18 Dec. 23EHI' RIGHT HONOURABLE THOMAS, Earl of Arundel and Surrey, ENGLAND, &c. Right Honourable, TH HE good Affection You bear to all Kind of Learning, and in particular to the Mathematics, makes me adventure to present your Lordship with this Tractate of Arithmetic; because that Art, compared with other Mathematical Sciences, is as the Primum Mobile, in respect of the other inferior Orbs: For as the Poets used in Times past to say of Venus, Sine Cerere & Baccho, friget Venus; fo may I also confidently aver [iv] of them, without Arithmetic, they are poor, and without Motion. Prefuming therefore that your Lordship, loving the Art, cannot difaffect the Artist, nor his Intention to do Good in that Kind; I am bold to fhelter this TREATISE under your Lordship's Protection, humbly entreating your gracious Acceptation, and earneftly defiring for ever to remain, Your HONOUR's, in all Service, Affectionately Devoted, EDM. WINGATE. THE THE many Editions this Work has gone through, and the Reputation it has defervedly maintained for upwards of 120 Years, would undoubtedly have been Authority fufficient for the Publication of this Edition, without any Alteration from the former: But as feveral Arithmetical Improvements, both in Theory and Practice, bave appeared fince this Treatife received the laft Hand, it has been thought convenient to infert them in this Edition, together with fome which have not been published before. The firft Edition of Wingate's Arithmetic was printed about the Year 1629, by himself; in which his principal Defign was to obviate the Difficulties which ordinarily occur in the ufing of Logarithms: To perform this, be divided bis Work into two Books; the first he called Natural, and the fecond Artificial Arithmetic. Bafis on which the prefent Structure has been, at different Times, reared is the first of those Books. The For after the first Impreffion of the above two Books were difpofed of, Mr. Wingate (not having Leifure to revife the fame, and to fupply fome Defects which too ftri&t an Attention to his Defign, viz. that of explaining the Ufe of Logarithms, bad occafioned) requested Mr. John Kerfey, an able Mathematician, to undertake the fame. Accordingly Mr. Kersey (in feveral Editions) made many Improvements, 2 Improvements, which take in his own Words, as they ftood in his Preface to the former Editions. First, For the Eafe and Benefit of thofe Learners, "that defire only fo much Skill in Arithmetic, as is "useful in Accompts, Trade, and fuch like ordinary Employments; the Doctrine of whole Numbers, (which, in the firft Edition, was intermingled with "Definitions and Rules concerning broken Numbers, commonly called Fractions,) is now entirely handled ແ 66 a-part. And to the end the full Knowledge of Prac"tical Arithmetic in whole Numbers might more "clearly appear, I have explained divers of the old "Rules in the first five Chapters, and framed a-new "the Rules of Divifion, Reduction, and the Golden"Rule, in the fixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth Chap66 ters: So that now, Arithmetic in whole Numbers "is plainly and fully handled before any Entrance be "made into the craggy Paths of Fractions, at the Sight "of which fome Learners are fo difcouraged, that they "make a Stand, and cry out, Non plus ultra, There's "no Progrefs farther. 66 Secondly, To affift fuch young Students as would "lay a good Foundation for the attaining of a general "Knowledge in the Mathematics, I have in a familiar "Method delivered the entire Doctrine of Fractions, "both Vulgar and Decimal, which was omitted in the "first Edition; and have alfo newly framed the Ex"traction of the Square and Cube-roots, in a Method "which by Experience is found to be much easier than "that commonly used heretofore, and is exactly fuitable to the Conftruction or Compofition of Square "and Cube Numbers. 66 Laftly, I have added an Appendix, furnished with "Variety of choice and delightful Knowledge in Num"bers, both Practical and Theoretical." But as Mr. Kerfey has omitted to enumerate the Particulars of which his Appendix confifted, the Editor bas |