JEROME CARDAN 189 



when they despaired of getting rid of me through the 

 action of the Senate what though I was petitioning to 

 be relieved of my duties they laid a plot to kill me, 

 not by the dagger for fear of the Senate and of possible 

 scandal, but by malignant craft. My opponent perceived 

 that he could not be promoted to the post of principal 

 teacher unless I should leave the place, and for this 

 reason he and his allies spread their nets from a distance. 

 In the first place, they caused to be written to me, in the 

 name of my son-in-law l and of my daughter as well, a 

 most vile and filthy letter telling how they were ashamed 

 of their kinship with me ; that they were ashamed 

 likewise for the sake of the Senate, and of the College ; 

 and that the authorities ought to take cognizance of the 

 matter and pronounce me unworthy of the office of 

 teacher and cause me to be removed therefrom forth- 

 with. Confounded at receiving such an impudent and 

 audacious reproof at the hands of my own kindred, I 

 knew not what to do or say, or what reply I should 

 make ; nor could I divine for what reason this unseemly 

 and grievous affront had been put upon me. It after- 

 wards came to light that the letter was written in order 

 to serve as an occasion for fresh attacks ; for, before 

 many days had passed, another letter came to me bear- 

 ing the name of one Fioravanti, written in the following 

 strain. This man was likewise shocked for the sake of 

 the city, the college, and the body of professors, seeing 

 that a report had been spread abroad that I was guilty 

 of abominable offences which cannot be named. He 

 would call upon a number of his friends to take steps to 

 compel me to consider the public scandal I was causing, 

 and would see that the houses where these offences were 

 committed should be pointed out. When I read this 

 1 Bartolomeo Sacco was evidently living at Pavia at this date. 



