EP A

307

EPE

in 19 vears, ;the moon completes 20 times 12 lunations, or gets upone whole solar year; and having finished that circuit, beginsagain with the sun, and so from 19 to 19 years. For the first yearafterwards tiie moon will go before the sun but 11 days; thesecond year 22 days; the third 33 days: but 30 being an entirelunation, cast that away, and the remainder three shall be thatyear’s epact; and soon, adding yearly 11 days. Thus to adjustthe lunar year to the solar through the whole of lOyears, 12 of themmust consist of 12 synodical months each, and 7 of 13, by addinga month of 30 days to every year when the epact would exceed 30,and a month of 29 days to the last year of the cycle, which makesin all 209 days, i. e. 19 X 11 ; so that the intercalary or entboli-mxan years in this cycle are 4, 7, 10, 12, 15, 18, 19. If the newmoons returned exactly at the same lime after the expiration ofnineteen years, as the council of Nice supposed they would do(when they fixed the rule for the observation of Caster, andmarked the new moons in the calendar for each year of the lunarcycle) then the golden number multiplied by II, would alwaysgive the epact. But in a Julian century, the new moons antici-pate. or happen earlier than that council imagined they would byof a day. In a Gregorian common century, which is one dayshorter than a Julian century, they happen of a day later, (1day — -j s 5 = [].) Nowx 3 = if for the three common cen-turies, but being subtracted, on account ot the Gregorian bis-sextile century, there will remain 4,-. Therefore in four Grego-rian centuries, the new moons will happen lalcr hy-f f of a day, andthe epacts must be decreased accordingly. At present the Gre-gorian epact is 11 da vs short of the Julian epact; but the quotientof the number of the centuries divided by 4, which at this time is4 , multiplied by with the addition of the remainder 1 multi-plied by 44 , makes in all but ’ 5’, or 7 days + [■[, thereforei. e. 3 days -(- 44 must be added to complete the 11 days. Whencewe have the follow ing general rule for finding the Gregorian Ep'actfor ever. Divide the centuries of any year of the Christian .-era by4, (rejecting the subsequent figures.) Let the quotient increasedby 2 be multiplied by 43, and the remainder multiplied bv 17;divide the sum of these two products by 25, and subtract the quo-tient from 11 times !lie golden number, and the remainder, thethirties being rejected, will be the epact.

Example for 1809.

18

— = 4, rent. 2

4

6, (4 + 2 ) x 43 = 258

2 x 17 =34(258 -|- 34) 4- 25 = 1111X5 (Gold. No.) = 5555-11

-= 1 , rem.14 = Epact

30

Examp. 2. To find the epact for the ensuing year of Christ 1811,the golden number for the year being 7 .

18

— = 4, and 2 over.

4

6, (4 + 2) X 43 — 258

2 x 17 = 34258 -f- 34

-= 11

25

11 x 7, ( golden number,) = 7777-11

—--= 2 , and six over, which re-

30 mainderw ill be the epactfor tire given year.

Examp. 3. To find the epact for the year of Christ 2000 , thegolden number for that year being 6 .

20

— =5 and nothing over.

4

7, (5+2; X 43= 301

Ox 17 = 0301

-= 12

25

11 X G=66

66 — 12

—-= I, and 24 over, which will

30 be the epact for the yearrequired.

A shorter rule for finding the epact until the year 1900. Sub-tract 1 from the golden number; and multiplying the remainderby 11, reject the thirties, and you have the epact.

Example (or 1809.

5 (Gold.No .) —1 = 4(4 X 11) — 30 = 15 = epact.

Example for 1811.

7 (Gold. Number) —1=6(6 X 11) — 60 = 6; the epact.

Example for 1S20.

16 (Golden Number) —1 = 15(15 x 11) — 150= 15, the epact.

EPAMINONDAS , a celebrated Theban, the son of Polym-mis, and one of the greatest heroes of antiquity. He studied phi-losophy under Lysis, a Pythagorean philosopher; was taught mu-sic by Dionysius arid Olvmpiodorus: and was from his infancy, in-ured to all the exercises of body and mind. He was learned, ge-nerous, well skilled in war, brave, modest, and prudent; and hadsuch a regard for truth, that he would not tell a falsehood even injest. He saved the life of Pelopidas , who received in battleseven or eight wounds; and contracted a strict friendship withthat general, which lasted till his death. At his persuasion, Pelo-pidas delivered Thebes from the yoke of the Spartans, who had 'rendered themselves masters of Cadmea, which occasioned abloody war between file two nations. Epaminondas being madegeneral of the Thebans , gained the celebrated battle of Leuctra,in which Cleombrotus II. the valiant king of Sparta , was killed.He then ravaged the enemy’s country, and caused the city ofMessina to be rebuilt and peopled. At length the command of 'the army was given to another, because Epaminondas bad kept histroops in the field four months longer than he had been orderedby the people ; but, instead of retiring in disgust, he now servedas a common soldier, and distinguished himself by so many braveactions, that the Thebans , ashamed of having deprived him of thecommand, restored him to his post, in order to carry the war intoThessaly, where his arms were always victorious. A war break-ing out between the Elkins and the inhabitants of Mantinea , theThebans look the part of the former. Epaminondas then resolved toendeavour to surprise Sparta and Mantinea ; but not succeeding,he gave the enemv battle, in which he received a mortal woundwith a javelin, the bearded iron remaining in the wound. Know -ing tiiat it could not be drawn out without occasioning immediatedeath, he would not suffer it to be touched, but continuqd to givehis orders ; and on his being told that the enemy were entirely'defeated, “ I have lived long enough (he cried) since I die with-out being conqueied;” and at the same time be plucked the jave-lin from his wound, and expired, B. C. 363.

E PAN ORTH OS IS, in rhetoric, a figure by which a person,corrects, or ingeniously revokes, what he just before alledged, asbeing too weakly expressed, in order to add something stronger,and more conformable to the passion with which he is agitated.

EPARER, in the manege, the flinging ot a horse, or his jerk-ing and.striking with his hind legs.

EPAULETTES, a kind ot shoulder-knots. Those for thesoldiers are of the colour of the facing, with a narrow yellow orwhite tape round it, and worsted fringe; those for the officers aremade ot gold or silver lace, with a rich fringe; they are badges ofdistinction worn on one or both shoulders. Those of the dragoonguards, horse, and dragoons, are worn on the left shoulder: thelight dragoons, and officers of grenadiers, have one on eachshoulder ; those of the battalion wear one on the right shoulderonly, made of embroidery or lace with a gold or silver fringe.Those of the royal regiment, of artillery are of gold and embroi-dery, with gold fringe on scarlet doth, and worn on the rightshoulder.

EPAULEMENT, [French , from cpaule, a shoulder,] in forti-fication, a sidework made either of earth thrown up, of bags of.earth , gabions, or of fascines and earth. 11 sometimes denotes a se-mibastion, and a square orillion, or mass of eartli faced and linedwith a wall, designed to cover the cannon of a cazemate.

EI’ENTHESiS, [ramthenc,] in grammar, the addition of avowel or consonant in the middle of a word.

EPERIE3,