Here, as you see, I haue set first certaine lines, containyng soche partes as thei bee made of by multiplication: that is to saie, 2. 3. 4. or. 5. And these bee produced by the firste multiplication, where an vnitie of any thyng is multiplied by a nomber.
And so an inche multiplied by. 3. maketh. 3. inches: And a foote multiplied by. 6. maketh. 6. foote: and so of other measures and quantities, in like sorte. All whiche multiplications, doe make onely longe lines, or measures in lengthe onely, without bredth or thickenesse.
And in this multiplication, nother the nomber, nother yet the vnitie, is accoumpted or called a roote. But the line that is made therby: maie bee a roote to any of all the other kinde of nombers before rehersed, and sette forthe in the table. For if you multiplie the same line, by the nomber that his length doeth include, then there will be made thereof, by this seconde multiplication, a square figure, containyng a square nomber in it: As you see emoungest those figures, the firste fower to be, whiche are marked with these nombers. 4. 9. 16. and. 25.
Scholar. I perceiue well in eche of thē, that their lengthe is agreable with their bredthe, and so thei make square figures, but I knower not what those nombers doe meane, that be set ouer their heddes.
Master. The quantitie of the nomber, doeth betoken the valewe of their roote. And the multitude of the same nomber repeted, doeth declare the nomber of multiplications, for eche figure.
And therfore the lines, whiche are made by one multiplication, haue eche of theim their nomber simply set, ones onely.
The squares haue their nombers double: in token thei haue. 2. multiplications. That is, one in lengthe, and an other in bredthe.
