188 JEROME CARDAN. 



strument showing celestial movements, which having been 

 bought formerly at a high price from the maker by a duke 

 of Milan, had then been taken to pieces, and, after great 

 trouble and discussion, put together again by lanello, of 

 Cremona. As Cardan could not have the instrument at 

 home with him, he grew tired of that work. In 1539 

 Jerome finished his three books on the Life of Christ, and 

 arranged two or three books of Letters. The whole of 

 the next year was spent in the revision and emendation 

 of his former writings, one of which, that on Consolation, 

 written in 1537, he prepared next for the press. In 1541, 

 admonished by a dream, he began to work earnestly at 

 Greek literature, and wrote upon the Immortality of the 

 Soul. 



" Girolamo Castellione Cardano of Milan his Three 

 Books on Consolation," published at Venice in 1542 1 by 

 one of the brothers Scoto (Girolamo), formed a neat little 

 volume of two hundred and sixty-four pages 2 ; and had as 

 emblems on the title-page a Peace instead of a Fame 

 riding the globe, with the motto, Fiat Pax in virtute tua 

 Let Peace come of your virtue. There is a great deal of 

 wisdom in the matter, and of wit in the manner of all 



1 Hieronymi Cardani Castellionei Mediolanensis De Consolatione 

 Libri Tres. Venetiis, apud Hieronymum Scotum, 1542. 



2 One hundred and thirty-two, as figured ; the two pages of a book 

 that face each other being accounted one in this as in many other 

 volumes of the time. 



