No. 2, pp. 57. 18 men on a side of a castle, total = 48, 56, 40

Ff. IVv - Vr. = Peirani 8. The Index gives the above as Problem 88 and continues with the following. Problem 89: De uno abate ch' tolse aguardar certo monasterio de monache in levante contandole sera e matina per ogni verso tante et pur daloro schernito desperato la bandona (Of an abbot who tries to guard a certain monastery of monks in the Levant by counting evening and morning the same on each side and how the sneering desperados abandoned it ??).

Hunt. 1631 (1651). Pp. 264-266 (256-258). General and guards. 24 guards become 20 then 28.

van Etten. English ed., 1653, prob. 72: Of the game of square formes, pp. 124 125. 24 men on sides of a fort, becoming 28 and 20. Discusses case of 12 men making 3, 4 or 5 on a side.

Anon. Schau Platz der Betrieger: Entworfen in vielen List  und Lustigen Welt Händeln. Hamburg & Frankfurt, 1687, pp. 543 545. ??NYS (A&N, p. 5.)

Ozanam. 1694. Prob. 1, 1696: 1-2; 1708: 1 2; 1725: 1-3. Prob. 20, 1778: 172-174; 1803: 172-174; 1814: 151-153. Prob. 19, 1840: 77 78. Blind abbess and 24 nuns with 9 on a side. 1696 gives three arrangements with 24, 28, 20 on a side. 1725 adds another arrangement with 32. 1778 says Ozanam has presented this in a rather indecent manner to excite the curiosity of his readers and adds arrangements with 36 and 18 on a side. The last has 5 and 4 in the corners and none in the side cells, but can be done in other ways. 1803 drops the 'indecent' reference.

Dilworth. Schoolmaster's Assistant. 1743. Part IV: Questions: A short Collection of pleasant and diverting Questions, p. 168. Problem 1. General stationing guards around a castle, wanting 18 on a side, starting with 48 men and changing to 56, then 40.

Les Amusemens. 1749. Prob. 11, p. 131: Les rangs de Neuf. Wine merchant with 32 bottles, 9 on a side, reduced to 28, 24, 20.

Catel. Kunst-Cabinet. Vol. 2, 1793. Die Nonnenlist (The nuns' strategem), pp. 15-16 & fig. 251 on plate XII. The diagram shows the eight outside cells with 5 spots in the form of a 5 on a die and one spot in the centre. However, the text says there are 25 cones or pieces and one must read the instructions to learn the game. The number of pieces seems peculiar and I'm not entirely sure this is our problem, despite its name.

Bestelmeier. 1801. Item 191: Die Nonnenlist. Picture is an obscure copy of Catel. Text is copied from part of Catel, but says there are 15 pieces!

Badcock. Philosophical Recreations, or, Winter Amusements. [1820]. Pp. 10-11, no. 20: The blind abbess and her nuns. 9 on a side, starts with 24 and changes to 28, then 20.

Jackson. Rational Amusement. 1821. Arithmetical Puzzles.