( 125 ) 
firft ten of each. See Tab. II. Fig. i. Bat as to 
what VoJJius fais concerning Boethius , I obferved 
in a curious Manufcript of that Writer, now in the 
Library of Doctor Mead , nine Characters, which 
he tells us were invented and ufed by fome of the 
Pythagoreans in their Calculations $ while others 
of them made ufe of the Letters of the Alphabet 
for the fame purpofe. Boethius calls them Apices 
vel Charafferes*. I have inferted thefe alio in 
the Table [ Tab. II. Fig. 1. ] to fhew the great 
Affinity between them and the Arabian Figures, as 
thefe latter were writen two or three Centuries ago. 
The Opinion of ^Daniel Huetius differed from 
either of the former ; for he imagined, the Arabian 
Figures were only the Letters of the Greek Alpha- 
bet corrupted and altered by ignorant Librarians b . 
From this fummary Account of the Rife and 
Antiquity of thefe Figures, it feems probable to me, 
they might owe their Original to the Greeks (thoie 
common Matters of all Science) and patting from 
them firtt to the Eaftern Nations, come round to 
thefe Weflern Parts, in the Manner before deferibed. 
We have no other Author, who fpeaks of this mat- 
ter, near fo antient as Boethius , whofe Words are 
very expreis, and much ftrengthened by the Simi- 
litude of his Characters with the Arabian Figures. 
And therefore we may rather fuppefe, they took 
their Rife from thefe, than from the finall Greek 
Letters, with which Huetius compared them ; finee- 
thefe latter are neither fo like them, nor fo old. as 
the Time of Boethius. And though what the 
3 Ubi fupra, b Demonftrat. Evangel. Prop, IV. c. 13. p. 172 , . 
Arabians 
