What are digits. ¶ Here he telles qwat is a digit, Expone versus sic. Nomburs digitus bene alle nomburs þat ben with-inne ten, as nyne, 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.
¶ Articupli decupli degitorum; compositi sunt
Illi qui constant ex articulis degitisque.
¶ Here he telles what is a composyt and what is ane articul. Expone sic versus. What are articles. ¶ Articulis ben[2] alle þat may be deuidyt into nomburs of ten & nothynge [leue] ouer, as twenty, thretty, fourty, a hundryth, a thousand, & such oþer, ffor twenty may be departyt in-to 2 nomburs of ten, fforty in to foure nomburs of ten, & so forth.
leaf 138 b. What numbers are composites. *Compositys beɳ nomburs þat bene componyt of a digyt & of an articulle as fouretene, fyftene, sextene, & such oþer. ffortene is componyd of foure þat is a digit & of ten þat is an articulle. ffiftene is componyd of 5 & ten, & so of all oþer, what þat þai ben. Short-lych euery nombur þat be-gynnes with a digit & endyth in a articulle is a composyt, as fortene bygennynge by foure þat is a digit, & endes in ten.
¶ Ergo, proposito numero tibi scribere, primo
Respicias quid sit numerus; si digitus sit
Primo scribe loco digitum, si compositus sit
Primo scribe loco digitum post articulum; sic.
How to write a number, ¶ here he telles how þou schalt [wyrch] whan þou schalt write a nombur. Expone versum sic, & fac iuxta exponentis sentenciam; whan þou hast a nombur to write, loke fyrst what maner nombur it ys þat þou schalt write, whether it be a digit or a composit or an Articul. if it is a digit; ¶ If he be a digit, write a digit, as yf it be seuen, write seuen & write þat digit in þe first place toward þe ryght side. if it is a composite. If it be a composyt, write þe digit of þe composit in þe first place & write þe articul of þat digit in þe secunde place next toward þe lyft side. As yf þou schal write sex & twenty. write þe digit of þe nombur in þe first place þat is sex, and write þe articul next aftur þat is twenty, as þus 26. How to read it. But whan þou schalt [sowne] or speke leaf 139 a. *or rede an Composyt þou schalt first sowne þe articul & aftur þe digit, as þou seyst by þe comyne speche, Sex & twenty & nouȝt twenty & sex. versus.