110 OUTLINES OF NATURAL PHILOSOPHY. 



in the ecliptic where the last year began, by a 

 small fraction, viz. .007736 x 59' 8". 



The Julian reckoning, therefore, falls continually 

 ^ behind the sun, and the course of the seasons, by 

 a quantity which, however, is so small, that it was 

 long before it was observed. 



. At the time of the Council of Nice /in the year 325 

 of the Christian era, the Julian Kalendar was in- 

 troduced into the Church ; and at that time the 

 vernal equinox fell on the 2 1 st of March. On ac- 

 count of the imperfection in the mode of reckon- 

 ing just noticed, the reckoning fell .constantly be- 

 hind the true time ; so that in the year 1 582, the 

 Julian year had fallen nearly 10 days, (9.72415) 

 behind the sun ; and the equinox, instead of fall- 

 ing on the 2 I st, fell on the 1 1 th of March ; so 

 that the difference was nearly a day in 132 years. 

 The continuance of this erroneous reckoning, 

 would have mad,e the seasons change their places 

 altogether ; and it was therefore resolved to re- 

 form the kalendar, which was done by Pope GRE- 

 GORY XIII., and the first step was to correct the 

 loss of the ten days, by counting the day after the 

 4th of October 1582, not the 5th^ but the 15th 

 ef the month. 



110. As the loss in the Julian Kalendar a- 

 mounted to one day in 132 years, it would a- 

 mount to three, in 396 years, or in the space 

 nearly of four centuries. It would be necesr 



sary, 



