Chapter I
. Numeration.]
[*Fol. 48b]
+For-soth{e} num{er}acio{u}n is of eu{er}y numbre by competent figures an artificiall{e} rep{re}sentacio{u}n.+
[Sidenote: Figures, differences, places, and limits. The 9 figures. The cipher. The numeration of digits, of articles, of composites. The value due to position. Numbers are written from right to left.]
Sothly figure, difference, places, and lynes supposen o thyng other the same, But they ben sette here for dyue{r}s resons. ffigure is cleped{e} for p{ro}traccio{u}n of figuracio{u}n; Difference is called{e} for therby is shewed{e} eu{er}y figure, how it hath{e} difference fro the figures before them: place by cause of space, where-in me writeth{e}: lynees, for that is ordeyned{e} for the p{re}sentacio{u}n of eu{er}y figure. And vnderstonde that ther ben .9. lymytes of figures that rep{re}senten the .9. digit{es} that ben these. 0. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. The .10. is cleped{e} theta, or a cercle, other a cifre, other a figure of nought for nought it signyfieth{e}. Nathelesse she holdyng that place giveth{e} others for to signyfie; for with{e}-out cifre or cifres a pure article may not be writte. And sithen that by these .9. figures significatif{es} Ioyned{e} w{i}t{h} cifre or w{i}t{h} cifres all{e} nombres ben and may be rep{re}sented{e}, It was, nether is, no nede to fynde any more figures. And note wele that eu{er}y digite shall{e} be writte w{i}t{h} oo figure allone to it ap{ro}pred{e}. And all{e} articles by a cifre, ffor eu{er}y article is named{e} for oone of the digitis as .10. of 1.. 20. of. 2. and so of the others, &c. And all{e} nombres digitall{e} owen to be sette in the first difference: All{e} articles in the seconde. Also all{e} nombres fro .10. til an .100. [which] is excluded{e}, with .2. figures mvst be writte; And yf it be an article, by a cifre first put, and the figure y-writte toward{e} the lift hond{e}, that signifieth{e} the digit of the which{e} the article is named{e}; And yf it be a nombre componed{e}, ffirst write the digit that is a part of that componed{e}, and write to the lift side the article as it is seid{e} be-fore. All{e} nombre that is fro an hundred{e} tille a thousand{e} exclused{e}, owith{e} to be writ by .3. figures; and all{e} nombre that is fro a thousand{e} til .x. Mł. mvst be writ by .4. figures; And so forthe. And vnderstond{e} wele that eu{er}y figure sette in the first place signyfieth{e} his digit; In the second{e} place .10. tymes his digit; In the .3. place an hundred{e} so moche; In the .4. place a thousand{e} so moche; In the .5. place .x. thousand{e} so moch{e}; In the .6. place an hundred{e} thousand{e} so moch{e}; In the .7. place a thousand{e} thousand{e}. And so infynytly mvltiplying by [*Fol. 49.] these .3. 10, 100, 1000. And vnderstand{e} wele that competently me may sette vpon figure in the place of a thousand{e}, a prik{e} to shewe how many thousand{e} the last figure shall{e} rep{re}sent. We writen{e} in this art to the lift side-ward{e}, as arabien{e} writen{e}, that weren fynders of this science, other{e} for this reso{u}n, that for to kepe a custumable ordr{e} in redyng, Sette we all{e}-wey the more nombre before.
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