Brother Luca Pacioli. It took him thirty years to write. The book is bound in deepest green with a tooled border of gold, and its pages are edged in gilt, so that it blazes in the light. Its clasps are studded with blackish garnets, smooth, translucent. I hardly dare open it, the boy says. Please. You will like it. It is Summa de Arithmetica. He unclasps it to find a woodcut of the author with a book before him, and a pair of compasses.
In Hilary Mantel's "Wolf Hall," a character reflects on the esteemed work of Brother Luca Pacioli, who dedicated three decades to writing his influential book, "Summa de Arithmetica." The book is described as extraordinarily beautiful, bound in deep green leather with a gold-tooling border and gilt-edged pages that shimmer in light. The ornate clasps adorned with translucent garnets enhance its allure, creating a sense of reverence and hesitance in the character as he considers opening it.
The boy hesitates to explore the contents but is encouraged to do so, highlighting the book's significance and the awe it inspires. Upon opening, he discovers a woodcut illustration of Pacioli himself, contributing to the sense of wonder surrounding both the author and the work, emphasizing the connection between mathematics and its profound impact on knowledge and learning.
