among the papers of his friend and executor Dr. Lort, has proved they were not discovered by Gerbert, nor used in Spain, nor introduced before the time of bishop Grosseteste, who died in 1353, after John Basing, the archdeacon of Leicester brought them from Greece between 1235 and 1240[1]."
The passage in Matt. Paris's history, cited by Mr. North, with his comment, ought to have a fuller inquiry, because, from a misinterpretation of it, he seems to have attributed to the archdeacon of Leicester the introduction of Arabic numerals into England. It is as follows.
"Hic magister Johannes figuras Græcorum numerales et earum notitiam et significationes in Angliam portavit, et familiaribus suis declaravit, per quas figuras etiam literas representantur. De quibus figuris hoc maxime admirandum quod unicâ figurâ quilibet numerus representatur: quod non est in Latino vel in Algorismo[2]."
It being expressly mentioned that John de Basing imported into this country the Greek numerals, is it not an overstrained critical amendment to assert that the characters were not Greek, but Indian numerals, and new named by some uncertain continuator of the history, because they passed from India through Greece to England? Such a fundamental alteration will be deemed less justifiable, if it be considered, that the person in question was the most eminent Greek scholar of his age; that he travelled into Greece and abided at Athens, for the purpose of improving himself in the Greek language. That when he returned home he brought with him several Greek MSS; that he spirited youths to the study of the Geeek language; and that for the use of the studious he translated into Latin an edition of a Greek grammar. Nor from the relation we have of him does it appear that he extended his travels beyond Athens, or that he was conversant in the eastern literature and
sciences
