250 JEKOME CARDAN. 



taking money with you, or I will supply you with, the 

 means of opening a shop and establishing yourself here in 

 trade, so that you may earn a comfortable living/ He 

 was pleased at what I said ; but I added, ' On holidays 

 you must learn reading and writing.' 



" He agreed. 



" ' But what trade will you choose ? (And then I made 

 a great mistake in offering to a simple youth the most 

 laborious.) Will you be a tailor ?' 



" He agreed to that, and the more willingly, because 

 he had been in the habit of talking with my tailor, 

 Messer Antonino Daldo. I proposed him to that person, 

 who at once agreed about the price: that I was to 

 pay at the end of six months thirty-two gold crowns. 

 That was my second error. I ought to have paid 

 every year (we agreed for three years) only a third part. 

 But I committed a third error. I should have placed 

 him to be taught by somebody at Pavia, where I was 

 residing, not at Milan. The fourth mistake was, that I 

 did not retain, lodged in my own house, regardless of 

 youthful errors, which concerned neither my life, honour, 

 or fortunes, so faithful a pupil, who had been entrusted 

 by his father with so much confidence to my good faith. 

 If I had not kept him with me, I should have sent him to 

 no place but his own home. 



"The six months expired: the crafty man flattered the 

 excellent youth ; I saw that to be out of policy ; but, sus- 



