The year is also divided into four quarters or seasons, _viz._ _Spring_, _Summer_, _Autumn_, and _Winter_. These quarters are properly made when the Sun enters into the equinoctial and solstitial points of the ecliptic; but in civil uses they are differently reckoned, according to the customs of several countries. In _England_, we commonly reckon the first day of _January_ to be the first in the year, which is therefore vulgarly called _New-Year’s-Day_; but in political and ecclesiastical affairs, the year is reckoned to commence on _Lady-day_ which is the 25th of _March_; and from thence to _Midsummer-day_, which is the 24th of _June_, is reckoned the first quarter; from _Midsummer-day_ to _Michaelmas-day_, which is the 29th of _September_, is the second quarter; the third quarter is reckoned from _Michaelmas-day_ to _Christmas-day_, which is the 25th of _December_; and from _Christmas-day_ to _Lady-day_, is reckoned the last quarter in the year. In common affairs, a quarter is reckoned from a certain day to the same in the fourth month following. Sometimes a month is reckoned four weeks, or 28 days, and so a quarter 12 weeks. To all the inhabitants in the (Northern/Southern) Hemisphere, their _Midsummer_ is properly when the Sun is in the tropic of (_Cancer_,/_Capricorn_,) and their _Midwinter_ at the opposite time of the year; but those who live under the equinoctial have two winters, _&c._ when the Sun is in either tropic; tho’ indeed properly, there is no season that may be called winter in those parts of the world. [Sidenote: _Bissextile_, or _Leap-Year_.] The _Egyptian_ year of 365 days being less than the true solar year, by almost six hours, it follows, that four such years are less than four solar years by a whole day; and therefore in 365 times four years, that is, in 1460 years, the beginning of the years move through all the seasons. To remedy this inconveniency, _Julius Cæsar_ (considering that the six hours, which remain at the end of every year, will in four years make a natural day) ordered that every fourth year should have an intercalary day, which therefore consists of 366 days; the day added was put in the month of _February_, by postponing St. _Matthias_’s day, which in common years fall on the 24th, to the 25th of the said month, all the fixed feasts in the year from thenceforwards falling a week-day later than otherwise they would. According to the _Roman_ way of reckoning, the 24th of _February_ was the sixth of the kalends of _March_, and it was ordered that for this year there should be two sixths, or that the sixth of the kalends of _March_ should be twice repeated; upon which account the year was called _Bissextile_, which we now call the _Leap-Year_.