158 JEROME CARDAN. 



preliminary insight into his character than by carrying on 

 to the end this brief sketch of his life. D' Avalos, while 

 at Venice, treacherously murdered two French ambassa- 

 dors, in order to obtain possession of their papers. In 

 1544 he lost the battle of Cerisoles, in Piedmont, being 

 the first man to take flight, although he had set out with 

 the boast that he would bring home the young Duke of 

 Anjou as a plaything for the dames of Milan. He had 

 also taken with him on his march four thousand chains, 

 with which he was to bind Frenchmen to the galleys. 

 The unexpected reverse preyed upon his mind ; never re- 

 covering from his chagrin he was taken ill, and died in 

 the year 1546, ten years after the date from which this 

 narrative has wandered. 



While these facts are told against him, it should also be 

 said that Alphonso d' Avalos used his great wealth in such 

 a way as to merit the commendation of all churchmen 

 and men of letters, for he was a lavish patron, as Cardan 

 well knew, when he cultivated his good-will. At first he 

 had been military governor of the Milanese district, 

 Cardinal Caraccioli being the civil governor of the town. 

 After the cardinal's death no successor was appointed, and 

 D' Avalos was supreme. "His mild rule," wrote a 

 Milanese churchman while his memory was green, " re- 

 vived the province; and he was so liberal in sacred things 

 that he in some degree made good the loss occasioned by 



