38 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1735. 



of figures commonly expressed by a child in a few minutes. This consideration 

 of the vast use of figures, put Dr. Wallis, and others since him, on inquiring 

 at what time they were first happily introduced into this island. 



Dr. Wallis informs us, that we had the figures from Spain, into which nation 

 they were brought by the Moors. The Moors had them from the Arabians ; 

 and the Arabians from the Indians. And it was the Doctor's opinion, that they 

 were first brought into England about the year I J30; for that the first instance 

 of their use which he had met with, was a date upon a chimney-piece, which 

 date was St^ 133, the character S19 which the Romans used to express 1000, 

 being mixed with figures, as Dr. Wallis observes, was often done at their first 

 coming in ; and since that, in Philos. Trans. N° 266, is mentioned a date IO9O, 

 all in figures. 



Lately too Mr. Cope produced a date on a chimney-piece at Widgel-Hall in 

 Hertfordshire, which was fj^ 16, the 01 for the lOOO, being here again mixed 

 with figures. And he now produces a still earlier instance of the use of figures 

 in England, being a draught of an inscription over a gateway at Worcester, 

 built, it is believed, in the reign of King Edgar, and is this (i')Xl> 97^, which 

 is 158 years before the date of Dr. Wallis's, 41 years before that Mr. Ward 

 produced last year, and is now 76O years standing. The account of this date 

 Mr. W. had given him by Mr. Joseph Dougharty of Worcester, who is an in- 

 genious and reputable person, and lives in the house over the gate-way on 

 which this inscription is : he also said, that his house goes by the name of the 

 oldest house m five counties ; and it is the current opinion there, and reported 

 by the ancient people in that place, that the house was built by King Edgar, 



where they say he sometimes kept his court : and all historians agree that 



Worcester was then a very considerable bishopric ; and that Dunstan and 

 Oswald, who were both successively bishops there in Edgar's time, were both 

 his great favourites, especially Dunstan, for whom King Edgar had a very great 

 regard : for it appears that the first thing Edgar did after he came to the crown, 

 was to recall Dunstan from Flanders, where he had been 3 years in exile, and 

 was immediately made prime minister, favourite, and confessor, as first bishop 

 of Worcester, and afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury ; on which last pro- 

 motion his great friend Oswald succeeded him in the See of Worcester : and it 

 is very likely that either Dunstan or Oswald, as having so much power, interest 

 and riches, might erect a building there, of which this gate-way might have 

 been a part ; for as Edgar died in the same year 975, if we suppose the date to 

 be fixed on the building the year it was finished, as is now commonly done, 

 Edgar could not live or keep his court there, unless it was in some part of that 

 year in which we suppose it to be finished. 



