234 JEROME CAKDAN. 



hand. You shall have them each to each, that you may 

 not suppose I have sent rather to get than to give them ; 

 but return first your own, that you may not lead me to 

 believe that you have solved the questions, when you 

 have not. 



In addition to this, be pleased to send me the propo- 

 sitions offered by you to Master Antonio Maria Fior, and 

 if you will not send me the solutions, keep them by you, 

 they are not so very precious. And if it should please 

 you, in receiving the solutions of my said questions 

 should you be yourself unable to solve them, after you 

 have satisfied yourself that my first six questions are dif- 

 ferent in kind to send me the solution of any one of 

 them, rather for friendship's sake, and for a test of your 

 great skill, than for any other purpose, you will do me a 

 very singular pleasure. 



The first question : Make me of ten four quantities in 

 continued proportion whose squares added shall make 

 sixty. A like question is put by Brother Luca, but he 

 does not answer it. 



The second: Two persons were in company, and pos- 

 sessed I know not how many ducats. They gained the 

 cube of the tenth part of their capital, and if they had 

 gained three less than they did gain, they would have 

 gained an amount equal to their capital. How many 

 ducats had they ? 



HIERONIMO CARDANO, Physician." 



