<1r>

## Considerations about rectifying the Iulian C|K|alendar

Times & seasons, according to \as we learn by/Moses \{intimates}/, were at first distinguist {sic} by ye Sun & Moon, a return of ye Moon being taken for a month & a return of summer & winter for a year |recconed by returns of night & day new & full moons winter & summer. Whence the oldest years consisted of Lunar months, & where 12 months were manifestly too short, a thirteenth was added to make up the year. These months began not at ye conjunction of ye Luminaries but at ye first appearance of ye new moon wch used to be between 18 & 42 hours after if ye sky was clear. And because the new moon appeared in the|at sunset| {evening} the days of ye Lunar months began in the evening|

The just length of a summer & winter is the return of ye Sun to ye same Equinox, that is 365 days & six hours, wanting about 11$\frac{1}{4}$ minutes. And there being something more then 12 Moons in a summer & winter, & something more then 29$\frac{1}{2}$ days in a Moon; the first ages took ye next round numbers of 12 months to a year & 30 days to a \lunar/ month & so made the civil year to consist of 360 days: & this was ye roundest way of recconing & gave occasion to \whence came/ ye division of a circle into 360 degrees.

But this year being too short by five days & almost six hours, the Egyptians added 5 days to ye end of it, & so made ye year to consist of 12 \full lunar/ months & 5 days \or 365 days/. And this year was in use in Egypt at least from ye days of Amenophes or Memnon ye grandson of Sesak \Sesostris/, & was \seems to have bin {sic}/ received in the Assyrian & Persian Monarchies.

At length Iulius Cæsar in lieu of the six hours added a day once in four years to ye year of 365 days & \by adapting this measure to the Roman year/ made this Roman \a new/ year to consist|ing| of 12 months of various lengths without any good order or uniformity \or agreemt/ & wthout adjusting \of/ the months wth ye stay of ye sun in the 12 signs; & the Senate in honour of Augustus took a day from February & added it August {sic}: & so Cæsar & ye Senate together left us a year more deformed \irregular/ and intricate then any either of the former \the Egyptian/, but better on this account that the same months keep better to ye same seasons of the year.

And because this year is too long by about 11$\frac{1}{4}$ minutes, that is, by a day in 166 128 years, Pope Greg. XIII about 118 years ago ordeined that three days be taken from it in 400 years by omitting the 29th of February in the end of every hundred years excepting every fourth. at ye end of every four hundred. years And to bring the Equinox to the {same} 21th of March on wch it fell in the time of ye Council of Nice he took 10 days from this year whence arose the difference of 10 days between ye old & new stiles in ye Century wch is now expiring.

Had he taken away 4 days in every 500 years & reduced the Equinox either to the \23 or/ 24th of March on wch it fell in ye age of Christ he would have made a better reformation.

And had Iulius Cæsar \either added a day to ye Egyptian yeare once in 4 years or/ divided the year into four equal quarters according to ye four cardinal periods of the solstices & mean equinoxes & then divided every quarter into 3|t|hree months as nearly equal as he could make them, wch he might have done by making the months of 30 & 31 days alternately & the last month of 31 days in leap years & 30 days in ordinary years, so that in the Leap year all ye odd months should have 30 days & all the eaven 31, he would have made the Roman year of a regular \& convenient/ form & well adapted to ye motion of the sun & seasons of the year periods of summer & winter. And had he ordeined that at ye end of every 100 years the last day of ye leap year should be omitted excepting at ye end of every 500 years this Iulian year might have been lasting as well as regular & just.

