256 JEROME CARDAN. 



wish. Then, when they did not hope to get my dismissal 

 from the senate, though I myself was asking for it, they 

 resolved to kill me, not with the sword, for they feared 

 the infamy and the senate, but with a scandal. They 

 wrote to me first a vile and filthy letter, in the name of 

 my son-in-law and in the name of my daughter, saying that 

 they were ashamed of their relationship with me, that they 

 were ashamed for the senate and the college, which were 

 likely soon to remove me from connexion with them. Be- 

 wildered by this audacious censure from my kindred, I did 

 not know what to do, what to say, how to reply ; for I could 

 not interpret the meaning of these things." After a few 

 days, the distressed physician received also a letter signed 

 with the name of Fioravanti, a most modest man and his 

 friend, opening his eyes to a charge so vile, that he re- 

 verted instantly to the letter of his son-in-law in grief and 

 amazement at his children's rash belief of it. He went at 

 once to Fioravanti, who confessed the letter to be his; 

 and being asked upon what grounds the accusation rested, 

 answered upon common fame, and the opinion of the 

 rector. Now the rector was a partisan to Delfino, Car- 

 dan's nearest rival. Fioravanti, who had at first been 

 influenced by the reports, readily did justice to his friend, 

 and a check was opposed to the filthiness of scandal. 

 Fioravanti was the hot friend, and Delfino the simple 

 rival, who desired to succeed to Cardan's vacated chair. 



