306 JEROME CARDAN. 



topic happened to be personal, the wounds suffered by 

 him in his conflict with the world could not be hidden. 

 I cite two or three words of sense gathered at random 

 from this book 1 . 



" It is manifest that he who would live to the best pur- 

 pose should know what he wants, and that not only spe- 

 cially on each occasion that arises, but generally of the 

 whole course of his life. 



" Men rule over their fellows through religion and 

 force, or the art of fighting, or by necessity, as with the 

 doctors. Many men, therefore, have found it advantage- 

 ous to combine the art of fighting with religion. 



" In teaching youths who receive reason ill, use jests- 

 Tell them, for example, when they prefer pleasure to 

 truth, that they mistake butterflies for birds. In the 

 same way you can escape out of a difficulty and give the 

 blow you ought to take ; as when it was complained against 

 me that I had given a false prognosis when in consulta- 

 tion with some other physician, I said, * It would be odd, 

 indeed, if anything were done rightly in which he had 

 part.' 



" Instruct the mind as you bridle a horse, that it may 

 run whichever way you turn it. 



" Receive equals as your betters, paying honour to 

 them. 



1 Proxenata (ed, cit.), pp. 63, 68, 90, 101, 113, 121, 129. 



