"The next great step, for the improvement of Algebra, was that of Specious Arithmetick, first introduced by Vieta about the Year 1590. This Specious Arithmetick, which gives Notes or Symbols (which he calls Species) to Quantities both known and unknown, doth (without altering the manner of demonstration, as to the substance,) furnish us with a short and convenient way of Notation; whereby the whole process of many Operations is at once exposed to the Eye in a short Synopsis. By the help of this he makes many Discoveries, in the process of Algebra, not before taken notice of. He introduceth also his Numeral Exegesis, of affected Equations, extracting the Roots of these in Numbers."