JEROME CARDAN 121 



study of contemporary records will show that Arran had 

 been largely, if not entirely, indebted to the distinguished 

 talents and to the ambition of his brother for his con- 

 tinued tenure of the chief power of the State. If 

 confirmation of this view be needed, it will be found 

 in the fact that, as soon as the Archbishop was confined 

 to a sick-room, Mary of Guise, the Queen Mother, 

 supported by her brothers in France and by the 

 Catholic party at home, began to undermine the 

 Regent's position by intrigue, and ultimately, partly by 

 coaxing, partly by threats, won from him a promise to 

 surrender his power into her hands. 



In the meantime Cardan was waiting for further 

 intelligence and directions as to his journey. The end 

 of January had been fixed as the date of the meeting at 

 Paris, and it was not until the middle of February that 

 any further tidings came to him. Then he received a 

 letter from Cassanate and a remittance to cover the 

 expenses of his journey. 1 He set out at once on 

 February 22, undaunted by the prospect of a winter 

 crossing of the Simplon, and, having travelled by way of 

 Sion and Geneva, arrived at Lyons on March 13. In 

 Cassanate's first letter Paris had been named as the 

 place of meeting ; but, as a concession to Cardan's 

 convenience, Lyons was added as an alternative, in case 

 he should find it impossible to spare time for a longer 

 journey. Cardan accordingly halted at Lyons, but 

 neither Archbishop nor physician was there to meet him. 

 After he had waited for more than a month, Cassanate 

 appeared alone, and brought with him a heavy purse 

 of money for the cost of the long journey to Scotland, 

 which he now begged Cardan to undertake, and a letter 



" Accepique antequam discederem aureos coronatos Gallicos 

 500 et M.C.C. in reditu." De Vita Propria, ch. iv. p. 16. 



