Page:The Whetstone of Witte.djvu/76

 maie seme no greate absurditie, to name any thynge a line or laine, that hath moche more lengthe then bredthe: and is made by often addition, or multiplication of any one quantitie. But yet for auoidyng of erroure, it ought to bee limited, whereof that line is named. As in our mater to saie, a line of vnities: a line of Cubes: a line of Cubike Cubes: and a line of Cubike Cubes Cubikely and so forthe.

In like waies must we iudge of platte formes, that thei haue no depthe or thickenesse. When one nomber is multiplied by an other, onely twise: that is to saie, in bredthe and lengthe onely: and is not multiplied the thirde time by any nomber, to make it beare depthe.

And this must be considered generally, though the nomber so multiplied bee a Cube, or any other sounde nōber. For in soche case, that Cube, or sounde nomber, what so eyer it be, standeth but as an vnitie.

Scholar. Sir, I doe very well vnderstande the meanyng, and reasonablenesse of those names, line, and square, in any thing. But I knowe not those terms, Cubike Cubes, and Cubike Cubes Cubikely. Although I se them set in the table, whiche you haue giuen me.

Master. No more then doe you vnderstande douerse other names there, whiche I will therfore declare vnto you.

If you agree to the vse of the name, of a line and a square, in that sorte that you haue consented vnto: then if I multiplie a Cubike nomber by his roote. As to saie. 8. by. 2. or. 27. by. 3. other. 64. by. 4. then shall I haue a line of Cubes, whiche I doe therfore call longe Cubes:

but commonly thei bee called Squared Squares, or Squares of Squares: and of some men thei are named Zenzizenzikes, as square nombers are called Zenzikes. Whiche name although in sounde bodies, it hath no vse, yet in practice of sounde nombers, it