julian Calendar, Old Style, can be ascertained by the following rules, and when the initial day of the year has been found, the first day of each month of the Mohammedan year can be seen by referring to the Mohammedan Calendar and the "Key" on the following pages (pp. 237, &c.)

For Gregorian or New Style dates, care must be taken to add the neceffary number of days according to the date of the adoption of the New Style in the country for which the date found may be required. [See Lift of countries adopting the New Style, and the table of differences between the two Styles, increafed by one day after certain dates, pp. 91-101 and 46-7.]