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were reckoned backwards, counting both extremes. Now, as the ordinary Julian 

 year was 365 days, and the actual year about 365^ days, Julius Csesar established 

 the rule that at the end of every four years, immediately after the Terminalia, or 

 Festival of Terminus, the God of Boundaries, which was celebrated on the 23rd 

 February, the last day of the old Roman year, a single day should be intercalated. 

 In such a year, then, February the 23rd would be called the 7th day before the 

 Kalends of March, and February 26th would be called the 5th day before the 

 Kalends of March. Consequently, both the 24th and the 25th were called the 

 6th, and hence the term "bissextum," applied to the intercalated day, February 

 24th. The 24th, though, was distinguished from the 25th by being called Posteri- 

 orem, and the latter Priorcm. And so the 24th of February is always the Festival 

 of St. Matthias — the added Apostle— according to the old rule. 



" Posteriore die celebrantur Festa Mathiae. " 



From the intercalated day being called Bissextum, Leap-year was named An- 

 nus Bissextus, and by the Venerable Bede Annus Bissextilis, whence the term 

 "Bissextile." 



The origin of the term "Leap-year" seems to have been that a day of the 

 week is leaped over in consequence. For if in an ordinary year the first of March 

 be on a Monday, the year following (not being leap-year) it will be on a Tuesday ; 

 but in leap-year it will be on a Wednesday. 



To find leap-year there is this old rule — 



Divide by 4 ; what's left shall be 

 For leap-year— ; past — 1, 2, 3. 



I am .TOrry to say that I have been unable to find any legends connected 

 especially with leap-year, and so the alternative title of this paper, thought appro- 

 priate for a liadies' Day of our Club in such a year as this, is a witness to the truth 

 of the old saying that certain "steps taken in haste are repented of at leisure." 

 But, though I am not able to say when that very definite advance towards the 

 universal enfranchisement of ladies was made, and they, once in every four years, 

 for the space of 366 days were first allowed to take the matrimonial initiative, and 

 command the affections and, it may be, restrain the liberty of the men of their 

 choice, — or (I am very creditably informed) forfeit 12 pairs of gloves and a petti- 

 coat made of red flannel, I find that when William the Conqueror proposed to 

 Matilda, daughter of Baldwin, Earl of Flanders, he was refused, because the lady 

 was in love with the Saxon Earl Brihtric, ambassador of King Edward at her 

 father's court, to whom (whether in leap-year or not is not chronicled) she had 

 made repeated offers of marriage, which were as repeatedly refused ! Again his- 

 tory is silent whether or not the forfeit was exacted ! It is said, however, that 

 William, who would not brook defeat either in love or war, went immediately and 

 secretly to Bruges, where Matilda lived, and waited at the church door till she 

 came out, when he seized her, " shook her not very tenderly," knocked her down 

 with his fist, kicked her over and over in the mud, belaboured her most furiously, 

 "overwhelming her with blows." Having concluded these delicate attentions. 



