AUGUST

The eighth month of the year. The ancient Roman year commenced with March, and the sixth month was called Sextilis. The name was changed to August in compliment of August us Caesar. In the calendar of Julius Caesar, the distribution of the days through the several months was more commodious than the present arrangement. The first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, and eleventh months consisted of thirty-one days each, and the other months of thirty, excepting February, which in common years contained twenty-nine days, but in leap years thirty. In order to gratify the frivolous vanity of August us, who thought it a disparagement that the month bearing his name should contain fev%r days than July, which was named after the first Caesar, a day was taken from February and given to August. Such was the origin of the capricious distribution of the days among the different mouths which now prevails over the whole Christian world; and which, being founded on no principle, requires some pains to be remembered. [s. 121]