Page:The Whetstone of Witte.djvu/21

 minacion, and clere from all relatiō and comparison.

But when I saie. 6. is halfe of. 12. or. 15. is triple to 5. here the numbers beeyng compared together, are aptly called nombers relatiue: So if I saie, that. 16. is a square nomber, bicause it is made of. 4. multiplied by. 4 then is. 16. here to be called a figuralle nomber.

Master. You take it well. Therfore will I briefly touche the membres of euery kinde.

First of absolute nombres, some are euen nombers, and some are odde.

Scholar. All men knowe that. And farther, that euen nombers are those, whiche maie be diuided into equalle halfes: and so can not odde nombers, without a fraction.

Master. Of this plaine easie thyng, marke what foloweth: a greater doubte dissolued. For if an odde nomber (as. 7. for example) can not bee parted into. 2. equalle nombers, eche beeyng halfe of. 7. then. 3.$1/2$. which is commonly called the halfe of. 7. is no nōber. [sic]

Scholar. It can not be denied. And so (I see now) no fraction can bee a nomber. This greate doubte is plainly dissolued, by a very certaine and moste knowen principle.

Master. Now farther. Of bothe these kindes of nombers, some bee compounde, and some bee simple and vncompounde. Compounde nombers are made by multiplicacion of. 2. nombres together, and not by additiō, though the name might seme to serue to bothe.

Scholar. So I perceiue, that 5. is no compounde nōber, although it bee made by addition of. 2. and. 3. but 6. whiche is made by multiplication of. 2. and. 3.

Likewaies. 9. is compounde, bicause that. 3. multiplied by. 3. doeth make. 9.

And. 15. also is compounde by multipliyng. 5. and. 3. together.

And hereby I se that. 1. is not to be called a nomber