<1v>

But such a year is not to be set on foot \unless/ in an universal Monarchy. The question is now whether ye old stile should be retained in conformity with antiquity or the new received in conformity with the nations abroad. Which ought to be done I undertake not to determin but if ye new stile be resolved upon I beleive it will be best to receive it without the Gregorian Kalendar by an Act of Parliamt to this purpose

1 That For avoyding the difference of recconing by ye new & old stile wch is troublesome in commerce between this & other nations, [The month of May – wch shall be in the year of or Lord 1700 shall have but 20 days & ye month of Iune shall begin upon ye day next after ye 20th day of May] wthout any alteration in] | it may be enacted that \in/ the yeare of or Ld      the month of 11 days of the Month of          wch follow next after the       day of          shall immediately succeed the       day of            without any alteration in the days of the week or in the form of the Iulian Kalendar [or days of ye week [or Golden number] | excepting that the numbers for determining the new & full moons may be omitted. And this Accompt or Stile to be thence forward received used & understood in all his Majts Dominions in all Dates & recconings of times for keeping of set Festivals, Fairs, Birthdays & all other anniversary days & for performance of all covenants duties & services & payment of all interest rents salaries pensions wages Legacies & all other debts & dues whatsoever, with an abatement of interest rent salary pension or wages for & proportional to unto eleven | allowance of 11 days in the first payment of any interest rent salary pension \or/ wages wch shall by vertue of any covenant grant act or deed had made or done before the said 20th day of May, become due on or after the first day of Iune above mentioned, that is to say with an abatemt of the hundredth part of three years interest rent salary pension or wages.

2. Provided nevertheless that all debts wch ought to be paid & all things wch ought to be done on any of the eleven days of May wch were to succeed the said 20th day & are hereby abolished shall be paid & done on the same day or days wthin ye compass of the said eleven days \wch next succeed the {illeg} \said       day of // as if this Act had never been made.

3. For avoyding the double recconing by ye civil & ecclesiastical years between the last \{illeg}/ day of Ianuary \December/ & ye 25th day of March, the Ecclesiastical year shall in all his Majts Dominions, from & after the end of December wch shall be in ye year 1700 of or Lord 1700 |said 20th day of May| begin on ye the {sic} first day of Ianuary for ever & be no longer dated from the 25th day of March

4 And that ye beginning of the year may not recede from but rather approach nearer to the winter solstice & the solstices, equinoxes & set Festivals approach nearer to the days of ye year on wch they fell in ye age of the Apostles, it may be further enacted that ye 29th of February be omitted in ye end of every century of years, that is, in the years of or Lord 1800, 1900, 2000, 2100 & so on perpetually for ye space of 2000 years next ensuing untill the year of or Lord 3000.

5 And because the Festival of Easter is appointed to be kept on ye sunday next after the full Moon wch falls upon or next after the day of the Vernal Equinox, \let/ the one & twentith {sic} day of March in computing the time of Easter be taken for ye day of the Vernal Equinox untill the year of or Lord 2000, & \thenceforward/ let the 22th day of March in the same compu <2r> {ta}tion of Easter be \thenceforward/ reputed & taken for ye Vernal Equinox untill the year of or Lord 2500, & thenceforward ye 23th untill ye year 3000

6 And whereas the Festival of Easter ought to fall on the Lords day next after the 14th day of the first Iudaic month & ye Months of the Iudaic year are Lunar: for computing the time of Easter & the other moveable festivals it may be further enacted that the Lunar months used in that computation shall consist of 30 & 29 days alternately in three periods or cycles of Months perpetually to succeed one another, each of wch periods shall consist of an odd number of months, the two first of 17 & the third of 15 & the first & last month of each period shall contein 30 days, so that all three periods summed up together shall make a larger period of 49 lunar months conteining 1447 days that is|or| four solar years wanting a fortnight. And the period of 15 months \once in every 1000 years that is to say/ next ensuing the years of or Lord 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000 &c shall have eight months deducted from it, & shall consist of the seven remaining months & no more: And the first day of the first lage {sic} period Ianuary wch shall be in ye year of or Lord 1701 shall be the          day of the            month of the great cycle of 49 months: and the Festival of Easter shall be kept on ye Lords day next after the 14th day of that Lunar month whose 14th day falls upon or next after the day {illeg} of the Vernal equinox according to the meaning of this Act.

<2v>
[Editorial Note 1]

Illam \Nigrido enim humiditatem arguit et/ |Nam| terra non prius humiditate omni privatur quam albecit {sic} et in pulverem {illeg} convertitur.

