" CARDANUS COMFORTE." 191 



the material interests of a class, stirred passion, was warmly 

 talked about, and quickly bought ; the other touched on 

 the moral interests of mankind generally, was written to 

 allay passion, was coldly talked about, and bought with 

 more deliberation. It was reprinted by Petreius at Nu- 

 remberg 1 , and grew in credit ; it was a capital of fame 

 put out to interest, of which instalments were paid ever 

 after punctually year by year. The little volume came 

 by slow degrees to be accepted as a standard work of its 

 own time, was translated into sundry languages, and 

 twice into our own. The first English translation, 

 entitled Cardanus Comforte 2 , was' made while Cardan 

 still was living, thirty years after the publication of the 

 book at Venice. The very brief specimen that can be 

 here given of Jerome's style as an essayist and moralist, 

 I think it best to quote from this contemporary version. 



It was made by " Thomas Bedingfeld, Esquyer, one of 

 her Maiesties gentlemen pentioners" her Majesty being 

 Queen Elizabeth and it was both made at the request 

 and published at the command of the Earl of Oxford 

 " Sure I am," said Bedingfeld, " it would have better 



In 1544, together with the books subsequently written, De Sa- 

 pientiu, and the first of the three books De Libris Suis, then first 

 printed. 



2 " Cardanus Comforte translated into Englishe. And published by 

 commaundementof the Right Honourable the Earle of Oxenford. Anno 

 Domini, 1573. Imprinted at London in Eleete Streate, near to S. Dun- 

 stone's Churche, by Thomas Marshe." Without pagination. 



