108 JEROME CARDAN. 



It was easy to find that number of rustics, or even of 

 friends in better circumstances, glad to go out to drill 

 with Aldobello, and to earn the legal right of carrying 

 about the harquebuses sent from Venice. Aldobello set 

 to work upon his little army. Bearing some ridicule at 

 first, by diligent devotion of spare hours and holidays to 

 the forming of lines, squares, and wedges, he had in a 

 month or two made very obvious progress towards the 

 formation of a troop reasonably disciplined. The volun- 

 teers of Sacco bought for themselves drums, and further- 

 more set up a flag. Doubtless they would also have done 

 deeds of daring in the presence of the enemy, but most 

 unluckily for them the murmurs of approaching war 

 subsided. 



If there was no money to be made out of the Venetian 

 republic as captain of a band in actual camp service, the 

 prudent Aldobello saw that he was altogether in a false 

 position ; he must make a further move towards the resto- 

 ration of his fortunes. He therefore went to Venice, and 

 having demonstrated the usefulness of the labour in which 

 he had- been engaged, petitioned that the senate would 

 permit him to go out with his two hundred men as mer- 

 cenaries, hiring their services to foreign princes, but 

 always bound and ready at a call to return and do what- 

 ever duty was required for the Venetians. To make this 

 request, he said, he was compelled by poverty, not urged 