Si terram – id semper separandum est.

Lullius in destillationibus – ad extractionem animarum utitur digestionibus quandoq horarum 24 quandoq dierum duorum vel trium et in destillationibus subsequentibus quibus anima extrahitur et corpus calcinatur utitur tribus – inceratione medicinæ servatur. Præstat vero Oleum incerativum in idem Recipiens – triviale videatur

Præcedentia omnia fieri debent cum igne valde lento – commodo privantur. In calcinatione materiæ nostræ porositas ejus conservari debet – per calcinationem [non vulgarem] sed nostram – mansura est. Caveas igitur (ut supra dictum est) ne materia vitrescat neve anima ascendat sine spiritu, aut spiritus igne nimio destilletur.

Terra et aqua per putrefactionem purificantur modo terra multoties calcinetur dum est separata ab humido & humidum suum multoties destilletur et sublimetur a terra sua. Sic ambo purificantur: tamdiu enim urgendi sunt et fatigandi calcinationibus destillationibus et putrefactionibus donec tandem ad supremam puritatem et substantiæ nitorem deveniant. Faber Panchym. p l 4. c. 14.

Ignis in principio destillationis debet esse lenis in medio temperatus in fine \vero/ fortissimus ut igneæ illæ et aereæ exhalationes quæ in visceribus terræ nostræ continentur penitus exhauriantur et foras exeant a corpore suo & transeant in spatium amplum recipientis ibiq cum reliqua aqua jam transacta fiant aqua. – Tum ex Spiritu et anima sic abstractis remanet corpus durum et forte et valde siccum in fundo vasis destillatorij: quod quidem accipiendum est et terendum ut in pulverem tenuem reducatur et [ novo vasi vitreo destillatorio includendum et iterum fortissima destillatione urgendum et exagitandum est ut ultimos exhalet spiritus et per viginti quatuor horas urgendum est continuo et fortissimo igne quo poteris. lavendum tamen ne materia adeo fortissimo agitetur et urgeatur igne ut vitrescat: periret enim et destrueretur hæc materia nec amplius suos spiritus et animas exhalatas ebibere posset: quod tamen est conservandum in hac materia scilicet desiderium et fames ebibendi et comedendi suos spiritus et animas fugaces: quod fit modo ne materia vitrescat. Calcinanda solum est et valde desiccanda ut spiritus intimi qui intime adhærent corpori suo forti illa calcinatione exhalent et in vas recipiens transeat|n|t. – Hanc corporis nostri calcinationem et desiccationem multoties esse repetendam censent omnes Philosophi per hæc verba multis in locis repetita Tere, tere, tere &c. – Calcinatio autem nostra non fit solo igne ut calcinatio vulgaris sed etiam cum aqua nostra quæ ignis dicitur. Cum eo potissimum igne calcinatur corpus nostrum et in pulverem albissimum redigitur, quod tunc temporis censetur calcinatum et non antea. – Nam calcinatio nostra est non tantum est desiccatio fortis et arida sed est spirituosæ et volatilis substantiæ corporis nostri exhalatio et fixæ ejusdem substantiæ corporis nostri desiccatio cum conservatione humiditatis radicalis fixæ et permanentis quæ exhalari non debet sed permanere et stare in rigore et vigore ipsius ignis. Et hanc corporis nostri siccitatem igneam calcinatione nostra quærimus et efflagitamus puram et nitidam quia hæc sola tingit et maturat et perficit. Ad hanc sicitatem <2r> puram et nitidam pervenimus nostra sola calcinatione et solutione. Non una tantum operatione sed ambabus simul quia non possumus calcinare nisi solvamus neq nec solvere nisi calcinamus – Corpus autem nostrum in aqua sua lignatum et fusum perquam optimè conjungi cum aqua sua non potest ut perfectissimè attenuentur et aqua fiat nisi inhumatione et putrefacti Chymica \[seu leni digestione]/ id fiat. Hanc autem operationem excogitarunt Chymici Philosophi ut vapores et exhalationes et fumi ignei et aerei qui in destillatione terræ nostræ ex terra nostra exierunt & foras perruperunt quiq meatibus et poris aquæ nostræ adhuc vigiles sunt et nondum aqua facti, levi ista digestione conclusa fiant tandem aqua et penetrent una cum aqua poros omnes terræ nostræ, et sic pedetentim fiat solutio nostra Chymica quæ sine putrefactione et inhumatione Chymica commode fieri non potest – Hæc enim inhumatio cum corporis nostri corruptione et alteratione non subitò fit, non unica corporis nostri solutione in aqua peragitur sed multis multoties repetitis tum inhumationibus tum solutionibus et simul desiccationibus et calcinationibus multoties repetitis peragitur absolvitur ita ut pedetentim insensibili quadam via corpus nostrum vere inhumetur solvatur calcinetur et putrefiat atq corrumpatur donec ultimò moriatur et ultimos efflet spiritus, quod, dum corpus nigerrimum ex ignis violentia egreditur, \testatum est et/ significatur. – Hinc dicitur hæc operatio etiam Ablutio quasi esset opus \illud/ mulierum. Nam quemadmodum mulieres lavant et abstergunt maculas a pannis sic nos materiam abluimus a maculis suis igne et aqua. Aqua tamen nostra non est vulgaris sed ignea, ex visceribus ipsius materiæ ortum et scaturiginem habens. Hac aqua utimur ad ablutionem nostram faciendam et dum inhumamus et putrefacimus etiam abluimus, quia dum materiam nostram post calcinationem suam & fortem destillationem aqua nostra dissolvimus, excrementa quæ non sapiunt essentiam et naturam materiæ nostræ non solvuntur sed fundum vasis petunt & hypostasi facta glomerantur in unum quod facili via per inclinationem aut filtrum separari potest et sic materia nostra abluitur igne et aqua Abstergit siquidem et mundificat aqua nostra imo et calcinat et urit magis quam ignis At aqua ipsa qua utimur ad ablutionem nostram peragendam mundissima esse debet et septies aut pluries destillata ut a nigredine sua privetur. et sic candida et albissima fiat. Cum mundis enim mundamur et cum fœtidis et excrementosis deturpamur. Et nisi recte et perquam optime abluas, nihil in Chemia utile habebis. Faber Panchym. l. 4. c 47, 48, 49, 50.

