The British Palladium: Or, Annual Miscellany of Literature and Science for ...

Gentleman's Diary,

OR THE

MATHEMATICAL REPOSITORY;

An ALMANACK

For the YEAR of our LORD, 1757.

BEING

The First after BISSEXTILE, or LEAP-YEAR
Containing many ufeful and entertaining Particulars,
peculiarly adapted to the ingenious Gentlemen en-
gaged in the delightful Study and Practice of the
MATHEMATICK S;

The Seventeenth Almanack publifhed of this Kind;
and the Fifth of the NEW STYLE in England.

Quâ causâ argentea Phoebe

Paffibus haud æquis graditur; cur fubdita nulli
Hactenus Aftronomo numerorum fræna recufat:
Cur remeant Nodi, curque Auges progrediuntur.
Quantis refluum vaga Cynthia pontum
Viribus impellit; dum fractis fluctibus ulvam
Deferit, ac Nautis fufpectas nudat arenas,
Alternis vicibus fuprema ad littora pulfans.

LONDON,

Printed for the Company of STATIONERSg

MDCCLVII.

LL Perfons who are pleafed to be CorTRIBUTORS to this DIARY; by answering the QUESTIONS, ENIGMA S, &c. or by fending us new ones, or other Subjects proper for the WORK; are defired to fend them, and their Solutions, along with them, before the first Day of May 1757, directed for The Authors of the GENTLEMAN'S DIARY, to be left with Mr.70SEPH HOW, at the White Horfe at Cripplegate, LONDON: OF, with Mr. THOMAS PEAT, in Cafflegate, Nottingham (Post paid.)

To the PUBLICK.

HAVING always more Room in the Kalendar Part of our Diary than we can poffibly fill up with good Weather; we expect that an exact Account of all the FAIRS in England, as fixed fince the Regulation of the Style, will fupply that Room better than bad Weather; and alfo be of more general Service to Tradesmen, Dealers, &c. according to the Plan in the KALENDAR this Year; and if this be agreeable, fhall for the future publifh them annually, according to the beft Information we can procure from our Contributors in their respective Neighbourhoods, &c.

Hist. of science

Bowen 9-11-31 24597

Mr. Cha. Wildbore's Answer to Mr. Chr. Gooke's Question.

AT the Council held at Nice, in the Year of CHRIST 325, when the Calendar was fettled for the obferving Eafter; the Vernal Equinox fell on the 20th of March: And in the Year 1582, Gregory XIII, Bishop of Rome, found it happened on the 10th of March; and that the Sun was departed Ten whole Days from his former Place in the Year; he therefore took thofe Ten Days out of the Calendar that Year, and ordered that the 10th of March fhould be reckoned as the zoth. And to prevent the Seafons from going backward as before, he ordained, that every hundredth Year, which in the Julian Form was to be a Biffextile, fhould be a common Year; but because that was too much, every fourth hundred Year was ftill to remain Biffextile: From which it is plain, that the Gregorian Year confifts of 365 Days, 5 Hours, 49′, 12′′, which is only 15" more than the true Tropical Year, and will not amount to one Day in lefs than 5760 Years.

But, though the Ycar is now fixed the fame as at the Nicene Council; it is certain, that from the Julian Reformation to that Council, the Year had anticipated 2 Days, 20 h. 8, 30", and therefore we are fo much later now in our Ascount, than at the Julian Reformation.

Nottingham,
Jan. 27, 1756.