to be to greate.
A shorte meane
in working.
So that you neded not to sette doune so many partes of your firste nomber.
Wherfore if your nomber bee soche a one, as hath many partes, you maie chose one by gesse, which you thinke will go nigh to serue your purpose: and if you find it to smalle, then set theim doune onely that bee greater then it, til you finde one other iuste: and then haue you your purpose. Or if you finde any to great, after that whiche was to smalle, and betwene theim none iuste, then is not your nomber a diametrall nōber.
But and if the parte whiche you tooke by gesse, be to great, you shall refuse all partes aboue it, and take onely lesser partes, til you finde a iuste parte for your purpose: or else one that is to litle.
And if in descendynge orderly, you finde no iuste parte, before you come to one that is to litle, then is your nomber no diametralle nomber.
Scholar. This is a greate ease in shortenynge of worke: whiche I will proue in this nomber. 9876.
Master. If you remembred well your former rules, you would not admitte this to be examined for a diametralle nomber: bicause it endeth in nine of the thre peculiare terminations: that is. 0. 2. or. 8.
Scholar. I cōfesse my faulte. And therfore I take this nomber. 9780. whose. 20. parte is. 489. But seyng. 20. doeth make in square but. 400. therfore is it very moche to litle.
Then I take the. 30. parte of it, whiche is. 326. and finde it also to litle.
Thirdely, I take the. 40. parte of it, whiche is 2441⁄2: and seyng. 40. maketh in square. 1600. I see that it is almoste. 7. tymes so moche as. 2441⁄2: and therfore is it to greate.
So must the true nomber be betwene. 30. and. 40: or els there is none at all.
Therfore firste I take. 35. whiche is the middellenomber,
