LET. XIV.

OF THE CALENDAR.

2 4 I

generally called, occasioned great confusion inthe commercial affairs of the different states ofEurope. In England, particularly, this incon-venience was considerably felt, and several at-tempts were made to introduce the reformedcalendar; but popular prejudices were toostrong, to be easily overcome. The mathema-ticians, indeed, more influenced by scientificconsiderations, than cavils about points of reli-gion, were continually urging the necessity ofsome correction, and proposed several methodsof obtaining it, which might be adopted withoutinflaming the minds of the multitude.

One of the most simple and ingenious of these,I shall just mention; which was, that an actshould be passed, declaring that there shouldbe no leap-year for forty years to come; by■which means, the ten days, that had been gain-ed by the old account, would have been imper-ceptibly lost, and the old style reduced to thenew, without any sensible variation in the fixedtime of feasts, and other observances. A pro-posal of this kind was sent to Dr. Wallis, thenprofessor of Geometry at Oxford, for his opinion:but the doctor, with a narrowness of sentiment,which could scarcely have been expected froma man of his extensive erudition, observed, thatthe proposal was specious enough in appearance,but that the hand of Joab might be perceived inst- He imagined it to have originated with theR papists;