¶ Her{e} he teches þe furst rewle, þe quych is þis: yf þou wel m{u}ltiplie an articul be anoþ{er}, so þat both þe articuls bene w{i}t{h}-Inne an hundreth, þus þ{o}u schalt do. take þe digit of bothe the articuls, for eu{er}y articul hase a digit, þen m{u}ltiplye þat on digit by þat oþ{er}, and loke how mony vnytes ben in þe nounbre þat comes of þe m{u}ltiplicacioɳ of þe 2 digittes, & so mony hundrythes ben in þe nounb{re} þat schal come of þe m{u}ltiplicacioɳ of þe ylke 2 articuls as þus. yf þ{o}u wold wete qwat is ten tymes ten. take þe digit of ten, þe quych is 1; take þe digit of þat oþ{er} ten, þe quych is on. ¶ Also m{u}ltiplie 1 be 1, as on tyme on þat is but 1. In on is but on vnite as þou wost welle, þ{er}efor{e} ten tymes ten is but a hundryth. ¶ Also yf þou wold wete what is twenty tymes 30. take þe digit of twenty, þat is 2; & take þe digitt of thrytty, þat is 3. m{u}ltiplie 3 be 2, þat is 6. Now in 6 ben 6 vnites, ¶ And so mony hundrythes ben in 20 tymes 30[*leaf 161b], þ{ere}for{e} 20 tymes 30 is 6 hundryth eueɳ. loke & se. ¶ But yf it be so þat on{e} articul be w{i}t{h}-Inne an hundryth, or by-twene an hundryth and a thowsande, so þat it be not a þowsande fully. þen loke how mony vnytes ben in þe nounbur þat comys of þe m{u}ltiplicacioɳ [{16}]And so mony tymes[{16}] of 2 digitt{es} of ylke articuls, so mony thowsant ben in þe nounbre, the qwych comes of þe m{u}ltiplicacioɳ. And so mony tymes ten thowsand schal be in þe nounbre þat comes of þe m{u}ltiplicacion of 2 articuls, as yf þ{o}u wold wete qwat is 4 hundryth tymes [two hundryth]. Multiply 4 be 2,[{17}] þat wol be 8. in 8 ben 8 vnites. ¶ And so mony tymes ten thousand be in 4 hundryth tymes [2][{17}] hundryth, þ{a}t is 80 thousand. Take hede, I schall telle þe a gen{e}rall{e} rewle whan þ{o}u hast 2 articuls, And þou wold wete qwat comes of þe m{u}ltiplicacioɳ of hem 2. m{u}ltiplie þe digit of þ{a}t on articuls, and kepe þat nounbre, þen loke how mony cifers schuld go befor{e} þat on articuls, and he wer{e} write. Als mony cifers schuld go befor{e} þat other, & he wer{e} write of cifers. And haue all{e} þe ylke cifers toged{ur} in þi mynde, [*leaf 162a] a-rowe ychoɳ aftur other, and in þe last plase set þe nounbre þat comes of þe m{u}ltiplicacioɳ of þe 2 digittes. And loke in þi mynde in what place he stondes, wher{e} in þe secunde, or in þe thryd, or in þe 4, or wher{e} ellis, and loke qwat þe figures by-token in þat place; & so mych is þe nounbre þat comes of þe 2 articuls y-m{u}ltiplied to-ged{ur} as þus: yf þ{o}u wold wete what is 20 thousant tymes 3 þowsande. m{u}ltiply þe digit of þat articull{e} þe quych is 2 by þe digitte of þat oþ{er} articul þe quych is 3, þat wol be 6. þen loke how mony cifers schal go to 20 thousant as hit schuld be write in a tabul. c{er}tainly 4 cifers schuld go to 20 þowsant. ffor þis figure 2 in þe fyrst place betokenes twene. ¶ In þe secunde place hit betokenes twenty. ¶ In þe 3. place hit betokenes 2 hundryth. .¶. In þe 4 place 2 thousant.