STUDENT AT PADUA. 59 



century, had been supported by the Princes of Carrara till 

 their power rotted. Then the Gymnasium was placed, 

 together with the town, in 1405, under the shield of 

 Venice, the town keys and seal being presented in that 

 year to Michael Steno. The liberality of the Venetians 

 caused the university to prosper greatly, and it owed much 

 in the first years of its dependence upon Venice to the 

 liberality of rectors 1 . Until the year 1550, there were 

 two rectors yearly appointed, who held divided rule, the 

 university itself being divided between artists (followers 

 of theology, philosophy, and physic) and jurisconsults. 

 As the affairs of the two classes were separate, each had 

 its rector. Jerome, we have seen, joined the artists, not 

 the jurisconsults, who had then for their own use a distinct 



1 The best accounts of the University of Padua in its good old times 

 are, I believe, the six books of Commentaries on the Paduan Gymna- 

 sium, by Antonio Riccobone (Patavii, 1598), the Paduan Gymna- 

 sium, in five books, by the Bishop J. P. Tomasini (Utini, 1654), and 

 the History of the Paduan Gymnasium, by Nic. Comn. Papadopoli 

 (Venet. 1726). I have used these as my authorities, Riccobone lived 

 partly in Cardan's time, but Tomasini's work is more serviceable, in- 

 asmuch as it is full of those minute details which give life to our 

 knowledge of the past. It is quite the best work of the three. The 

 two volumes of Papadopoli, Abbot of St. Zenobius, and Professor at 

 Padua of Canon Law, are of great service as an elaborate appendix to 

 the others. He made it his business not only to compile afresh (drily 

 enough), but to supply from the university records the omissions that 

 occurred in the lists of rectors, professors, &c., published by the two 

 first-named writers. He gives also a brief account of every Paduan 

 who had been famous, including, of course, Cardan. Cardan's name, 

 however, as of one who had held office in the university, does not occur 

 in any of the lists given by these chroniclers. 



