JEROME CARDAN 47 



have maintained three servants, and Jerome's gains from 

 other sources must have been as yet very slender. His 

 life at this time was a busy one, but he always contrived 

 to portion out his days in such wise that certain hours 

 were left for recreation. At such times as he was called 

 upon to teach, the class-room, of course, had the first 

 claims. After the lecture he would walk in the shade 

 outside the city walls, then return to his dinner, then 

 divert himself with music, and afterwards go fishing in 

 the pools and streams hard by the town. In the course 

 of time he obtained other employment, being ap- 

 pointed physician to the Augustinian friars. The Prior 

 of this Order, Francesco Gaddi, was indeed his first 

 patient of note. He tells how he cured this man of a 

 biennial leprosy after treating him for six months ; 1 

 adding that his labour was in vain, inasmuch as Gaddi 

 died a violent death afterwards. The refusal of the 

 College of Milan to admit him to membership did not 

 forbid him to prescribe for whatever patients might like 

 to consult him by virtue of his Paduan degree. He read 

 voraciously everything which came in his way, and it 

 must have been during these years that he stored his 

 memory with that vast collection of facts out of which 

 he subsequently compounded the row of tomes which 

 form his legacy to posterity. Filippo Archinto was 

 unfailing in his kindness, and Jerome at this time was 

 fortunate enough to attract the attention of certain other 

 Milanese citizens of repute who afterwards proved to be 

 valuable friends ; Ludovico Madio, Girolamo Guerrini a 

 jeweller, Francesco Belloti, and Francesco della Croce. 

 The last-named was a skilled jurisconsult, whose help 



1 The following gives a hint as to the treatment followed : 

 " Referant leprosos balneo ejus aquae in qua cadaver ablutum sit, 

 sanari." De Varietate, p. 334. 



