The Ground of Artes, teaching the perfect worke and practise of Arithmeticke, both in whole numbers and Fractions, after a more easie and exact sort, than hitherto hath beene set foorth.

Made by M.Robert Record, D. in Phtsicke.

And now lately diligently corrected and beautified with sundry new Rules and necessary Additions: And further endowed with a third part of Rules of practice abridged into a briefer method that hitherto hath been published: with diverse such necessarie Rules as are incident to the trade of Merchandise/

Whereunto are also added diverse Tables and instructions that will bring great profite and delight unto Merchants, Gentlemen, and others as by the Contents of this Treatise shall appeare.

By John Mellis.

Robert Recorde was a Welsh mathematician and his book The Ground of Arts was one of the first printed English textbooks on arithmetic. First printed in 1543 it provided an introduction to arithmetic in the form of a dialogue between a master and a student to facilitate learning without a teacher.

The book was very popular and was reissued several times before Recorde published a larger second edition in 1552. The book continued to be revised following Recorde’s death in 1558. The first posthumous edition was edited by John Dee (Elizabeth I’s court astronomer) and added to by John Mellis.  The book would go on to be reprinted in at least 45 further editions up until 1700.