230

OF THE REFORMATION

hundred and sixty-five days, for three years suc-cessively, and every fourth year of three hun-dred and sixty-six, in order to take in the oddsix hours.

This reformation was made in the year ofRome 708, about forty-five years before the birthof "Christ; and as it was computed that nearninety days had been lost by the former methodof reckoning, these were now taken into theaccount, and the first Julian year was made toconsist of four hundred and forty-four days,which was, therefore, called Annus Confusionis,the year of confusion. After this, the begin-ning of the year was fixed to the first of Janu-ary, and each of the months, except February,were divided into thirty, or thirty-one days, asthey are at present; the reason of which distri-bution, seems to have been a desire of preserv-ing, as much as possible, an equality among themonths; and to make them nearly agree withthe lunar months, which consist of about 29 \days. The odd day, which arises out of thesix hours above-mentioned, was introduced intothe calendar every fourth year, by reckoningthe twenty-fourth of February twice over; andas this day, in the old account, was the fameas the sixth of the calends of March, which hadbeen long celebrated on account of the expulsionof Tarquin, it was called, bis Sextas calendas

Martii;