166 JEROME CARDAN. 



Afterwards, when Jerome was alone beside his patient, 

 Sfondrato said to him : " I give you this child for a son." 

 Jerome was astonished. " Consider him your own," said 

 the senator ; " do with him as you would with your own 

 child. Do not concern yourself about the other doctors. 

 Let them be offended if they will." Cardan replied, that it 

 was his desire to act as their ally, and to receive assistance 

 from them in the case, of which the issue could be only 

 doubtful. His course of treatment was, however, followed, 

 and the child recovered in four days. The father reflected 

 that under the care of Delia Croce his eldest child had 

 lain six months uncured, and so came to the abrupt con- 

 clusion that Donato Lanza had with reason praised Jerome 

 Cardan to him as the , most skilful of the Milanese 

 physicians. The senator Sfondrato who became after- 

 wards a cardinal abided by Cardan from that time for- 

 ward as a good patient and a faithful patron. 



Having made up his mind emphatically on the subject 

 of Cardan, and distinctly weighed against him Delia Croce 

 and Cavenega, Sfondrato began to reflect upon his friend's 

 position in relation to the College of Physicians. Delia 

 Croce was the procurator ; Cavenega had openly declared 

 that he could not praise merit in a man who was disowned 

 by the faculty ; the senator formed, therefore, at once a 

 strong opinion that the exclusion of Cardan from their 

 body by the Milanese physicians was the consequence 



