ROYAL OFFERS. 99 



France. He was called to attend the half-brother of 

 Mary Queen of Scots (probably the young Duke de 

 Longueville), and in the hope of service that he might 

 render an immense stipend was offered but in too vague 

 a way if he would become physician to her majesty. 

 Afterwards, when his treatment had been found successful 

 (the duke, however, if he was the patient, died about 

 that time), the offers were repeated, but they were not 

 determinate enough, and were, at any rate, refused 1 . 

 Considering how beggarly a country Scotland was in his 

 opinion, Jerome took some pains to show how it was 

 that the queen could afford to make a lavish offer, and 

 attributed her means to wealth accruing from the royal 

 guardianship of estates, when the succession fell on 

 minors. 



It was not until they reached Paris that Jerome dis- 

 cussed terms with Cassanate ; but there was an agreement 

 then drawn up, which was afterwards destroyed as being 

 an instrument not necessary between a physician and an 

 honourable patient. Cardan was to have his travelling 



1 " Oblatas majores conditiones renui, unam Regis Gallonim, metui 

 Csesaria nos offendere, cum inter eos principes dessevirent bella : aliam 

 paulo post cum rediissem , . . . : aliam ante hanc locupletiorem 

 sed nimis dissitam, cum Scotorum Regina, cujus levirum curaveram; 

 et tamen spe sanitatis adipiscendse. Post, cum sanassem, experimento 

 et gratia inductum . . . ." De Vita Prop. cap. iv. The reference of 

 the Queen of Scotland's wealth to the abuses of -wardship, occurs 

 in cap. xxxii. of the same book. 



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