104 JEROME CARDAN. 





CHAPTER VII. 



THE STORY OP ALDOBELLO BANDAEINI ILLS OF FORTUNE OF THE 

 PORTENT THAT AFFLICTED CARDAN AT THE BAPTISM OF HIS ELDEST 

 SON HUNGER IN GALLARATE POVERTY IN MILAN. 



JEROME CARDAN duly reflected before marriage upon 

 the dead weight of his wife's relations, that might, per- 

 haps, form not one of the lightest burdens of the married 

 state. Lucia was the eldest of four sisters, and she had 

 three brothers, all sons and daughters of Aldobello Ban- 

 darini and his wife ThaddaeaV At the time of the 

 marriage, however, it was much more likely that Jerome 

 would depend now and then for help upon the Bandarini 

 family, than that the Bandarini should need or, if need- 

 ing, ever be able to get help from him. Aldobello, the 

 father-in-law, was a man in the prime of life, genial and 

 shrewd, a man who knew not only how to win to himself 

 friends, but also how to use them profitably. A full 

 sketch of his career is left to us by Cardan, who, speaking 



The succeeding sketch of the career of Aldobello follows the very 

 full narrative given by Cardan in De Ut, ex Adv, Cap. Lib, iii. 

 pp. 457466. 



