A PACIFIC DESPATCH. 243 



two nor four; but he says that they shall come with cer- 

 tain books that he is sending. I should have been glad 

 to have them to give to the lord marquis ; when I have 

 them I will give them to him. 



As for the answers to my four accusations, I need only 

 reply to two ; one concerns the attack on your fifth pro. 

 position in the Arte Nova, the other is about coming to a 

 trial against you, who are the more able man in your own 

 art. With regard to that second point, I would much 

 rather live something of a poltroon than die a hero, the 

 rather, as you concede my position by saying that Zuan 

 Antonio had misunderstood, which puts an end to the 

 occasion of our combat. I hope that you will come to 

 Milan and learn to know me without the deposit of a 

 hundred ducats, because in truth, I know you to be a very 

 able man, and knowing one another we might both be 

 able to deliberate together. 



As for the disputation on the subject of your fifth pro- 

 position, certainly, you do well to use bold words, and de- 

 fend the opinion you have published. And certainly when 

 you come (as I hope, please God, you will) to Milan, we 

 will talk of it more at our ease, and the rather, as I had 

 your letters only yesterday evening" [which implied that a 

 month passed before they could be transmitted from Tar- 

 talea in Venice, to Cardan in Milan], " and to-day I am 

 obliged to write to you by command of the lord marqui?, 



