Vol I1.] 
fubjeét I have been obliged to take my 
inftances from our own laws, not becaule 
I think them worfe than our neighbours, 
for I really believe thern better than tho 
of moft other countries ; but becaufe I am 
better acquainted with them, and becaufe 
being better known in this conntry, the 
inftances adduced will be lefs liable to 
controyerfy. 
I am far from withing any harth or 
violent alterations in the exiting’ govern- 
ment or conftitution of this cowntry. The 
laws of England, as well as thofe of moft 
- countries, will one day or other call for a 
evifion,---but that revifion could not be 
effected amidift the confufion and calamity 
of a revolution in government.---It will 
(whenever it takes place) be the work of. 
a patriot king, and of fome great, inde- 
pendant and popular minifter.* 
~ [have not the vanity to believe that 
any thing I am able to produce gould be 
conducive to fo.noble an end as the reform 
of the principles of law, farther than in 
this one view,~--that it may ferve, in 
forme meafure, to attrast the attention of 
abler men, both in this country and in 
others, to a fubject which has hitherto 
_ been too much neglected; that it may, 
perhaps, be followed by an ampler invefti-, 
gation by perfons more veried in legal 
. teience, who by the clath of fentiment may 
elicit truth. 

For the Monthly Magazine. 
CALCULATIONS FOR ASCERTAINING 
THE ZERA OF CHRIST’s NATIVITY. 
ae HE era, which we chriftians now 
ufe, was firit fettled by Dionyfius Ext- 
gus, 2 monk, in the reign of Fu/finian, 
the Roman emperor.---This is now com- 
monly called the vulgar erq, and places 
the birth of Chrift in the end of the 
4947th year of the world. But the learned 
TFHeph Scaiiger, (who by an ingenious ar- 
gument, drawn from the courfes of the 
priefts, as fettled by David, and the birth 
of Jchn the baptift, has placed the nati- 
-wity of Chrift in the latter end of Septem- 
ber, or the beginning of October, accord- 
ing to the Old Syle,) was of opinion, that 
\* The neceflity of a reform in the prac- 
tice of the courts of law in this country is fo 
univerfaily admitted, that it is eonfidently af. 
firmed that it was publicly and forcibly urged 
Jately from the bench, by one of the molt re- 
fpeCtable and independent judges that ever 
prefided in the King’s Bench, 
_RUP, to MONTHLY Mac. Vol, II, 


“ira of Chrif?s Nativity. 
‘prefent zra ig the thetruc one, - 
F 
O5r 
we were too backward in our reckoning 
by almoft two years. Su/lyea,a Polander, 
fuppofed that the error amounted to fui. 
four years; and there is another who 
would make it amount to.five years. 
As Scaliger endeavoured to determine- . 
the time of Chrift’s nativity by the 
courtes of the priefts; fo may we likewile 
endeavour te confirm the vulear Chriftian 
era by the full moon which hanpened — 
about the time of our Saviour’s death, 
and the full moon which happened in the 
year 1762. “The data we muit proceed 
upon, are: : ; 
1. Vhe day on which that new moon 
happened, which was either upon, or near- 
ett to the vernal equinox, and was the 
firft day of the Jewith ecclefiattical year, . 
confequently the full moon muft at’ that’ 
time have happened upon the x1<th day 
of the Jewihh month Abi) or Nyan. 
z. Itis.certain, that our Saviour fof. 
fered on the 14th day of the Jewish month - 
Nafam, which was then our # riday, and 
anfwered partly to the {econd, and partly - 
to the third of April. See Uther’s An- 
nals, and @chard’s Ecclefiaftical Hiftory. 
Therefore; the ereater part of the 1sth of 
Nifan an{wered to our third of April, 
3» The metonic, or lunar cycle, does” 
not confit precilely of nineteen years, but. 
it precedes the Julian year by 1° 27/ 324, 
For in ig Julian years days. tours, m. fee. 
of 365% 6" there are 6939 18 9 0 
And in235 lunarmonths : 
of 25% 12h gal oi 
Slee eee ee 
Lig 232 
Ditference 
4. Our Lord fuffered, according to 
Ufber and Echard, in the thirty-third , 
year or lis dee. 0. ; . 
5- In gx periods of r9 years (7. e. from 
AD, 33° to A. Dy 37629-1837! 304 
willameunt to 5% 12% a5! 32", . : 
Now then, as we are very fire that 
A. D. 33, the full moon happened on 
fome part of the 15th day-ef Nifan, fo we 
may {uppofe that it happened about. the” 
14 hour of that day ;> that is, allowing 
for the difference of longitude, it hiap- 
pened on our April 3d.6" A.M. the 
Old Style. From that time, fubftragk-<t- 
12). 45/32! and we-thall come to March 
2$th,. 17 14lo8ll 1762, Old’ Styles. that 
is April 8th, about: five in-the afternoon, 
N.S. Now, about that time, a full moon 
did happen at London, and therefore oui 
i} r 
“ Paes 
- wy 
‘Auputas — 
693916 32.28 

