ALLEGIANCE TO THE CHURCH. 159 



that I have no wish to sow discord, or to make a God of 

 my own mouth, or to know more than is needful 1 ." 

 Perfectly tolerant himself, Cardan withdrew from all 

 cause of political offence. While he was true to the 

 Church, and faithful to the priestly class by which he was 

 throughout life supported liberally, and which, it should 

 be observed, included his best patrons Archinto, Sfon- 

 drato, Morone, Hamilton, and others who will be here- 

 after mentioned he did not find this allegiance incon- 

 sistent with much bold speculation upon things divine. 

 His speculation, however, was of that harmless and 

 fantastic kind that may amuse philosophers, but never 

 can infect the crowd. It attacked no Church interest, 

 and did not hurt him, therefore, in his intercourse with 

 cardinals and bishops. 



" In the year 1557," says the physician, " I began 

 some writings, but they were continued with the greatest 

 difficulty on account of the assiduous care of sick people, 

 most of them magnates, so that I had scarcely breathing 

 time. For I had about that time ascended, as it were, 

 without will of my own, to the highest point of my au- 

 thority and influence, though there were many refusing 

 to acknowledge it, and even plotting against me." Find- 

 ing it difficult to make time for his pen to work out all 



1 Be Libr. Propr. Lib. ult. Op. Tom. i. p. 112, et seq. for this and 

 the citations following. 