<3r>

## Considerations about rectifying the Iulian Kalendar

Times were at first recconed by returns of day & night, new & full moon, summer & winter. Whence the oldest years consisted of Lunar months, & where 12 months were \found/ too short a thirteenth was added to make up the year. These months began not at the conjunction of the Luminaries but at ye first appearance of the new moon wch used to be between 18 & 42 hours after the conjunction if ye sky were clear. And because the new moon appeard at sun-set the days of the lunar months began in ye evening.

The just length of a summer & winter is the return of ye sun to the same equinox, that is 365 days & six hours wanting about 11$\frac{1}{5}$ minutes. And there being something more then 12 Moons in a summer & winter & something more then 29 days & half in a Moon, the first ages took the next round numbers of 30 days to a month & 12 months to a year & so made ye civil year to consist of 360 days: whence came the division of a circle into 360 degrees.

But this year being too short by five days & almost six hours the Egyptians added five days to the end of it & so made the year to consist of 12 Lunar months & five days. And this year was in use in Egypt at least from ye days of Amenophes the grandson of Sesosk|t|ris, & seems to have been used in received in the Assyrian & Persian Monarchies.

At length Iulius Cæsar

The Greeks used{illeg} lunar months first of 30 days & then of 29 & 30 alternately, they \&/ contrived several ways to adapt those months to ye year, the principal of wch was, in every 19 years to intercale 7 months, whence came the golden number.

