the day being divided into twenty-four hours, each hour was consecrated to
a particular planet, namely, one to Saturn, the following to Jupiter, the
third to Mars, and so on according to the above order; and the day received
the name of the planet which presided over its first hour. If, then, the
first hour of a day was consecrated to Saturn, that planet would also have
the 8th, the 15th, and the 22nd hour; the 23rd would fall to Jupiter, the
24th to Mars, and the 25th, or the first hour of the second day, would
belong to the Sun. In like manner the first hour of the 3rd day would fall
to the Moon, the first of the 4th day to Mars, of the 5th to Mercury, of
the 6th to Jupiter, and of the 7th to Venus. The cycle being completed, the
first hour of the 8th day would return to Saturn, and all the others
succeed in the same order. According to Dio Cassius, the Egyptian week
commenced with Saturday. On their flight from Egypt, the Jews, from hatred
to their ancient oppressors, made Saturday the last day of the week.

The English names of the days are derived from the Saxon. The ancient
Saxons had borrowed the week from some Eastern nation, and substituted the
names of their own divinities for those of the gods of Greece. In
legislative and justiciary acts the Latin names are still retained.

Latin. English. Saxon.
Dies Solis. Sunday. Sun's day.
Dies Lunae. Monday. Moon's day.
Dies Martis. Tuesday. Tiw's day.
Dies Mercurii. Wednesday. Woden's day.
Dies Jovis. Thursday. Thor's day.
Dies Veneris. Friday. Frigg's day.
Dies Saturni. Saturday. Seterne's day.

_Month._--Long before the exact length of the year was determined, it must
have been perceived that the synodic revolution of the moon is accomplished
in about 291/2 days. Twelve lunations, therefore, form a period of 354 days,
which differs only by about 111/4 days from the solar year. From this
circumstance has arisen the practice, perhaps universal, of dividing the
year into twelve _months_. But in the course of a few years the accumulated
difference between the solar year and twelve lunar months would become
considerable, and have the effect of transporting the commencement of the
year to a different season. The difficulties that arose in attempting to
avoid this inconvenience induced some nations to abandon the moon
altogether, and regulate their year by the course of the