Notation and Numeration.
¶ Prima significat unum; duo vero secunda:
¶ Tercia significat tria; sic procede sinistre.
¶ Donec ad extremam venias, que cifra vocatur.
¶ Capitulum primum de significacione figurarum.
Expositio versus. In þis verse is notifide þe significacion of þese figuris. And þus expone the verse. The meaning and place of the figures. Þe first signifiyth one, þe secunde leaf 136 b. signi*fiyth tweyne, þe thryd signifiyth thre, & the fourte signifiyth 4. ¶ And so forthe towarde þe lyft syde of þe tabul or of þe boke þat þe figures bene writene in, til þat þou come to the last figure, þat is called a [cifre]. ¶ Questio. In quych syde sittes þe first figure? Solucio, forsothe loke quich figure is first in þe ryȝt side of þe bok or of þe tabul, & þat same is þe first figure, for þou schal write bakeward, as here, 3. 2. 6. 4. 1. 2. 5. Which figure is read first. The figure of 5. was first [write], & he is þe first, for he sittes oɳ þe riȝt syde. And the figure of 3 is last. ¶ Neuer-þe-les wen he says ¶ Prima significat vnum &c., þat is to say, þe first betokenes one, þe secunde. 2. & fore-þer-more, he vndirstondes [noȝt] of þe first figure of euery [rew]. ¶ But he vndirstondes þe first figure þat is in þe nombur of þe forsayd teen figuris, þe quych is one of þese. 1. And þe secunde 2. & so forth.
¶ Quelibet illarum si primo limite ponas,
¶ Simpliciter se significat: si vero secundo,
Se decies: sursum procedas multiplicando.
¶ Namque figura sequens quamuis signat decies plus.