At length Iulius Cæsar in lieu of the six hours added a day once in four years to ye year of 365 days & by adapting this measure to ye old Roman year made a new year to consist of 12 months of various lengths without any good order or uniformity or agreemt of ye months with ye stay of ye Sun in the twelve signes. And the Senate in honour of Augustus took a day from February & added it to August. And so Cæsar & ye Senate together left us a year more irregular and intricate then the Egyptian but better on this account that the same months keep better to ye same seasons of the year. In the Calendar of this year they supp the Lunar years were supplied by setting the golden number to ye days of the new Moons for 19 years together.

And because the Iulian solar year proved too long by about 11$\frac{1}{4}$ minutes that is by a day in 128 or 129 years, Pope Gregory XIII about <3v> 118 years ago ordeined that three days be taken from it in 400 years by omitting ye 29th of February in the end of every hundred years excepting at the end of every 400. And to bring the vernal Equinox to the 21th of March on wch it fell in ye time of the Council of Nice he took 10 days from this year whence arose the difference of 10 days between the old & new stiles in the century wch is now expiring. And because the rule for finding the new moons by the Golden number erred about an hour & an half in 19 years & a day in 312 years he corrected that rule every 300 years or thereabouts by the alteration of a day.

Had Iulius Cæsar divided the year into four equal quarters according to the four cardinal periods of the solices {sic} & mean equinoxes & then divided every quarter into three months as nearly equal as he could make them, wch he might have done by making the months of 30 & 31 days alternately & the last month of 31 days in leap years & 30 days in ordinary years so that in the Leap year all the odd months should have 30 days & all the eaven 31, he would have made the Roman year of a regular & convenient form & well adapted to the motion of the Sun & periods of summer & winter. And ye Popes correction ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ And had Pope Gregory taken away four days in every 500 years & added a day in every 5000 he & Cæsar together would have made this year as well just & lasting as regular & convenient.

To alter the number of days in the months I do not think advisable without ye consent of a good part of Europe. The question is now whether the old stile should be reteined in conformity with antiquity or the new received in conformity with the nations abroad. I press neither opinion but whenever the latter shall be resolved on I beleive the best way may be to receive the new stile wthout the Gregorian Calendar by an Act of Parliament to some such purpose as that wch follows.

For avoyding the difference of recconing by the old & new stiles which is troublesome in commerce between this & other nations it may be enacted that in the year of or Lord 1700 the \first/ eleven days of the month of December | Iuly which follow next after the {illeg}          day of the \same/ month of shall be rejected omitted & abolished out of that year & the day of twelft day of the sad {sic} month shall immediately succeed the said month {illeg} day of November | Iune without any alteration in ye days of the week or in the form of the Iulian Calendar, excepting that the golden number & epact may be omitted. And this accompt or stile shall be thenceforward received used or understood in all his Majts Dominions in all Dates & recconings of time for keeping of set Festivals, Fairs Birthdays & all other anniversary days & for performance of all covenants duties & services & payment of interest, rents, salaries, pensions, wages, legacies & all other debts & dues whatsoever with an abatement of \so much/ interest rent salary pension or wages for & proportionab|l|le unto eleven days in the first payment of any interest rent salary pension or wages which shall by virtue of any covenant grant act or deed had made or done before the said {illeg}       day of          become due on or after the 12t first day of Iune December | Iuly – above mentioned, that is to say with an abatement of the hundredth part of three years interest rent salary pension or wages.

<4r>

Provided nevertheless that all debts wch ought to be paid & all things wch ought to be done on any of the \said/ eleven days of May December | Iuly – wch were to succeed the said          day of            and are hereby abolished shall be paid & done on the same day or days wthin the said eleven days as |on wch they should have been done| if this Act had never been made.

And for avoyding the double recconing by ye civil & ecclesiastical years between the last day of December & the 25t day of March the ecclesiastical year shall in all his Majts Dominions from & after the said year of d|or|ay Lord 1700       begin on ye first day of Ianuary for ever & be no longer dated from ye 25th day of March

And that ye year may be of a just length & the months remain constant to ye seasons of summer & winter, it may be further enacted that the 29th day of February shall be omitted in y|th|e last year of every Century excepting the last year of every fift Century & that in ye last year of every fiftith {sic} century a day shall be added to ye end of February, that is to say the month of February in ye years 1800, 1900, 2100 &c shall have 28 days, & in the years 2000, 2500, 3000 &c they \it/ shall have 29 days & in ye years 5000 10000, 15000 &c it shall have 30 days.

