engers Rincon and
Fregoso, who were carrying letters from Francis I. to the Sultan during a
truce, but he did little more than imitate the tactics used by the French
against himself; moreover, neither of the murdered men was a French
subject, or had the status of an ambassador. D'Avalos was a liberal patron
of letters and arts, and was very popular as Governor of Milan. He was a
noted gallant and a great dandy. Brantome writes of him--"qu'il etait si
dameret qu'il parfumait jusqu'aux selles de ses chevaux."--He died in
1546.

[73] "Violentia quorundam Medicorum adactus sum anno MDXXXVI, seu XXXVII,
turpi conditione pacisci cum Collegio, sed ut dixi, postmodum dissoluta
est, anno MDXXXIX et restitutus sum integre."--_De Vita Propria_, ch.
xxxiii. p. 105.

[74] _De Vita Propria_, ch. xl. p. 133.--He gives a long list of cases of
his successful treatment in _Opera_, tom. i. p. 82.

[75] There is a full account of this episode in _De Libris Propriis_, p.
128, and in _De Vita Propria_, ch. xl. p. 133.

[76] Exotericarum exercitationum, p. 987.

[77] _Cardanus Comforte, translated into Englishe_, 1573. It was the work
of Thomas Bedingfield, a gentleman pensioner of Queen Elizabeth.

[78] _De Vita Propria_, ch. xxxvii. p. 116.

[79] "Delectant me gladii parvi, seu styli scriptorii, in quos plus
viginti coronatis aureis impendi: multas etiam pecunias in varia pennarum
genera, audeo dicere apparatum ad scribendum ducentis coronatis non
potuisse emi."--_De Vita Propria_, ch. xviii. p. 57.

[80] _De Vita Propria_, ch. iv. p. 15.

[81] "At ego qui, ut dixi, Harpocraticus sum dicebam:--Summus Pont:
decrepitus est: murus ruinosus, certa pro incertis derelinquam?"--_De Vita
Propria_, ch. iv. p. 15. It is quite possible that Paul III. may have
desired to have Cardan about him on account of his reputation as an
astrologer, the Pope being a firm believer in the influence of the
stars.--_Vide_ Ranke, _History of the Popes_ i. 166.

[82] "Neque ego tum Moroni probitatem, nec Pharnesiorum splendorem
intelligebam."--_De Vita Propria_, ch. iv. p. 15.

[83] In writing of his own horoscope (_Geniturarum Exempla_, p. 461) he
records that she miscarried thrice, brought forth three living children,
and lived with him fifteen years. He dismisses his marriage as follows:
"Duxi uxorem inexpectato, a quo tempore multa adversa concomitata
sunt."--_De Vita Propria_, ch. xli. p. 149. But in _De Rerum Subtilitate_,
p. 375, he records his grie