6 JEROME CARDAN. 



bestowed in a precisely opposite direction. Chiara (Clara) 

 Micheria was still very young 1 , passionate of temper 2 , and 

 had quitted Milan in the worst of humours. Medicine 

 refused, however, at her bidding or rather at the bidding 

 of her bad advisers 3 to fulfil an evil purpose; and at 

 Pavia, on the 24th of September 4 , in the year 1501, the 

 living child of Fazio Cardan was brought, after a three 

 days' labour 5 , through much trouble 6 , silently to light. 

 Considering that it was very nearly dead, the nurse 

 promptly immersed the infant in a little bath of wine 5 . 

 It had already a growth of long dark hair upon its head 5 , 

 and it very soon gave evidence of life and strength. That 

 it would not die very soon there was great reason, the 

 mother knew, to hope or fear, since it is certain that 

 longevity becomes often inherited, and she herself a 

 short, fat, healthy woman, of a lively wit 2 as well as the 

 geometrician, came of long-lived ancestors 7 . 



Let me dwell for a few minutes on this question of the 



1 "Matrem meam Claram Micheriam juvenem vidi, cum admodum 

 puer essem." De Consolatione (ed. Ven. 1542), Lib. ii. p. 41. 



2 De Propr. Vit. Lib. p. 11. 



3 " Medicamentum abortivum Alieno mandate bibit." De Ut. ex 

 Adv. Cap. (ed. 1561) Lib. iii. p. 427. 



4 See Note 1 on page 1. 



5 De Ut. ex Adv. Cap. p. 427. 



6 " Per vim extractus ut meo supplicio matrem liberarem a morte," 

 De Ut. ex Adv. Cap. p. 427. 



7 " Longsevi autem fuere majores nostri." De Propr. Vit. cap. iv. 

 pp. 5, 6, for the succeeding details. 



