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O. S. and N. S.

THE GREGORIAN CALENDAR.

The Julian calendar was framed about 46 years before Christ. Cæsar made the year consist of 365 days; and the annual excess of six hours, which amounted to one day in four years, was taken into account by making every fourth year (leapyear) consist of 366 days. But Cæsar's correction of the calendar was imperfect, being founded on the supposition that the solar year consisted of 365 days, 6 hours, whereas the true solar year consists of 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 45 seconds. Thus the Julian year exceeded the solar 11 minutes 14 seconds, which amounted to a whole day in 130 years. In consequence of this inaccuracy, the vernal equinox, which happened on the 25th of March in the time of Julius Cæsar, had receded to the 21st of March in the year 325, and was fixed to that day by the Council of Nice. Attempts were afterwards made to effect some change in the calendar; but a complete reformation was not made until 1582. Pope Gregory XIII. invited to Rome the most learned astronomers of the age; and, after the subject had been discussed ten years, it was decreed that the vernal equinox, which had receded ten days since the Council of Nice, and consequently happened on the 11th of March, should be brought back to the 21st of March, and that for this purpose ten days should be taken from the month of October, 1582. To avoid future deviation, it was determined that instead of every 100th year being leap-year, every 400th year only should be leap-year. By this plan-a diminution of three days in 400 years-the error in the present calendar will not exceed a day and a half in five thousand years. The calendar thus reformed by Pope Gregory was immediately introduced into Catholic countries, but was not finally

adopted in Great Britain until 1752, when, by act of Parliament, eleven days were struck out of the calendar, the 3d of September being reckoned the 14th. The Greek Church still obstinately adheres to the old style.

RESULTS OF THE CHANGE IN THE STYLE.

The following happily-conceived address to the patrons of "Poor Job's Almanac" was occasioned by the change of the style in 1752. The number of that year bears the title

Poor Job, 1752. By Job Shepherd, philom. Newport. Printed by James Franklin,* at the Printing-office under the Town School-house. In this almanac the month of September has, in the margin, the figures of the successive days, commencing 1, 2; and, after leaving blank a space for eleven days, recommencing with 14, and continuing to the 30th.

KIND READER :-You have now such a year as you never saw before, nor will see hereafter, the King and Parliament of Great Britain having thought proper to enact that the month of September, 1752, shall contain but nineteen days, which will shorten this year eleven days, and have extended the same throughout the British dominions; so that we are not to have two beginnings to our years, but the first of January is to be the first day and the first month of the year 1752; eleven days are taken from September, and begin 1, 2, 14, 15, &c. Be not astonished, nor look with concern, dear reader, at such a deduction of days, nor regret as for the loss of so much time; but take this for your consolation, that your expenses will perhaps appear lighter, and your mind be more at ease. And what an indulgence is here for those who love their pillows, to lie down in peace on the second of this month, and not perhaps awake or be disturbed till the fourteenth, in the morning! And, reader, this is not to hasten the payment of debts, freedom of apprentices or servants, or the coming to age of minors; but the number of natural days in all agreements are to be fulBrother of Dr. Franklin.

filled. All Church holidays and Courts are to be on the same nominal days they were before; but fairs, after the second of September, alter the nominal days, and so seemed to be held eleven days later. Now, reader, since 'tis likely you may never have such another year nor such another almanac, I would advise you to improve the one for your own sake, and I recommend the other for the sake of your friend, POOR JOB.

Memoria Technica.

NAMES AND ORDER OF THE BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.

THE Great Jehovah speaks to us

In Genesis and Exodus ;

Leviticus and Numbers see

Followed by Deuteronomy.

Joshua and Judges sway the land,

Ruth gleans a sheaf with trembling hand;

Samuel and numerous Kings appear

Whose Chronicles we wondering hear.

Ezra and Nehemiah, now,

Esther the beauteous mourner show.

