The grounde of artes teaching the perfect vvorke and practise of arithmetike, both in whole nu[m]bers and fractions, after a more easie ane exact sort, than hitherto hath bene set forth. Made by M. Robert Recorde, D. in Physick, and afterwards augmented by M. Iohn Dee. And now lately diligently corrected, [and] beautified with some new rules and necessarie additions: and further endowed with a thirde part, of rules of practize, abridged into a briefer methode than hitherto hath bene published: with diverse such necessary rules, as are incident to the trade of merchandize. Whereunto are also added diuers tables [and] instructions ... By Iohn Mellis of Southwark, scholemaster.

An other kinde of Diuination to tell youre frend, how many pence, or single peeces, reckoning them one with an other, hee hath in his purse, or should thinke in his minde.

Which to doe firste bid him double the péeces he hath in his purse, or the number he thinketh: if he participate hys number or

secreacie vnto some one friend that setteth by him that can but multiplie, & ad neuer so lit∣tle: if their number be greate, then shal they worke as you bidde them so much the surer.

Nowe after he hath doubled his number, bid him adde therevnto 5 more, which done, bidde him multiply that his number by 5 al∣so, whiche done, bidde him tell you the iuste summe of his laste Multiplication, whiche summe the giuer thinking it nothing auaile∣able, because it is so greate aboue his preten∣ded imagination: yet thereby shal you pre∣sently wyth the helpe of Subtraction tell his proposed number.

The Rule is this.

Imagine he thought 17: double 17, and 〈 math 〉〈 math 〉 it maketh 34, wherevnto if you adde 5, it maketh 39: whiche multiplied by 5, as here is practi¦sed in y^e margēt, it yéeldeth 195: which 195 is the sum deliuered you in the work: then for a gene∣ral rule, you shal euermore cut off the last figure towards your right hād, w^t a dash of your pen, as here is performed, as a figure

nothing auaileable vnto your worke: and then rebate 2 from your firste figure, after 5 is cutte off: and the reste shall euermore be your desire, as by this example doth appeare.

If in any company, you are disposed to make them merry by manner of Diuining, in deliuering a Ring vnto any one of them, which after you haue deliuered it vnto them, that you will absent your selfe from them: and they to deuise after you are gone, which of them shall haue the kéeping thereof: And that you at your returne wil tell them what person hath it, vpon what hād, vpō what fin∣ger, & what iointe. Which to do, cause y^e per∣sons to sit down al on a rowe, & to kéepe like∣wise an order of their fingers: nowe, after you are gone out from them to some other place, say vnto one of the lookers on, that hée double the nūber of him that hath the Ring, and vnto the double bidde him adde 5: And then cause him to multiplie that Addition by 5: And vnto the product bidde him adde the number of the finger, of the person that hath the Ring. And lastly, to ende the work beyond that number towards his right hād, let him set downe a figure, signifying vppon which of the ioints he hath the Ring, as if it

bée vppon the seconde ioint, let him put down 2: Then demaund of him what number hée kéepeth. From the whiche you shall abate 250. And you shall haue thrée figures remai∣ning at the least: the first towards your left hande shall signifie the number of the person which hath the Ring: the seconde or middle number shall declare the number of the fin∣ger, and the laste figure towardes your right hande, shall betoken the number of the ioint.

Example.

Imagine the seuenth person is determi∣ned to kéepe the Ring vppon the fifth finger, and the third ioint: first double 7, it maketh 14, thereto adde 5, it maketh 19, whiche multiplied by 5 yéeldeth 95: vnto which 95, adde the number of the finger, and it maketh 100: and beyond 100 toward the right hand, I set downe 3 the number of the ioint, al ma∣keth 1003, which is the number that is to be deliuered you, from which abating 250, there resteth 753, whiche prefigureth vnto you the seauenth person, the fifth finger, and the third ioint.

But note, that when you haue made your subtraction, if there doe remaine a 0: in the place of tens, that is to say, in the seconde place, you must then abate 1, from that fi∣gure which is in the place of Hundreds, that is to wit from the figure which is next your left hand, and that shall be worth 10 tenths, signifying the tenth finger: as if there should remaine 803, you must say, that the seuenth person vppon his tenth finger, and vppon his third ioint, hath the Ring.

And after the same manner, if a man doe caste 3 Dice, you may knowe the points of euerie one of them. For if you cause hym to double the pointes of one Dye, and to the double to adde 5: and the same summe to multiplie by 5: and vnto the product adde the pointes of one of the other Dice. And behind the number towards the right hand to putte the figure which signifieth the pointes of the laste Die: and then to aske what number he kepeth, from which abate 250: and there wil remaine 3 figures, which doe note vnto you the pointes of euerie Die.

Another.

If thrée diuerse things are to be hidden of thrée diuerse persons, and you to diuine whiche of the thrée persons hathe the thrée diuerse things doe thus: imagine the thrée things to be represented by A.B.C Thē secondly kéepe wel in your minde whiche of the persons you meane to be the first, seconde and third: Then take 24 counters or stones, and your thrée things, And giue A. vnto the partie whome you imagine to be your firste man: and there withal giue him one of your 24 counters in his hand: And B. vnto your se∣conde man: and ther withal 2 counters: And C vnto your thirde man, and there withall 3 counters. And leaue the reste whiche are 18 stil among them, which done, seperate your self from them, & afterwards bid them chāge the things among them as they shall thinke good, whiche done after they are agréed, byd him that hathe suche a thing, as before you haue represented by A for euery counter that he hath in his hand to take vp as manye moe, And for him that hathe B for euerie one in hys hande to take vppe two: And for hym that hathe C. for euerye one in hys hande to take vp 4: And the rest of them to leaue still vpon the boorde. These thrée things

and the thrée persons being fullye printed in your minde, come to the table, and you shall euermore finde one of these sixe num∣bers 1.2.3.5.6 or 7 If therefore one remaine stil vpon the boorde, then haue they made no exchaunge, but kéepe them still as they were deliuered vnto them: So that the firste man hath A. the second B and the third C. But if 2 remaine, then the firste man hathe B. your se∣cond man A and your thirde man C: the reste of the worke and the order therof are here ap∣parant by the table following.

1	1	A
2	B
3	C
2	1	B
2	A
3	C
3	1	A
2	C
3	B
5	1	B
2	C
3	A
6	1	C
2	A
3	B
7	1	C
2	B
3	A