CONFERENCE BETWEEN CARDAN AND TARTAGLIA. 249 



NiCOLO. Enough that on that head I was not willing 

 to believe you. 



M. HIERONIMO. I swear to you by the sacred Gospel, 

 and on the faith of a gentleman, not only never to publish 

 your discoveries, if you will tell them to me, but also I 

 promise and pledge my faith as a true Christian to put 

 them down in cipher, so that after my death nobody shall 

 be able to understand them. If you will believe me, do; 

 if not, let us have done 1 . 



NiCOLO. If I could not put faith in so many oaths I 

 should certainly deserve to be regarded as a man with no 

 faith in him ; but since I have made up my mind now to 

 ride to Vigevano to find his excellency the lord mar- 

 quis, because I have been here already three days, and 

 am tired of awaiting him so long, when I am returned I 

 promise to show you the whole. 



M. HIERONIMO. Since you have made, up your mind 

 at any rate to ride at once to Vigevano to the lord mar- 

 quis, I will give you a letter to take to his excellency, in 

 order that he may know who you are ; but before you go 



" M. HIERO. lo ui giuro, ad sacra del evangelia, e da real gen- 

 til'huomo, non solamente da non publicar giamai tale uostre inven- 

 tioni, se me le insignate. Ma anchora ui prometto, et impegno la 

 fede mia da real Christiano, da notarmele in zifera, accioche dapoi la 

 mia morte alcuno non le possa intendere, se mel uoleti mo credere 

 credetilo se non lassatilo stare. NICOLO. Non uolendo io prestar fede 

 a tanti uostri giuramenti io meritaria certamente da esser giudicato 

 huomo senza fede, ma perche ho deliberate caualcare per fina a 

 Vegevene . . . ." &c. Op. cit. p. 124. 