And because the moveable festivalls & lawdays depend upon the course of ye Moon & the rule for determining that course is grown faulty & needs frequent correction, it may be further enacted that ye Lunar months shall be recconed to consist of 30 & 29 days alternately in three periods or cycles of months perpetually to succeed one another, each of wch periods shall consist of an odd number of days months, the two first of 17 & ye third of 15, & the first & last month of each period shall contein 30 days, so that all three periods summed up together shall make a larger period of 49 lunar months conteining 1447 days or four solar years wanting a fortnight. And the first day of Ianuary wch shall be in the year of or Lord 1701 shall be the       day of the          month of ye larger period of 49 months. And from thence forward the festival of Easter shall be kept on ye Lords day next after the 14th day of that Lunar month wch shall begin next after the seventh day of March.

This rule for determining ye course of the moon is much more simple & exact then that of ye Golden number \used by Pope Gregory/. For that rule errs an hour & an half in 19$\frac{1}{2}$ years & a day in 312 years & so needs frequent correction, this errs only a day in 4000 years. And if in ye end of every 250 years the cicle of 15 months have two months of 29 & 30 days \{illeg}/ added to it so that all the mo three cyles {sic} {illeg} do then \once/ consist of 17{illeg} months the rule will be much exacter.

<5r>

## Considerations about rectifying the Iulian Kalendar

Times were at first recconed by returns of day & night, new & full moon summer & winter. Whence the oldest years consisted of Lunar months & where twelve months were found too short a thirteenth was added to make up the year. These months began not at ye conjunction of ye Luminaries but at ye first appearance of the new moon, wch used to be between 18 & 42 hours after the conjunction if ye sky was clear. And because the new moon appeared at sun-set the days of the Lunar months began in the evening.

The just length of a summer & winter is the return of ye Sun to the same equinox, that is 365 days & six hours wanting about 11 minutes & 12 \3 or 4/ seconds. And there being something more then 12 moons in a summer & winter & something more then 29 days & an half in a Moon, the first ages took ye next round numbers of 30 days to a Month & 12 months to a year & so made the civil year to consist of 360 days, whence came the division of a circle into 360 degrees.

But this year being too short by five days & almost six hours the Egyptians added five days to ye end of it & so made the year to consist of 12 lunar months & five days. And this year was in use in Egypt at least from ye days of Amenophes the grandson of Sesostris & seems to have been received in the Assyrian & Persian Monarchies

The Greeks used lunar months first of 30 days & then of 29 & 30 together alternately, & contrived several ways to adapt those months to the year, the principal of wch was in every 19 years to intercale 7 months, whence came the golden number.

At length Iulius Cæsar in lieu of ye six hours added a day once in four years to ye year of 365 days & by adapting this measure to ye old Roman year made a new year to consist of 12 months of various lengths without any good order or uniformity or agreemt of the months with the stay of the sun in the twelve signes. And the Senate in honour of Augustus took a day from February & added it to August. And so Cæsar & the Senate together left us a year more irregular and intricate then ye {former} Egyptian, but better on this account that the same months keep better to ye same seasons of the year. In the Kalendar of this year the Lunar years were supplied by setting the golden number to ye days of the new Moons for 19 years together.

And because the Iulian solar year proved too long by about 11′$\frac{1}{15}$, that is by a day in 128|30| or 129 years, Pope Gregory XIII about 118 years ago ordeined that three days be taken from it in four hundred years by omitting ye 29th day of February in the end of every 100 \years/ excepting at the end of every 400. And to bring the vernal <5v> equinox to the 21th of March \on wch it fell in ye time of ye Council of Nice/ he took 10 days from this year: whence arose the difference of 10 days between the old & new stiles in the century which is now expiring. And because the rule for finding the new moons by the Golden number erred about an hour & an half in 19 years & a day in 312 years he corrected that rule every 300 years or thereabouts by the alteration of a day.

