38 JEROME CARDAN. 



the child trembled with the fear that it would speak, until 

 it did speak, in a human voice, threatening words that 

 took no hold upon his memory 1 . 



There were none by to understand the beatings of the 

 young heart and the ponderings of the excited mind. 

 Sometimes the child was labouring in the diseased heroic 

 vein; at seven years old aweary of the world and cogi- 

 tating suicide. Cardan, when he confesses this in after- 

 life, adds a suspicion that the same has occurred to other 

 men, although they do not like to tell it in their books 2 . 

 There were none by to understand the vague emotions 

 that were, even in youth, to grow into the form of hunger 

 for undying fame; the busy brain, that was perpetually 

 cogitating many and large things, revolving also things 

 that were impossible 3 . 



The aspirations of the fevered mind were mingled 



1 De Vita Prop. p. 162, 



2 " Laboravi interdum amore Heroico, ut me ipsum trucidare cogi- 

 tarem; verum talia etiam aliis accidere suspicor; licet hi in libros non 

 referant." De Vita Propria, p. 31. The preceding sentences make it 

 probable that Cardan applies this statement to his whole life; the 

 sentence before which it is placed favours, however, the belief that he 

 is referring to his childhood only. I adopt the latter view, because I 

 know that in the early years of childhood this feeling is connected 

 closely with the physical condition already described. There is 

 nothing in it but a wild love for the mystery of death. I can call to 

 mind no instance of suicide committed by a child. 



3 "Cerebri calidi, addictus cogitationi perpetuo: multa ac maxima, 

 et etiam quae esse non possunt revolvens." De Vita Propria, cap. xiii. 

 p. 58. 



