The sun., 1910-07-29
EtRLI 4RITHHETICS.
rb- Largest Collect Ion owned b, George
e. Isilmpton

In TIA. history uf printed aTithmett tcs
ia. ftteenth and sixteenth centuries were
the formative period and OF all arith
m"tics known t. have been printed ~
thc sixteenth century and T." have been
impur'an' enough to lIay. two or NOR.
editions the arIthm-tlCal library OF
G-Org- 4. Plimptun of CHM 4 COMPANY
lacks lrss than twenty five. Among the
CpllectIon- ot Arithmstics printed befor.
the opening of III. seventeenth century
his ~ the largeS;
llhrl. the collector brought together
two large libraries uf rare aTIthm-tics
only 10 let them soon h. disper~ed Prime.
BonCompagnI Was not able To- max. his
magnificent library permanent and al
hrs death " WAS scattered a. were th.
lessor collections Of kluss and he Morgan
le Morgan vas able to examine IN th,
British Museum and cl--w here. less than
a hundred arithms'ics written before
1891. including all editions but Mr. Plimp-
ton has more than three hundred NOR.
than Boncpmpa gnl had
This collection of Mr. Plimptnn'- has
seen mad" The basis 10y Prof David Eng.n.
smith Of Columbia University e -Kara
Arlthmeiica. catalogue ~ arithm.tIcs
written before th. year IOpi We men
tlons over iJO different works and nearly
l.2O books IN all. including tn. yari,,..
editions Of these about 80 are. strictIy
speaking. nrlthm"tics
IN. authors of the early books v.r.
by no means Obscure men There WAS
Bo-'thlu=. Callad by Gibbon the Ias' 81 IN.
Romans whom Cato or Tullv could have
acknowledged for his ,,ountryman
There were CasSlodor,Is and a p.IIa r.nro.
-sntatIveS of the culture nf their d,y
and l-idorIs. the learned Bishnp ~ SayrIlr
There was ArchImedes Imprnv.r - the.
number systsm Of the Gr.~k~. EucIi
who contributed tn arithmetic A. ,v.Ii
a. - geometry. \icpm IChus anI lam
hiic hus. representatives Of IN" de. lining
Hellenic civilization. and P-.'I~ witness
of Ii- hnal de~ay
There wer- the Venerable R..I. = S,rr.-
hoscn and Brawardin r.pr.-.,.f.,fi.,.-
nf the culture of ineiIpNal England ard
Paciuolo. IN" great Rem -.nuc. com
pIlar: and Tartagla and Clri,u. maker.
of modern algebra There ,-.-. sri,n
scholars ~ Ramu- Mchucitrrn and
Bishop 1onstall. such arithn-tlpi,n. ~
" Idman. kob'.l. BoTghi Ri..-.. tnd Iir,uu.
FrI-iu-. who powerfully influence. / eiu,t-
iio1 ~ ihs'r "~n iim"s and frr g,.'i"rl',r'.s
after passing away
II - estimated that MANY arlthrstrr-
of IN" -INtc-'nth century p.ri~h.-t utt"rIv.
Leaving n" rsvprd. their ynry commences
WAS cause uf obstruction ir!-t a. -, -
ca-' ot the New England primer Il fh,.
Franklin Hall press. IN" lun. COPY -Ir.
Viving ut the iu.Bu JrInt,sl
de- MurgaI'- -Arrthmcurh B,rk-
covering th" ~im" hsld a. a.. -E,r,
ArIthIn'.il"I aud APPEARING -tN,y y..,r-
earlier. mentions about icu EDITIONS OF
works urIg."illy Appearing Ir'pr,. isrI
he n''w ,Ii,l"cI" lists r"lrly irpi
There "r'' si-u q uf.I.I..r 90 yr,..rtt,..
InhuiirTTU'a "u Fr' 'h'."',, .u '', I.l..r
tow hbrA'v. Nauurrrlu'- Nr.r.n ..
Tor" ~" torn ut numerals VA. i,,.J
ar" "it"n NaltiGbl'' iT frartur ft,. ,i.,.
tu"nt nf numerals even though ne. n,..-
Themselves az" not g-lf fhm"trfgi
10" apI%arauC' - Prot smiths In,.s
- Iut"r"-tIng. following - u dn... a.
closely ~ po--i'ri. he uTilIutl- altbnuyI
" do--- not attempt g. Tuliata partl.tIi,,r
forms II tygs' ur 49, 49,. rtufalg -a,.
a. initials. biit rnissIali'si wrr,ls omit. ii D
capitals and peculiar concentrations hay.. ,
al h'.en faithfully COPIED and there. a.
many inseta e reproduced page=
III" title of the firrt known practical
arithmetic to APPEAR n PRINT under the |