The essence of the rational soul and its entity and nature are made known by desribing the soul with sixteen principles which are :

B. Essential memory         F. Form              K. Composition  O. Operation
C. Essential intelligence  G. Matter           L. Substance      P. Internal
D. Essential will                H. Conjunction  M. Accident       Q.External
E. Being                              I. Simplicity       N. Virtue             R. Movement

With these principles the soul signifies its mode of being through its powers, and with their acts the soul signifies its mode of operation. Hence, the propositions contained in the figure of the soul are divided into two parts, the first contains three statemets for each of the sixteen principles that describe the soul, which makes forty-eight propositions in the first part. 

In the second part each letter of the alphabet signifies the powers of the soul and their acts:

B. Memory remembering  
C. The intellect understanding 
D. The will willing   
E. The compound act of B.C.D. 
 

F. Memory remembering  
G. The intellect understanding 
H. The will not willing  
I. The compound act of F.G.H.

K. Memory forgetting
L. The intellect ignoring
M. The will wiling or not 
N. The compound act of K.L.M.

O. The compound act of B.F.K.
P. The compound act of C.G.L.
Q. The compound act of D.H.M.
R. The compound act of O.P.Q.

Each of these sixteen letters also has three propositions, making forty-eight propositions.

Twice forty-eight gives ninety-six, and the first part is dealt with first, followed in turn by the second part.