In the following section, numerals shown in +marks+ were printed in a different font, possibly as facsimiles of the original MS form.] [Sidenote: Expo{sitio} [in margin].] [Sidenote: An explanation of the principles of notation. An example: units, tens, hundreds, thousands. How to read the number.] ¶ Expone þis v{er}se þus. Eu{er}y of þese figuris bitokens hym selfe & no mor{e}, yf he stonde in þe first place of þe rewele / this worde Simplicit{er} in þat verse it is no more to say but þat, & no mor{e}. ¶ If it stonde in the secu{n}de place of þe rewle, he betokens ten{e} tymes hym selfe, as þis figur{e} 2 here 20 tokens ten tyme hym selfe, [*leaf 137a] þat is twenty, for he hym selfe betokenes twey{ne}, & ten tymes twene is twenty. And for he stondis oɳ þe lyft side & in þe secu{n}de place, he betokens ten tyme hy{m} selfe. And so go forth. ¶ ffor eu{er}y fig{ure}, & he stonde aft{ur} a-noþ{er} toward the lyft side, he schal betoken{e} ten tymes as mich mor{e} as he schul betoken & he stode in þe place þ{ere} þat þe fig{ure} a-for{e} hym stondes. loo an ensampull{e}. 9. 6. 3. 4. Þe fig{ure} of 4. þ{a}t hase þis schape +4.+ betokens bot hymselfe, for he stondes in þe first place. The fig{ure} of 3. þat hase þis schape +3.+ betokens ten tymes mor{e} þen he schuld & he stode þ{ere} þ{a}t þe fig{ure} of 4. stondes, þ{a}t is thretty. The fig{ure} of 6, þ{a}t hase þis schape +6+, betokens ten tymes mor{e} þan he schuld & he stode þ{ere} as þe fig{ure} of +3.+ stondes, for þ{ere} he schuld tokyn{e} bot sexty, & now he betokens ten tymes mor{e}, þat is sex hundryth. The fig{ure} of 9. þ{a}t hase þis schape +9.+ betokens ten tymes mor{e} þan{e} he schuld & he stode in þe place þ{ere} þe fig{ure} of sex stondes, for þen he schuld betoken to 9. hundryth, and in þe place þ{ere} he stondes now he betokens 9. þousande. Al þe hole nomb{ur} is 9 thousande sex hundryth & four{e} & thretty. ¶ fforthermor{e}, when þ{o}u schalt rede a nomb{ur} of fig{ure}, þ{o}u schalt begyn{e} at þe last fig{ure} in the lyft side, & rede so forth to þe riȝt side as her{e} 9. 6. 3. 4. Thou schal begyn to rede at þe fig{ure} of 9. & rede forth þus. 9. [*leaf 137b] thousand sex hundryth thritty & foure. But when þ{o}u schall{e} write, þ{o}u schalt be-gynne to write at þe ryȝt side. ¶ Nil cifra sig{nifica}t s{ed} dat signa{re} sequenti. [Sidenote: The meaning and use of the cipher.]