r periods, or to
make the subdivisions of the year depend on the moon, and at the same time
to preserve the correspondence between the whole year and the seasons.

_Of the Solar Year._--In the arrangement of the civil year, two objects are
sought to be accomplished,--first, the equable distribution of the days
among twelve months; and secondly, the preservation of the beginning of the
year at the same distance from the solstices or equinoxes. Now, as the year
consists of 365 days and a fraction, and 365 is a number not divisible by
12, it is impossible that the months can all be of the same length and at
the same time include all the days of the year. By reason also of the
fractional excess of the length of the year above 365 days, it likewise
happens that the years cannot all contain the same number of days if the
epoch of their commencement remains fixed; for the day and the civil year
must necessarily be considered as beginning at the same instant; and
therefore the extra hours cannot be included in the year till they have
accumulated to a whole day. As soon as this has taken place, an additional
day must be given to the year.

The civil calendar of all European countries has been borrowed from that of
the Romans. Romulus is said to have divided the year into ten months only,
including in all 304 days, and it is not very well known how the remaining
days were disposed of. The ancient Roman year commenced with March, as is
indicated by the names September, October, November, December, which the
last four months still retain. July and August, likewise, were anciently
denominated Quintilis and Sextilis, their present appellations having been
bestowed in compliment to Julius Caesar and Augustus. In the reign of Numa
two months were added to the year, January at the beginning and February at
the end; and this arrangement continued till the year 452 B.C., when the
Decemvirs changed the order of the months, and placed February after
January. The months now consisted of twenty-nine and thirty days
alternately, to correspond with the synodic revolution of the moon, so that
the year contained 354 days; but a day was added to make the number odd,
which was considered more fortunate, and the year therefore consisted of
355 days. This differed from the solar year by ten whole days and a
fraction; but, to restore the coincidence, Numa ordered an additional or
intercalary month to be inserted every second year between the 23rd and