Job speaks in sighs, David in Psalms,
The Proverbs teach to scatter alms;

Ecclesiastes then comes on,

And the sweet Song of Solomon.

Isaiah, Jeremiah then

With Lamentations takes his pen,
Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea's lyres
Swell Joel, Amos, Obadiah's.
Next Jonas, Micah, Nahum come,
And lofty Habakkuk finds room-
While Zephaniah, Haggai calls,
Wrapt Zachariah builds his walls;
And Malachi, with garments rent,
Concludes the ancient Testament.

NAMES AND ORDER OF THE BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, wrote the life of their Lord;

The Acts, what Apostles accomplished, record;

Rome, Corinth, Galatus, Ephesus, hear

What Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians revere:

Timotheus, Titus, Philemon, precede

The Epistle which Hebrews most gratefully read;
James, Peter, and John, with the short letter Jude,
The rounds of Divine Revelation conclude.

NAMES OF SHAKSPEARE'S PLAYS.

Omitting the Historical English Dramas, "quos versu dicere non est."
Cymbeline, Tempest, Much Ado, Verona,

Merry Wives, Twelfth Night, As you Like it, Errors,
Shrew Taming, Night's Dream, Measure, Andronicus,
Timon of Athens.

Winter's Tale, Merchant, Troilus, Lear, Hamlet,

Love's Labor, All's Well, Pericles, Othello,

Romeo, Macbeth, Cleopatra, Cæsar,

Coriolanus.

ENGLISH SOVEREIGNS.

First William the Norman,
Then William his son;
Henry, Stephen, and Henry,
Then Richard and John.

Next Henry the Third,

Edwards one, two, and three;

And again, after Richard,

Three Henrys we see.

Two Edwards, third Richard,

If rightly I guess;

Two Henrys, sixth Edward,

Queen Mary, Queen Bess.
Then Jamie, the Scotchman,

Then Charles whom they slew,
Yet received after Cromwell
Another Charles too.

Next James the Second

Ascended the throne;

Then good William and Mary

Together came on.

Till, Anne, Georges four,

And fourth William all past,

God sent Queen Victoria:

May she long be the last!

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.
First stands the lofty WASHINGTON,
That nobly great, immortal one;
The elder ADAMS next we see,

And JEFFERSOn comes number three;

The fourth is MADISON, you know,
The fifth one on the list, MONROE;
The sixth an ADAMS comes again,
And JACKSON seventh in the train;
VAN BUREN eighth upon the line,
And HARRISON counts number nine;
The tenth is TYLER in his turn,
And POLK eleventh, as we learn;
The twelfth is TAYLOR that appears;
The thirteenth, FILLMORE fills his years;
Then PIERCE comes fourteenth into view;
BUCHANAN is the fifteenth due;

The sixteenth LINCOLN, foully slain;
The seventeenth was JOHNSON's reign;
Then GRANT was by the people sent
To be their eighteenth President.

THE DECALOGUE.

1. Have thou no Gods but me; 2. Nor graven type adore;

3. Take not my name in vain; 'twere guilt most sore:

4. Hallow the seventh day; 5. Thy parents' honor love:

6. No murder do; 7. Nor thou adulterer prove:

8. From theft be pure thy hands; 9. No witness false, thy word: 10. Covet of none his house, wife, maid, or herd.

Worship to God-but not God graven-pay;
Blaspheme not; sanctify the Sabbath day;
Be honored parents; brother's blood unshed;
And unpolluted hold the marriage bed;
From theft thy hand-thy tongue from lying-keep;
Nor covet neighbor's home, spouse, serf, ox, sheep.

Thou no God shalt have but me;
Before no idol bow the knee;
Take not the name of God in vain;
Nor dare the Sabbath day profane;
Give both thy parents honor due;

Take heed that thou no murder do;

Abstain from words and deeds unclean;

Nor steal, though thou art poor and mean;

Nor make a willful lie, nor love it;

What is thy neighbor's, do not covet.