162 JEROME CARD AN. 



In the preceding year his household was increased, his 

 daughter Clara had been born; and in that year, 1537, of 

 which we now speak, his household was diminished, for 

 it was then that his mother Clara died 1 . While she lay 

 awaiting death, Jerome of course had all his senses open 

 for the perception of some sign or omen. Once in the 

 night he heard a mysterious tapping, as of the fall 

 of water-drops upon a pavement, and he counted nearly 

 one hundred and twenty distinct raps. He was in doubt, 

 however, as to their significance, or whether they were 

 indeed spiritual manifestations, for they appeared to pro- 

 ceed from a point to the right of him, in contradiction to 

 all doctrine concerning portents of cakmity. He be- 

 lieved, therefore, that fe perhaps one of his servants might 

 be practising on his anxiety." But for the purpose of 

 assuring his faith in the genuineness of the supernatural 

 communication that he had received, the raps were re- 

 peated he supposed that they could have been repeated 

 only for that purpose on the next day when the sun was 

 high, and he, being up and awake, could assure himself 

 that nobody was near him. There were then fifteen 

 strokes; he counted them. Afterwards he heard in the 

 night a heavy sound as of the unloading of a waggonful 



ment there incidentally made that his daughter was two years younger 

 than his eldest son. 



1 " MDXXXVII, cum mater obiit, . . . ." Paralipomenon. Lib. ii. 

 cap. xxj. Opera, Tom. x. p. 471. 



