Martin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Regarding Franks mention of simple folks cry of "give us back our 11
days" Well I would be pretty riled too if the rent was due 11 days
early as I'm sure evil land lords would have used the change in the
calender as a good excuse to ring money from the masses. I bet they
didnt get paid earlier!!!
Actually, they were just having to pay the rent for the extra leap days that
had been "incorrectly" added to the calendar century after century. They
can be glad they didn't have to pay interest on the back rent.
I suppose a progressive pope might have decreed that the eleven days stuck
should include the day rent was due, letting everyone live some three weeks
rent free.
It is interesting to note that the days of the week were not skipped, so
that the day following Thursday, October 4, 1582 became (in Catholic
countries) Friday, October 15, 1582. Otherwise there would have been
additional difficulties determining a week's wages.
All in all, it would have been a lot easier, from a practical point of view,
to not drop the 10 or 11 days all at once. The same effect could have been
achieved by just declaring that none of the next 40 or 44 years would be
leap years.
-- Art Carlson
