
divisions of the year.
THE present most awkward and
absurd division of the year into
months of unequal duration was first
introduced by Julius Cæsar, and has
prevailed ever since: a memorable
proof of the inveterate obstinacy of
custom. The Roman calendar was
found by Cæsar in a most disorder-
ly state, and he applied to Egypt,
the land of sages, for the means of
reformation. He appears, howe-
ver, to have borrowed nothing from
Egypt, but the duration of the
year. The rational division of it in-
to twelve months, of thirty days
each, with five festival days (six
every fourth year) subjoined to the
last, the mode of the Egyptians, was
not adopted.
The most eligible reformation, in
this respect, seems to be that of a
late German professor, who pro-
poses to divide the year into eleven
months, ten of which to consist of
thirty-five days each, and the ele-
venth of fifteen days, and of sixteen
every fourth or leap-year. The
first ten months were to be divided
into five weeks, and the names of
the months, weeks, and days of the
week to be numerical, according to
the quaker fashion. The seasons
being in their number, order, and
duration so various and irregular in
different climates, and, to a certain
degree, even in the same, were dis-
regarded in this system; to which
there can be no objection on moral,
political, or religious grounds; and
which would be infinitely more ra-
tional and more convenient than the
reigning modes.