ing, and doubtless continued his supplies of money. Just a week before
the quarrel last recorded, Aldo, against his father's wish, left Pavia and
returned to Milan. Cardan used every argument he could bring forward to
keep his younger son with him, but in vain; and, as he was unwilling to
put constraint upon him, Aldo departed. Cardan says that he was within an
ace of going with him, for the University was then in vacation: then the
crowning catastrophe might have been averted, but the same fate which was
driving on the son to destruction, kept the father at Pavia. Thus it
happened that Aldo was an inmate of his brother's house when the poisoned
cake was made. Cardan has written down a detailed account of the
perpetration of this squalid tragedy, and no clearer presentation can be
given than the one which his own words supply.

He writes: "Thus my son and the servant went together to make the cake,
and the servant put therein secretly some of the poison which had been
given him. After the cake had been made, a small piece was given to my
son's wife, who was very ill at the time, but her stomach rejected it at
once. Her mother ate some of it, and likewise vomited after taking it.
Though Gian Battista saw what happened he did not believe that the cake
was really poisoned, for two reasons. First, because he had not, in truth,
ordered that the poison should be mixed therewith; and second, because his
brother-in-law (Bartolomeo Sacco) had said to him, before the cake was
finished, 'See that you make it big enough, for I also am minded to taste
it.' Next he gave some to his father-in-law, who straightway vomited, and
complained of a pricking of the tongue. He warned my son; but he, still
holding that the cake was harmless, ate thereof somewhat greedily; and,
after having been sick, had to lie by for some time. On the second day
after this Gian Battista, and his brother, and the servant as well were
taken in hold: and on the Sunday following I, having been informed of what
had happened, went to Milan in great anxiety as to what I should do."

The news which had been brought to Cardan at Pavia told him, over and
beyond what is written above, that his son's wife was dead, poisoned as
every one believed through having eaten the cake, which had caused nausea
and pain to every one else who had tasted it.[188] The catastrophe was
accompanied by the usual portents. Some weeks previous to the attempt Gian
Battista had chanced to walk o