Page:Works of Thomas Carlyle - Volume 04.djvu/203

 without results. There are three Decades, then, in each of the months, which is very regular; and the Décadi, or Tenth-day, shall always be the 'Day of Rest.' And the Christian Sabbath, in that case? Shall shift for itself!

This, in brief, is the New Calendar of Romme and the Convention; calculated for the meridian of Paris, and Gospel of Jean Jacques: not one of the least afflicting occurrences for the actual British reader of French History;—confusing the soul with Messidors, Meadowals; till at last, in self-defence, one is forced to construct some ground-scheme, or rule of Commutation from New-style to Old-style, and have it lying by him. Such ground-scheme, almost worn out in our service, but still legible and printable, we shall now in a Note, present to the reader. For the Romme Calendar, in so many Newspapers, Memoirs, Public Acts, has stamped itself deep into that section of Time: a New Era that lasts some Twelve years and odd is not to be despised. September 22d of 1792 is Vendémiaire 1st of Year One, and the new months are all of 30 days each; therefore:

There are 5 Sansculottides, and in leap-year a sixth, to be added at the end of Fructidor. Romme's first Leap-year is 'An 4' (1795, not 1796), which is another troublesome circumstance, every fourth year, from 'September 23d' round to 'February 29' again. The New Calendar ceased on the 1st of January 1806. See Choix des Rapports, xiii. 83–99; xix, 199. Let the reader, therefore,