228 JEROME CARDAN. 



however, Nicolo desired to keep his knowledge to him- 

 self, then it was necessary for the advance of his favourite 

 science that Cardan should acquire it in some other way. 

 Something he had already discovered, and he hoped from 

 any calculations that he might persuade Tartalea to fur- 

 nish that he could obtain hints by which he would be 

 assisted in discovering the whole of the secret kept with 

 too much jealousy from the science to which it be- 

 longed. Tartalea repelled every advance of this kind, 

 so unceremoniously, that Jerome, who was hot in dis- 

 putation, fell into a rage, and wrote a very angry 

 letter, which Tartalea has printed, and which I ap- 

 pend in full. It was of course not written for print, 

 and is an example of the kind of impatient violence 

 which Cardan used in private arguments, but always 

 abstained from carrying into his books. Had not Tar- 

 talea published the whole quarrel, very little trace would 

 have been left of it, for Jerome put no wrath or malice 

 into works deliberately written for posterity. I desire 

 also, for a reason that will afterwards appear, to call 

 attention to the manner in which mention is made of the 

 Marquis del Guasto in the dialogue just quoted, and in 

 the succeeding letter. 



