It was an opinion of antient astronomers, that the seven planets presided over the hours; and hence, the unequal hours were usually termed planetary. According to this doctrine, the Sun presided over the Ist Venus........2d Moon 4th hour, of the 1st day of the week. Saturn........5th Jupiter.....6th Mars......... 7th The influence of the sun, recommenced at the 8th hour, that of Venus at the 9th, and so in rotation, the several planets governed the whole hours. But the whole of the first day, being supposed to be also under the particular protection of the sun, as guardian of the first hour, it was thence called Dies Solis. The moon, in like manner, ruled over the whole of the second day, because the first hour then came under her influence in the course of rotation. The other five planets acquired their ascendancy over the whole day in regular succession, as will be seen from the following table. The first table is formed by dividing the day into equal portions of 12 parts each, as when the planets ruled their respective hours. The second, is upon the principle of our method, by which the day and night are divided into 24 equal parts. DAYS OF THE WEEK. Nights, throughout the Week. preside over the Hours of the Days, and of the Antient Romans considered the different Planets to No. I.—A TABLE, shewing the Manner in which the And the Sun recommences the Series for the ensuing Week. themeron, throughout the Week. the twenty-four Hours of the Day, or Nychperintending Influence of the Planets, over No. II. A TABLE exhibiting the presumed su Minute. To the division of the day into hours, succeeded that of the hour, into periods of shorter duration as well to suit the ordinary business of life, as to facilitate scientific research. The hour, was at first divided into four periods, termed points each consisting of ten moments. The moment, was subdivided into twelve uncias -and each uncia, into forty-seven atoms. Thus the hour consisted of 4 points, 40 moments, 480 uncias, or 22,560 atoms! But this partition so minute as to be inapplicable to any useful purpose-gave place to the more convenient division of each point or quarter (as it was subsequently called) into fifteen minutes, instead of ten moments - and of each of such minutes, into sixty MOMENTS By this alteration, an hour contained 4 quarters, 60 minutes, or 3600 moments, seconds, or instants a mode of computation that has continued to the present day. Although monent, second, and instant are, strictly speaking, synonymous, yet in colloquial usage, they have not a precisely similar signification. An instant, from custom, conveys the idea of a shorter period of duration than a second and a second than a moment. For these distinctions, no satisfactory reason can be assigned; but it has been conjectured, that the idea of lengthened duration attached to moment, may arise, from our association of that word, with the portion of time which it originally denoted. We have reflecting moments, but never reflecting seconds or instants. Moments are commonly, and · seconds occasionally, used in a figurative sensebut instants, invariably convey a direct, positive, and literal idea of the shortest period of duration. Circumcision. (1st JANUARY.) This festival was instituted, in commemoration of our Saviour's having first shed his blood for the redemption of mankind, on the eighth day of his Nativity when he received the name of Jesus. (See Treatise on the Name of Jesus.) Circumcision, was not only enjoined as a rite, by the old law, (Gen. xvii. 12.) but even annexed by the Almighty, as a Seal to the Covenant with Abraham-who, at the age of 99, was circumcised, together with all the males of his family, in the year of the World 2178. Under the New dispensation, the rite of circumcision has been abrogated, and we are now admitted to the Christian church upon more mild conditions, by the sacrament of Baptism. The first of January, was kept as a high festival by the Heathens, who offered sacrifices on this day to JANUS. So great indeed was their veneration for the day, that according to popish legends, they would not "even sully the joy of it |