( 1*7 ) 
fered fome Arguments to prove, that Gerbertus, a 
Monk, who was afterwards advanced to the Papal 
See, and took the Name of Sylvefler II, had before 
the Year 1000 learned the Art of Arithmetic, as 
now pradtifed, with the Ufe only of nine Characters 
(whatfoever their Form then was) from the Saracens 
in Spain, which he afterwards carried into France *. 
But the Dodtor thinks thofe Characters or Figures 
were known for a long time after only to fuch Ar- 
tifts, and principally ufed by them in aftronomical 
Calculations ; the Roman Numerals being ftill re- 
tained in common Ufe to exprefs fmaller Numbers b . 
Nor has he given us the Figures ufed by any of thofe 
Writers, before Johannes de Sacro Bofco , who 
died in the Year 115-6 ; and Maximus ‘Planudes, 
a Greek , who flourifhed after him ; which I have 
copied from him, and inlerted in Tab. II. Fig. 1. 
Mr. "David Cajley , in his Catalogue of the Manu~ 
fcripts of the King's Library , 8 cc. has publifhed 
a Specimen of a Manufcript from the Cottonian 
Library , called Calendarium Roger i Bacon c , and 
dated 1291. The Figures in this Book arc Arabian , 
and, as Mr. Cafey informed me, the oldeft that he 
remembers to have met with in either of thofe Li- 
braries : For which Reafon I have given them a 
Place in the Table. 
It appeared to me exceeding difficult, how to 
reconcile the Opinions and Obfervations of thele 
feveral Writers, concerning the firft Ufe of the 
Arabian Figures in thefe Weftern Countries, with 
the Time affigned even to the lateft of the Dates 
above-mentioned. And it could not but feem very 
a De Algebra, c, 4. p. 17. b lb. p. 11,15:, 16. c Platex\. 
R ftrange 
