JEROME CARDAN 31 



degree abated but I was refused membership by the 

 College of Physicians there, I was unable to settle my 

 lawsuit with the Barbiani, and I found my mother in a 

 very ill humour, so I went back to my village home, 

 having suffered greatly in health during my absence. 

 For what with cruel vexations, and struggles, and cares 

 which I saw impending, and a troublesome cough and 

 pleurisy aggravated by a copious discharge of humour, I 

 was brought into a condition such as few men exchange 

 for aught else besides a coffin." 1 



The closing words of his eulogy on his father tell 

 how the son, on the father's death, found that one 

 small house was all he could call his own. The ex- 

 planation of this seems to be that the old man, being 

 of a careless disposition and litigious to boot, had left 

 his affairs in piteous disorder. In consequence of this 

 neglect Jerome was involved in lawsuits for many years, 

 and the one afore-mentioned with the Barbiani was one 

 of them. This case was subsequently settled in Jerome's 

 favour. 



1 De Vita Propria, ch. iv. p. 13. 



