THE PHILOSOPHERS LAY BETS. 237 



Cardan, I think, had worked his way by that time 

 somewhat further than Tartalea supposed ; the gist of 

 Tartalea's argument upon the matter was, however, true, 

 and when writing the above passage he had certainly the 

 best of the discussion. He answered well and boldly. He 

 showed equal courage, when, having explained that Car- 

 dan's challenge was founded on a misunderstanding of his 

 answer to the bookseller, he picked up the gage that had 

 been thrown before him. Jerome's complaint was super- 

 fluous, he said : " But inasmuch as I may consider that 

 your excellency very much desires to try your skill with 

 me, which being so, if I were sure to be a loser, I would 

 not refuse such a challenge, that is to say, to bet upon 

 this matter the said hundred ducats, and I will come per- 

 sonally for the purpose to Milan, if you will not come to 

 Venice." 



Tartalea will be much perplexed to find a hundred 

 ducats should he lose the wager, and I know that Jerome 

 sent out his defiance from a home into which ducats did 

 not come even by scores. Each combatant can afford 

 only to win, but gamblers are not always wise, and men 

 could then gamble not less readily in algebra than over 

 cards or dice. 



Tartalea met more boldly than wisely the objection 



Millano et die li hauesse proposte a quella (come che anchor giudico 

 ct tengo per fermo) et che quella per non saperle risoluere me le hab- 

 bia mandate da risoluere a me per le ragioni che di sotto se dira." 



