A MATHEMATICIAN SULKING. 26 I 



simo, to say nothing of Carissimo, thus : " Mcsscr Hie- 

 ronimo, I have received a letter of yours, in which you 

 write that you understand the rule for the case a? 3 rr bx + c ; 

 but that when (^) 3 exceeds (^c) 2 you cannot resolve the 

 equation by following the rule, and therefore you request 

 me to give you the solution of this equation X s 9# -f 10 1 . 

 To which I reply" (it will be understood that to himself 

 also the case was insoluble) " to which I reply, and say, 

 that you have not used the good method for resolving 

 such a case ; also I say that such your proceeding is 

 entirely false. And as to resolving you the equation you 

 have sent, I must say that I am very sorry that I have 

 given you already so much as I have done, for I have 

 been informed, by a person worthy of faith, that you are 

 about to publish another algebraical work, and that you 

 have gone boasting through Milan of having discovered 

 some new rules in Algebra. But take notice, that if you 

 break your faith with me, I shall certainly not break 

 promise with you (for it is not my custom) ; nay, even 

 undertake to visit you with more than I had promised." 



The rest of the letter, which is very long, was chiefly 

 intended to be disagreeable. To another of Cardan's 



1 In the old algebraical language, " haueti inteso il capitolo de cubo, 

 equale a cose, et nuraero, ma che quando il cubo della terza parte delle 

 cose eccede il quadrato della mita del nutnero che alPhora non poteti 

 farli seguir la equatione, et che per tanto me pregati che ue dia resolto 

 questo capitolo de .1. cubo. equale a .9. cose piu .10." 



