26 JEROME CARDAN 



possibly were instigated rather by political jealousy of 

 the Papacy as a temporal power, than by any enthusi- 

 asm for the humanist and scientific studies of which 

 Padua was the most illustrious home south of the Alps ; 

 studies which the powers of the Church began already to 

 recognize as their most dangerous foes. 



Such was the University of Padua at the height of 

 its glory, and it will be apparent at once that Padua 

 must have fallen considerably in its fortunes when it 

 installed as its Rector an obscure student, only twenty- 

 four years of age, and of illegitimate birth, and conferred 

 upon him the right to go clad in purple and gold, and 

 to claim, as his retiring gift, the degree of Doctor and 

 the cross of Saint Mark. In 1508 the League of 

 Cambrai had been formed, and Venice, not yet re- 

 covered from the effects of its disastrous wars with 

 Bajazet II., was forced to meet the combined assault of 

 the Pope, the Emperor, and the King of France. Padua 

 was besieged by the Imperial forces, a motley horde of 

 Germans, Swiss, and Spaniards, and the surrounding 

 country was pillaged and devastated by these savages 

 with a cruelty which recalled the days of Attila. It is 

 not wonderful that the University closed its doors in 

 such a time. When the confederates began to fight 

 amongst themselves the class-rooms were reopened, 

 intermittently at first, but after 1515 the teaching seems 

 to have been continuous. Still the prevalent turmoil 

 and poverty rendered it necessary to curtail all the 

 mere honorary and ornamental adjuncts of the schools, 

 and for several years no Rector was appointed, for the 

 good and sufficient reason that no man of due position 

 and wealth and character could be found to undertake 

 the rectorial duties, with the Academy just emerging 

 from complete disorganization. These duties were many 



