TARTAGLIA HEARS FROM MASTER MAPHIO. 259 



but being busy over his Euclid, had only found time to 

 glance at it and fall at once upon a shocking error, " so 

 gross/ 1 he says, " that I am amazed at it, for one would 

 have thought that it might have been seen with only half 

 an eye 1 ." He is quite " sorry for the honour" of his 

 friend. Nicolo had verily the temper of a thistle. 



On the 10th of July in the same year the restless 

 mathematician was further excited by a letter from an old 

 pupil settled at Bergamo, one Master Maphio, asking 

 help in the untying of some knot of a problem, and 

 ending with a scrap of gossip, to the effect that a friend 

 from Milan had written word to him that the physician 

 Cardan was engaged over a new algebraical work, treat- 

 ing of certain new discoveries. Could they be Tartalea's? 

 Certainly they were, Tartalea replied, if the news were 

 true, and cited the grim proverb: "If you wish your 

 counsel kept, make confidant of nobody." He begged 

 Maphio to be on the alert, and send him if he could more 

 tidings on the matter. The rumour, I need not say, was 

 false. Jerome made his promise in good faith, and it was 

 not until five years afterwards that any book of his was 

 published upon Algebra. Tartalea, however, had left 



1 " Vostra eccellentia erra tanto de grosso che me ne stupisco, 

 perche cadauno che hauesse solamente mezzo un' occhio lo potria ve- 



dere cosa rnolto redicolosa cosa molto lontano dalla 



verita, della qualcosa molto me ne rincresce per honor uostro. Non 

 altro Iddio da mal, &c. Nicolo Tartalea Brisciano tutto vostro." 



62 



