302 JEROME CARDAN. 



become the property of the University for use as a college, 

 to be called the College of Cardan, s^' 



Another family arrangement made by Jerome when he 

 left Bologna is extremely characteristic. The Cardans had 

 for their arms a red castle with its turrets, the turret- 

 tower being in the middle, and black on a white ground, 

 by which it was distinguished from the arms of the Cas- 

 tiglione family. For further distinction, the emperor 

 had added to the shield of the Cardans an eagle without 

 a beak, and with its wings outspread upon a golden 

 ground. The occasion of his imprisonment suggested to 

 Cardan the substitution for the eagle in his seal of the 

 image of a swallow singing under a shade or cloud. He 

 took the swallow, he says, because it suited his own 

 habits; it did no hurt to mortals, did not shun the 

 dwellings of the poor, was always busy about the human 

 race, yet never on familiar footing with it; it changed its 

 dwelling often, went and came, was connubial not so- 

 litary, yet not disposed for living in a flock; it had a song 

 wherewith to pay those who were friendly to it, and it 

 was impatient of confinement. Other parallels were its 

 carrying, small as it was, beautiful stones within its belly, 

 its delight in mild air and warmth, its grateful remem- 

 brance of a hospitable roof, and its being conquered by 

 no other bird in flight 1 . 



1 De Vita Propria, cap. xxxiii. for the preceding. 