Had Iulius Cæsar divided the year into four equal quarters according to ye four cardinal periods of the solstices & \mean/ equinoxes and then divided every quarter into three months as nearly equal as he could make them wch he might have done by making the months of 30 & 31 days alternately & the last month of 31 days in leap years & 30 days in ordinary years so that in the leap year all the odd months should have 30 days & all the eaven 31, he would have made the Roman year of a regular & convenient form & well adapted to the motion of the sun & periods of summer & winter. And the Popes correction would have made it lasting.

But wthout ye consent of a good part of Europe I do not think it advisable to alter the number of the days in ye months. The question is now whether the old stile should be reteined in conformity with antiquity or the new received in conformity with the nations abroad. I press neither opinion but whenever the latter shall be resolved on I beleive the best way may be to receive the new stile without the Gregorian Kalendar by an Act of Parliament to some such purpose as that wch follows.

For avoyding the difference of recconing by the old & new Stiles wch is troublesome in commerce between this & other nations, it may be enacted that in the year of or Lord 1700 the first eleven days of December shall be omitted rejected & abolished out of that year & the twelft day of that month shall immediately succeed the month of November without any alteration in the days of the week or in the form of the Iulian Kalendar, excepting that ye Golden number & epact may be omitted. And this accompt or stile shall thenceforward in all his Majts Dominions be received used & understood in all Dates & recconings of time for keeping of set Festivals Fairs Birthdays & all other anniversary days & for performance of all covenants duties & services & payment of debts interest, rents, salaries, pensions, wages & all other debts & dues whatsoever wth an abatement of interest rent salary pension or wages for & proportional unto eleven days in the first payment of any interest rent salary pension or wages wch shall by vertue of any covenant grant act or deed had made or done before the          day of            become due on or after the twelft day of December above mentioned, that is to say with an abatement of the hundredth part of three years interest rent salary pension or wages

Provided nevertheless that all debts wch ought to be paid & all things wch ought to be done on any of the said eleven days of December wch are hereby abolished, shall be paid & done on the same <6r> day or days on wch they should have been paid or done if this Act had never been made.

And for avoyding the double recconing by the civil & ecclesiastical years between the last day of December & ye 25th day of March the ecclesiastical year shall in all his Majts Dominions from & after the \month of December/ \end of ye wch shall be in the/ year of or Lord 1700 begin on the first day of Ianuary for ever & be no longer dated from the 25th day of March.

And that the year may be of a just length & the months remain constant to ye seasons of the year summer & winter, it may be further enacted that ye 29th day of February shall be omitted in the last year of every Century excepting the last day \year/ of every fift century & that in ye last year of every fiftith {sic} century a day shall be added to ye end of February, that is to say ye month of February in the years 1800, 1900, 2100 &c shall have 28 days & in ye years 2000, 2500, 3000 &c it shall have 29 days & in the years 5000 10000 &c (if the Kalendar should (extend so far) it shall have 30 days.

And because the moveable festivals & law-days depend upon the course of ye Moon & ye \vulgar/ rule for determining that course needs frequent correction & |is| now grown very faulty, it may be further enacted that ye lunar months shall be recconed to consist of 30 & 29 days alternately in three periods or cycles of months perpetually to succeed one another, each of which periods shall consist of an odd number of months, the two first of 17 & the third of 15 & the first & last month of each period shall contein 30 days so that all three periods summed up together shall make a larger period of 49 lunar months conteining 1447 days or four solar years wanting a fortnight. And the first day of Ianuary wch shall be in ye year of or Lord 1701 shall be the          day of the            month of the larger period of 49 months. And from thence forward the festival of Easter shall be kept on ye Lords day next after the 14th day of that Lunar month wch shall begin next after the seventh day of March. And at ye end of every four thousand years a day shall be added to the last lunar month of thirty nine & twenty days.

[Editorial Note 1] Apart from the page number, all the text on this page is upside down; it continues, still upside down, on f. 2r where it becomes interlineated with the foregoing.