Geometrie, and the vnitie in Arithmetike, though bothe be vndiuisible, doe make greater woorkes, & increase greater multitudes, then the brutishe bande of ignoraunce is hable to withstande.
Vnitie. Scholar. Our talke groweth well to our mater. I beseke you therfore, with the vnitie beginne, and builde on it your worke, as a forte against ignorance.
Master. Unitie is of it self vndiuisible, and yet is it in al partes of the world, and in euery thing. Yea, the worlde it self consisteth of vnitie, is named of vnitie, was made by vnitie, and is preserued by vnitie, and onely ignoraunce with her broode secluded from vnitie, so that of it to repete the fulle force, would occupie muche time, and make greate volumes.
Nomber. Scholar. Sith vnitie is so mightie, and of suche force (as you saie) what maie be thought then of nomber, whiche containeth a multitude of vnities? And is nothyng els but a collection of vnities.
Master. Unitie is the fountaine and originalle of nomber, yea vnitie by addition onely shall make a greater nomber, then any nombers can doe by multiplicacion. But this is marueilouse, that no nomber repineth against diuisiō, till it come to an vnitie: and then will it permit no father diuisiō. And therfore it is said, the vnitie doeth neither multiplie nor diuide.
A parte.
Partes.
And as al nombers maie be more or lesse, so the lesser is euer a parte or partes of the greater.
As 5 vnto 10 is a parte, named a halfe: but vnto 7. 5. is not a parte, but partes, and is called 5⁄7. So 8 to. 24. is a parte that is 1⁄3: but vnto. 36. it is partes, that is 2⁄9.
Scholar. I perceuie, you call it a parte, when the numerator in the fraction (reduced to the smalleste) is an vnitie. And when the numerator is a nomber, then that fractiō betokeneth partes of a nomber.
But I praie you, what varieties of nombers bee there principally to be considered in this arte?
Master.
