242 JEROME CARDAN 



He tells another long story of an adventure which 

 befell him in May 1576. One day he was driving in 

 his carriage in the Forum, when he remembered that he 

 wanted to see a certain jeweller who lived in a narrow 

 alley close by. Wherefore he told his coachman, a 

 stupid fellow, to go to the Campo Altoviti, and await 

 him there. The coachman drove off apparently under- 

 standing the order ; but, instead of going to the place 

 designated, went somewhere else ; so Cardan, when he 

 set about to find his carriage, sought in vain. He had 

 a notion that the man had gone to a spot near the 

 citadel, so he walked thither, encumbered with the 

 thick garments he had put on as necessary for riding 

 in the carriage. Just then he met a friend of his, 

 Vincenzio, a Bolognese musician, who remarked that 

 Cardan was not in his carriage as usual. The old man 

 went on towards the citadel, but saw nothing of the 

 carriage ; and now he began to be seriously troubled, 

 for there was naught else to be done but to go back 

 over the bridge, and he was wearied with long fasting 

 and his heavy clothes. He might indeed have asked 

 for the loan of a carriage from the Governor of the 

 castle ; but he was unwilling to do this, so having com- 

 mended himself to God, he resolved to use all his 

 patience and prudence in finding his way back. He 

 set out, and when he had crossed the bridge, he entered 

 the banking-house of the Altoviti to inquire as to the 

 alteration in the rate of exchange on Naples, and there 

 sat down to rest. While the banker was giving him 

 this information, the Governor entered the place, where- 

 upon Cardan went out and there he found his carriage, 

 the driver having been informed by Vincenzio, whom he 

 had met, of the mistake he had made. Cardan got 

 into the carriage, and while he was wondering whether 



