272 JEROME CARDAN. 



in the submission of his writings to the Council at Rome 

 proved the means of saving Jerome out of peril. We may 

 also reasonably conclude, from the popularity to which he 

 suddenly attained among the citizens on his acquittal, that 

 in his accusation some strong public sentiment may have 

 been touched. His distress at his son's fate may have led 

 him to say things which would be tortured into a sig- 

 nificance of that kind of treason which the citizens of 

 Milan might in their hearts think fairly becoming a good 

 patriot. On this and on a later occasion, when the 

 charge seems to have been similar, it was not set down by 

 Cardan in his books. This I can account for only by 

 supposing that he had been brought into collision with 

 the ruling powers, of whom he was bound to say nothing 

 that would give further offence, and of whose dealings 

 with him he therefore said nothing at all. It can have 

 had nothing to do with the scandal raised at Pavia, for of 

 that he was ready to speak openly and bluntly, scattering 

 it to the winds with the angriest words he ever wrote. 



While reversing its decision upon this case, whatever it 

 may have been, the Milanese senate abided on technical 

 grounds by the exclusion of Cardan from the right of 

 lecturing. That, however, proved to be no check to his 

 career. The messenger returned from Bologna with 

 a more cheerful face to tell him that the conditions 

 against which he had protested were withdrawn, and 



