historicalgeogra00psal

The Second Preface,
before theDntch came, but I could not properly
call chetn figures, no more than you
can fo call your Milk-womens Chalk- fcores,
and yet you find they keep a fair reckoning
with you.
2 Anfw. As I have told you, that in converfation
we declared to one another what
number we meant by figns on our Fingers,
fo we had Charaders alfo to fignifie thefe
motions of the hands. Our great numbers
were caft up by the help of Stones, or a
fort of Counters, and points made upon Paper.
Some of our Noblemen by converfing
with the Chinefe learnd their Hieroglyphicks.
And this was all our Arithmetick.
22 OhjeB, The Author muft ftrangely
forget himfelf, or the Tranflator mifinterprec
him, for he fays (vid. firft Edition,
Chap. Of Arms and Weapons ') the Japannefe
make fuch Scimiters as will cut at one
blow a large Tree in funder.
Anfw. This is a good natur'd Objeftion 5
but had the expreffion been fo ftrong in
the Original, all that can be faid is, that
it had been an Hyperbole^ which I believe
is allowed in all Languages 5 but I affure you
the Latin runs thus, Gladios faclunt qui arhorem
mcdiocrlter magnam uno iBn ahfcindere
fojjiint. And now how that Tranflator who
is old Dog at Latin came to make this mi-
(take,
I know not.
2 30/'/VJ7.