guest by
Carlo Affaidato, a learned astronomer and physicist, who, on the day of
departure, made him accept a valuable mule, worth a hundred crowns.
Another generous offer of a similar kind was made to him shortly
afterwards by a Genoese gentleman of the family of Ezzolino, who fell in
with him accidentally on the road. This was the gift of a very fine horse
(of the sort which the English call Obinum), but, greatly as Cardan
desired to have the horse, his sense of propriety kept him back from
accepting this gift.[162]

He went next to Besancon, where he was received by Franciscus Bonvalutus,
a scholar of some note, and then by Berne to Zurich. He must have crossed
the Alps by the Splugen Pass, as Chur is named in his itinerary, and he
also describes his voyage down the Lake of Como on the way to Milan, where
he arrived on January 3, 1553. Cardan was a famous physician when he set
out on his northward journey; but now on his return he stood firmly placed
by the events of the last few months at the head of his profession.
Writing of the material results of his mission to Scotland, he declares
that he is ashamed to set down the terms upon which he was paid, so
lavishly was he rewarded for his services. The offers made to him by so
many exalted personages to secure his permanent and exclusive attention
would indeed have turned the heads of most men. There was the offer from
the King of Denmark; another, in 1552, from the King of France at a salary
of thirteen hundred crowns a year; and yet another made by the agents of
Charles V., who was then engaged in his disastrous attack upon Metz. All
of them he refused: he had no inclination to share the perils of the
leaguer of Metz, and his sense of loyalty forbad him to join himself to
the power which was at that time warring against his sovereign. He speaks
also of another offer made to him by the Queen of Scotland of a generous
salary if he would settle in Scotland; but the country was too remote for
his taste. There is no authority for this offer except the _De Vita
Propria_, and it is there set down in terms which render it somewhat
difficult to identify the Queen aforesaid.[163]

As soon as he entered Milan, Ferrante Gonzaga, the Governor, desired to
secure his services as physician to the Duke of Mantua, his brother,
offering him thirty thousand gold crowns as honorarium; but, in spite of
the Governor's persuasions and threats, he would not accept the office.
When the news