258 JEROME CARDAN. 



it thus: " There has just been established here an academy 

 named ; Degli ASIdati, 3 in which are the first men of 

 letters in all Italy, as Branda Porro, Cardano, Delfino, 

 Lucillo, Bobbio, Corti, Cefalo, Berretta, Binaschi, Zaffire, 

 and many others not less learned than these, although not 

 equally famous. I will send you information of the forms 

 they use, the laws they observe, the faculties in which 

 they have readings, who are to be the readers, and the 

 days of meeting. The Lord Marquis of Pescara is made 

 academician, and the Signor Federigo Gonzaga. It is 

 believed that when the Duke of Sessa comes, he will also 

 take a place in it." In September, the same corre- 

 spondent wrote : " Thanks be to God, whom it has 

 pleased to cause my reception into the Accademia degli 

 Affidati, founded in this city four months since, which 

 has in a short time made so high a name, that it may be 

 exalted as a marvel without paragon. We are more than 

 forty: six excellent and famous jurisconsults, ten philo- 

 sophers, and about fifteen of the learned in other faculties ; 

 many knights, some princes, and among them the Lord 

 Marquis of Pescara." The academy did, indeed, take at 

 once so high a stand, that after four years it ranked as 

 its academicians the first cardinals of Rome, and some of 

 the chief rulers of Europe, including his Catholic Majesty 

 Philip the Second. 



Fifteen days after the town scandal against him had 



