194 JEROME CARDAN. 



wanteth it not reason and sufficiente proofe to trye it- 

 selfe 1 : wherein so excellente, wise, and eloquente a man 

 as Marcus Tullius having travailed : it muste be presumed 

 he framed a worke not only worthy prayse, but also aboue 

 all expectation. 



"And albeit those auncient warres have among many 

 other noble workes depriued us of so learned a boke, yet 

 haue we thought mete to entreate thereof (not " [only] 

 " because it is so praisable as amisse it cannot be praysed), 

 but also so necessary " [that] " (as in all thinges whiche of 

 necessitie must be had) better it is to haue any than none 

 at al. For example we see, that houses are nedefull, such 

 as can not possesse y stately pallaces of stone, do per- 

 suade themselves to dwell in houses of timber and clay, 

 and wanting theim, are contented to inhabite the simple 

 cotage ; yea rather than not to be housed at all refuse 

 not the. pore cabbon, and most beggerly caue. For in 

 these things better it is to have the worst than none at 

 all. So necessarie is this gifte of consolacion, as there 

 liueth no man, but that hathe cause to embrace it 2 . And 

 wel we see ther is none aliue that in every respect may be 

 accompted happie, yea though mortall men were free 



1 "Et se tamen locupletissimam materiam suggerat." It would 

 suggest by itself the richest matter. 



2 I have not altered Master Bedingfeld's translation, which fits ad- 

 mirably to the text ; but as he had spoilt this passage so far by the 

 transposition of three sentences, I have restored them to their proper 

 places. 



