The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-10 00:00:00

LITEIZA TUBE,

Jeroms Cardan. By Henry Morley, author of
" Palissy the Potter." 2 vols. Chapman and

Jerome Cardan, the most famous physician and
mathematician of his day in Italy, whose great ob-
ject of life, and whose solo ambition was the re-
membrance and admiration of posterity, would
probably be scarcely satisfied if lie saw the amount
of either accorded to him. The reason of this pro-
bably is to be found in au observation made by his
biographer, that lie was equal to, but never before,
his age. He was not one of those who have gained
immortality by the discovery of some keystone of
science, or who have won alike our pity and admi-
ration by the persecution of the ignorant and the
scorn of the incredulous. Such as he was, how-
ever, he had undoubting confidence that his wishes
would be realised, and in the eager desire that
future critics should know him as he really was,
lie has, with curious frankness, portrayed his
faults, vices, and errors, as readily as his virtues
or successes, in the history of himself which he
left behind him. Doubtless, in more favourable
circumstances, he would haw: left more trace of his
powers and his ambition, but he was peculiarly un-
fortunate. Always of a' weak and delicate consti-
tution, the ailments he perpetually suffered from
often affected his mind with corresponding gloom.
Ho was harshly treated by his parents, ill-educated,
and generally neglected. Even when he had gradu-
ated as a physician, the College of Milan refused to receive or acknowledge him, owing to some pre-
His
tastes and
beset with
judices about his family.
difficulties, and the unsettled tastes and habits he
had formed in his neglected youth, must certainly
have interfered with his more studionioccupations.
He was forty years old before any of his dreams
seemed likely to be realised. At the age of forty-
four, he was at length a recognised physician, with
a professor's chair, and known through Europe
from his literary abilities. His endurance and
labour did not, therefore, go unrewarded. The
writer observes—" Cardan had not tact enough
to make himself popular, but he had talent
enough to create for himself fame." His first
work, or rather the first he published, was certainly
a most imprudent one for a man in his position.
It was entitled, " The Bad Method of Practice
among Physicians," which denounced seventy-two
errors in the system of medical treatment in that
day. It was certainly not a volume likely to re-
' move the prejudices of the College of Physicians.
Cardan subsequently distinguished himself greatly
as a mathematician. It is singular that the devotee
of such a study should have been superstitious and
credulous to the extreme. He had the firmest
faith in dreams, and put implicit confidence
in omens. He had, however, some right to
be guided by them, if we may trust the singular
incidents which he relates as having occurred to
him. But the author of the present volumes
accounts for them by saying that most men, if they
go through life searching for omens and fulfilments,
will find some singular coincidences. It is, how-
-1 ever, somewhat suspicious that Cardan has gene-
, rally narrated them after the fulfilment, when he
might easily have exaggerated the foreboding 'or
enhanced the singularity of the dream. This
weakness may, however, be in a great measure
attributable to his age and country. The severest
affliction of Cardan's life befel him when in the
zenith of his fame, at the height of his popularity.
His wife had been dead for some years, but he had
three children, two sons and a daughter. The
eldest son, a hasty, simple-minded-youth, had mar-
ried entirely against his father's consent, and lived
miserably with his wife, who was one of a large
and poor family of no good repute. While
Jerome was professor to the University of
Pavia, renowned as a physician and philoso-
pher, having visited Paris, Edinburgh, and Lon-
don, the blow suddenly came upon him which
embittered his life, destroyed his fortune, injured
his reputation, and lost him his position. After
several years of discord, want, and waste, driven
desperate by the conduct of his wife, Gianbattista
Cardan poisoned her with arsenic when her
youngest child was but ten days old. Of course
lie was immediately arrested for murder. His
brother was also implicated. Jerome hastened to
Milan to spend his fortune, influence, and reputa-
tion, in behalf of the son who had so disregarded
his wishes.- But his efforts, though unceasing, were
ineffectual. His son was executed, and he was
left impoverished' and broken-hearted, with infamy
attached to his name. His youngest son was ac-
quitted, but his subsequent conduct was so bad
that his father disinherited him. After this great
calamity the philosopher met with many other
trials, but at last received a pension from the Pope,
and died at Rome in 1576, aged seventy-five.
The history of his life is a subject of much inte-
rest, whether as the record of a scholar, or the me-
moir of one who showed what perseverance
and labour, combined with great talents, can
accomplish, even though insurmountable diffi-
culties seem 'to lie in his path. The author
has, however, adopted too much the minute-
ness and diffuseness of style for which he blames
Cardan. It is, perhaps, difficult, however, in
selecting from such a large number of works the
events of his life not to be led into this extreme.
These memoirs will show an example to the student
or struggler with the world, who feels tempted to
despair ; they will form an interesting biography
to the mathematician or physician, and an
o. enter-
tainin volume to the general reader, who will cer-
tainly'welcome the appearance before the public
of the history of one whose great object was, to be
remembered and revered.