Of the 7296 years which are supposed to elapse since the creation, we shall find 3000 of ignorance and darkness; 2000 either fabulous or doubtful; 1000 of ancient history, commencing with the Persian empire, and the Republics of Rome and Athens; 1000 from the fall of the Roman empire in the West to the discovery of America; and the remaining 296 will almost complete three centuries of the modern state of Europe and mankind.

I regret this chronology, so far preferable to our double and perplexed method of counting backwards and forwards the years before and after the Christian era.] [Footnote 161: The aera of the world has prevailed in the East since the vith general council, (A.D.

681.) In the West, the Christian aera was first invented in the vith century: it was propagated in the viiith by the authority and writings of venerable Bede; but it was not till the xth that the use became legal and popular.

See l'Art de Veriner les Dates, Dissert.

Preliminaire, p.iii.xii.Dictionnaire Diplomatique, tom.i.p.