24 DISSERTATION SECOND. [part i. 



gree ; except that, as we are told, about the year 1508, 

 Scipio Ferrei, professor of mathemalicks at Bologna, had 

 found out a rule for resolving one of the cases of cubicle 

 equations, which, however, he concealed, or communicated 

 only to a few of his scholars. One of these, Florido, on 

 the strength of the secret he possessed, agreeably to a 

 practice then common among mathematicians, challenged 

 Tartalea of Brescia, to contend with him in the solution of 

 algebraick problems. Florido had at first the advantage ; 

 but Tartalea, being a man of ingenuity, soon discovered his 

 rule, and also another much more general, in consequence 

 of which, he came off at last victorious. By the report of 

 this victory, the curiosity of Cardan was strongly excited ; 

 for, though he was himself much versed in the mathema- 

 ticks, he had not been able to discover a method of resolv- 

 ing equations higher than the second degree. By the 

 most earnest and importunate solicitation, he wrung from 

 Tartalea the secret of his rules, but not till he had bound 

 himself, by promises and oaths, never to divulge them. 

 Tartalea did not communicate the demonstrations, which, 

 however, Cardan soon found out, and extended, in a very 

 ingenious and systematick manner, to all cubick equations 

 whatsoever. Thus possessed of an important discovery, 

 which was at least in a great part his own, he soon forgot 

 his promises to Tartalea, and published the whole in 1545, 

 not concealing, however, what he owed to the latter. 

 Though a proceeding, so directly contrary to an express 

 stipulation, cannot be defended, one does not much regret 

 the disappointment of any man, who would make a mystery 

 of knowledge, or keep his discoveries a secret, for pur- 

 poses merely selfish. 



Thus was first published the rule which still bears the 

 name of Cardan, and which, at this day, marks a point in 

 the progress of algebraick investigation, which all the ef« 



