282 JEROME CARDAN. 



ment, it is certain that Cardan in his old age might have 

 found comfort in his connexion with the University of 

 Bologna. Such incidents as have been just detailed 

 belonged only to the small jealousies of daily life, whereof 

 there was perhaps no scholar who had not to endure his 

 share. A Frenchman came one day 1 desiring to consult 

 Cardan in private. The physician answered, that it would 

 suffice if his attendants, who were present, did not hear 

 their conversation. The Frenchman went away dissa- 

 tisfied. " What had he in his mind?" asks the old man. 

 " Some wickedness." The weaknesses of age being thus 

 aggravated, it was impossible for Cardan to enjoy the 

 abundant fruits of his renown that still surrounded him. 

 All seemed to go well with him, certainly for some years, 

 at Bologna. On settling in that town, he for the first 

 time set up a carriage 2 ; until then he had ridden gener- 

 ally on a mule. He used to go out in his carriage and 

 return on foot, having made the change, not on account 

 of luxury, but of his advancing age. 



He had become, indeed, less reckless about money 

 since his son's death. Before that time he had wasted 

 much, and it was his own fault that he had not been rich 

 enough, when there was yet time, to purchase Gianba- 

 tista's life. " If I were to relate," he said 3 in his old age, 



1 De Vita Propria, cap. xlii. 2 Ibid. cap. vii. 



3 De Libris Propriis. Lib. ulfc. Op. Tom. i. p. 131. 



