ble
enough, they bring forth this New Republican Calendar of theirs, in a
complete state; and by Law, get it put in action.

Four equal Seasons, Twelve equal Months of thirty days each: this makes
three hundred and sixty days; and five odd days remain to be disposed
of. The five odd days we will make Festivals, and name the five
Sansculottides, or Days without Breeches. Festival of Genius; Festival
of Labour; of Actions; of Rewards; of Opinion: these are the five
Sansculottides. Whereby the great Circle, or Year, is made complete:
solely every fourth year, whilom called Leap-year, we introduce a sixth
Sansculottide; and name it Festival of the Revolution. Now as to the
day of commencement, which offers difficulties, is it not one of the
luckiest coincidences that the Republic herself commenced on the 21st of
September; close on the Vernal Equinox? Vernal Equinox, at midnight
for the meridian of Paris, in the year whilom Christian 1792, from that
moment shall the New Era reckon itself to begin. Vendemiaire, Brumaire,
Frimaire; or as one might say, in mixed English, Vintagearious,
Fogarious, Frostarious: these are our three Autumn months. Nivose,
Pluviose, Ventose, or say Snowous, Rainous, Windous, make our Winter
season. Germinal, Floreal, Prairial, or Buddal, Floweral, Meadowal, are
our Spring season. Messidor, Thermidor, Fructidor, that is to say (dor
being Greek for gift) Reapidor, Heatidor, Fruitidor, are Republican
Summer. These Twelve, in a singular manner, divide the Republican
Year. Then as to minuter subdivisions, let us venture at once on a bold
stroke: adopt your decimal subdivision; and instead of world-old Week,
or Se'ennight, make it a Tennight or Decade;--not without results. There
are three Decades, then, in each of the months; which is very regular;
and the Decadi, or Tenth-day, shall always be 'the Day of Rest.' And the
Christian Sabbath, in that case? Shall shift for itself!

This, in brief, in this 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 Not