262 JEROME CARDAN. 



been reading his book, in which he wrote of the illus- 

 trious lord abusively, and was very near running out to 

 cut Cardan in two (for he happened to be in the court at 

 the time), and throw him down the dust-hole. But the 

 physician added, that he had been good enough to inter- 

 fere and mitigate his anger. Then he attacked Jerome, 

 and told him that he must speak well of the prince, and 

 turning suddenly upon him, as if he were protesting that 

 he would not, raised another crowd. Cardan then, 

 " knowing," he says, " how his reputation was shattered 

 by the fate of his son," and what strength and law was 

 with the rich and powerful, felt that he was compelled to 

 oppose the machinations of the busybody. Entering the 

 cathedral, he saw one of his learned friends, Adrian 

 Belga, always helpful and kind, and to him told the 

 whole story, adding, that if Antonio Pezono, a Spaniard 

 doing honour to his country, were in the place, he should 

 know how to turn the tables on his persecutor. "He is 

 here," said Adrian, "just at the porch." They went to 

 him. He, when he heard the story, told it to a Spaniard 

 higher in authority, who told it, in presence of Cardan's 

 medical plague, to the magnate who was the hero of the 

 tale. The great man, who did not know the alphabet, 

 laughed mightily at hearing of the wrath excited in him 

 by the reading of a volume of philosophy, and turning 

 to the doctor, told him that he was a fool; smaller people 



