98 JEROME CARDAN. 



tion of Orontius. Minister died of plague at Basle while 

 Cardan was sailing down the Loire to Paris. He had 

 been teaching Hebrew and heretical theology in that 

 town for twenty-three years in fact, ever since he gave 

 up the Cordelier's robe and became a Lutheran. He wrote 

 an admirable Cosmography, besides an Organum Urani- 

 cum, and a great deal of Hebrew. A scholar of Basle 

 delivered a Hebrew oration over him when he was dead, 

 but in the world he had not due honour. Orontius was 

 far more widely celebrated. Concerning Orontius, it should 

 be added, that he had once been imprisoned for discover- 

 ing bad omens for France among the stars, but that, with 

 that exception, fortune favoured him abundantly. He 

 did not rightly use her gifts, for, though he had worked 

 for princes and been largely paid, he died in debt 

 three years after Cardan's visit to Paris and left a large 

 family of children destitute. 



Orontius, then, in whom Jerome as a mechanist and 

 mathematician felt much interest, declined to become 

 acquainted with the new guest of the learned in the town. 

 Everywhere else, however, he was made to feel the great- 

 ness of his reputation. At court he was flattered by the 

 desire of the king himself that he should kiss hands and 

 accept court service in France, with a considerable pen- 

 sion ; but he was unwilling to offend the emperor, whom 

 he considered as his master, and who was at war with 



