"Examination of an Infcriptwn

that in the fifteenth century, there was in England a disgraceful neglect of the arts and fciences ; and though we read lifts of per- fons ftyled great mathematicians and philofophers [s], no difcove- ries of importance did they make, no books did they write that have been thought worthy to be perpetuated in print. In an age, therefore, fo incurious and idle, (unlefs when in fearch of the elixir of life that was to cure all difeafes, and make old people young, or of the philosopher's {tone, that was to tranfmute the bafer metals into fine gold or filver) it was not likely that fcribes and fcriveners ihould be felicitous in their inquiries after figures newe, or willing to change the old characters they were trained to ufe, and for the writing of which they were liberally paid [/] ; or if a more eafy mode of reckoning was purfued, they might have their doubts whether the profits of their craft would not be leflened by it. As late as the conclusion of the Sixteenth century the perfons employ- ed by churchwardens to keep the pariih accounts made ufe of Ro- man capitals [], and in public offices all change was carefully [j] " John Sommer about 1390; John Walter about 1400; William Batecombe about 1410; William Buttoner about 1460; were very eminent in ether kinds of learning, and particularly in mathematics ; and divers of their works are extant in our libraries, which have not been printed." Treatife of Algebra, p. 6. [/] Pafton Letters, V. II. p. 810, Note. " We are here furnifhed with a curious account of the expences attending the tranfcribing of books, previous to the noble art of printing. At this time the common wages of a mechanic were with diet 4d. and without diet d. , or 6d. a day. We here fee that a writer received ad. for writing a folio leaf, three of which he could with eafe finifh in a day ; and I fliould think that many quick writers at that time would fill four, five, or even fix in a day ; if fo, the pay of thefe greatly exceeded that of common handicraft men." [H] " I find by our parifh books that the churchwardens and overfeers of the poor Hated their accounts in numeral letters till fmce the year 1600." Bibliotheca Literaria, Number V11I. p. 8. The title of the paper is, An Hiflorical Eflay concerning Arith- metical Figures and their ufe. But the parifh in which the writer lived is not men- tioned. avoided,