the one half, the Sculpture of a Dragons Head, and 
Wings, ( but, for the reft of the Body, it is fo abated as the 
fpace would permit : ) In the other half, there is ( begin- 
ning at the middle J on three fquares parted from each 
other by a deep furrow or channel, the date as it is here 
expreffed ; and, on a fourth, a Flower ; On a fifth, the 
two letters ^ within an Efcocheon, reprefenting ( I 
fuppofe) the name of him to whom it did then belong. 
And then, intwolefler fquares as the fpace would per- 
mit ( one over the other ^ Flowers, as before. The Let- 
ters and Figures, on their leveral fquares, are not in- 
graved or cut in, but prominent ( by way of bas-relief) 
the wood being abated round about them. The oover 
the A, is a round o^ but that over theM , is a f uare 
0; and part of this 0 hath been lately pared oflF with a 
knife, by fomebody(itfeems) who had a mind to fee of 
what colour the wood is underneath; and it appears there, 
not fo black as the reft, but fufcous of a dusky fmoke co- 
lour. And this, as I remember, is all the defacing that 
appears in the whole Mantle-tree. 
I have given you this particular account of it, and 
caufeditto be thus exadtly delineated; that, upon the 
whole matter, you may fee how little reafon there is to 
lulped; any thing of forgery or impoftdre in it. 
Hence it appears , that the ufe of fuch figures here in 
England ^ not only in Aftronomical Tables, and other 
like pieces of Learning, but even on ordinary occafions, 
is at left as ancient as the year 113 3; which was the 
53'''yearof ¥.\n%Henry the firft. And I judge it to 
have been yet fomewhat ancienter, becaufe thefhapeof 
the figures, though not come juft to the fhape which we 
now ufe , was even then confiderably varied from the"* 
fliape of the Arabick figures j which argues the^ had 
then been for fome time in ufe 5 fuch change of fliape in 
figures and letters coming on gradually with time. 
The foot of the figure 3 being turned backward, 
makes it more refemble the Arabick figure which is 
much the lame with this, fave that what here ftands up- 
right. 
