THE TEAK. 



first of '304 days, was immediately increased to 355 days; and that 

 ultimately, by tjie complementary month called Mercedonius, 

 45 days were added to every fourth year. Thus each series of 

 four years consisted of 



DAYS. 



1 355 



II 355 



III 355 



IV. . . . . . 400 



1465' 



So that the four years consisted of 1465 days. 



The true length of four solar years being, however, only 1461 

 days, four Roman years as thus established would be four days 

 too long ; so that every four years the seasons would fall four 

 days earlier in the year, and in the short period of thirty years, 

 they would be severally moved back a month. 



84. This consequence being soon rendered apparent, a remedy 

 for it became necessary, and that which was first adopted was one 

 of the worst expedients that could have been imagined. A dis- 

 cretionary power was given to the nontiffs to intercalate as many 

 days as they might consider necessary to bring the year into 

 accordance with the succession of seasons. 



As might have been foreseen, this measure speedily gave rise to the 

 most gross system of abuses. Accounts being made up, payments 

 made, and interest computed for all affairs private and public to 

 the first days of the months, the pontiffs prostituted the powers 

 conferred upon them to the most corrupt purposes. The temporary 

 magistracy of those whom they favoured was prolonged, and that 

 of those whom they opposed was abridged ; payments to be made 

 by their friends were postponed, those due by their opponents 

 accelerated ; the profits of the farmers of the revenue were aug- 

 mented or diminished at their good will and pleasure, by the 

 adroit management of the arbitrary intercalary days by which 

 they were enabled to prolong or to abridge any months of the 

 years. The disorders thus produced attained at length to such a 

 pitch, that the festivals of autumn were celebrated in spring and 

 vice versa. 



VII. THE JULIAN REFORM. 



85 . It was reserved for Julius Csesar not only to put an end to 

 this confusion and the abuses in which it originated, but to esta- 

 blish a system of recording time, which has come down to our own 

 epoch, and is denominated from its founder the JULIAN CALENDAR. 

 He was aided in this great reformation by Sosigenes, an eminent 



159 



