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thirty-nine, in order to complete the great figure in its (10) four corners; because the fourth of any number multiplied by itself, and then by four, is equal to the product of the moiety of that number multiplied by itself.[1] Accordingly, we multiplied only the moiety of the roots by itself, instead of multiplying its fourth by itself, and then by four. This is the figure:
The same may also be explained by another figure. We proceed from the quadrate A B, which represents the square. It is our next business to add to it the ten roots of the same. We halve for this purpose the ten, so that it becomes five, and construct two quadrangles on two sides of the quadrate A B, namely, G and D, the length of each of them being five, as the moiety of the ten roots, whilst the breadth of each is equal to a side of the quadrate A B. Then a quadrate remains opposite the corner of the quadrate A B. This is equal to five multiplied by five: this five being half of the number of the roots which we have added to each of the two sides of the first quadrate. Thus we know that
