The Jews divided the time between sun-rise and sun-set into twelve equal parts, called Hours, and the night, commencing with sun-set and ending with sun-rise, into the same.
The planet or luminary who governs the first of these hours is lord of the day, and gives it his name. The next planet in rotation governs the next hour, and so on.
Thus Sun rules the first hour on sunday, Venus the second, Mercury the third, Moon the fourth, Saturn the fifth, Jupiter the sixth, Mars the seventh, Sun the eighth, &c. which rotation brings the first hour of Monday to the Moon, the first of Tuesday to Mars, of Wednesday to Mercury, of Thursday to Jupiter, of Friday to Venus, of Saturday to Saturn, of Sunday to Sun again, &c.
Whoever therefore, can divide by twelve, and has an ephemeris of Sun’s rising and setting, will find more trouble than profit in a table of the planetary hours.
B.