A TREATISE 



NUMERATION OF ALGORISM, 



FROM A MS. OF THE 14th CENTURY. 



To alle suche even nombrys the most have 

 cifrys as to ten. twenty, thirtty. an hundred, an 

 thousand and suche other, but ye schal vnder- 

 stonde that a cifre tokeneth nothinge but he 

 maketh other the more significatyf that comith 

 after hym. Also ye schal vnderstonde that in 

 nombrys composyt and in alle other nombrys 

 that ben of diverse figurys ye schal begynne in 

 the ritht syde and so rekene backwarde and so 

 he schal be wryte as thus — 1000. the cifre in 

 the ritht side was first wryte and yit he tokeneth 

 nothinge no the secunde no the thridde but thei 

 maken that figure of 1 the more signyficatyf that 

 comith after hem by as moche as he born oute of 

 his first place where he schuld yf he stode ther 



