"Quando chel cubo con le cose apresso Se agualia a qualche numero discreto Trouan dui altri differenti in esso Dapoi terrai questo per consueto Ch'el lor' produtto sempre sia eguale Al terzo cubo delle cose neto El residuo poi suo generale Delli lor lati cubi ben sottratti Varra la tua cosa principale. In el secondo de cotesti atti Quando chel cubo restasse lui solo Tu osseruarai quest' altri contratti Del numer farai due tal part 'a uolo Che luna in l'altra si produca schietto El terzo cubo delle cose in stolo Delle qual poi, per commun precetto Torrai li lati cubi insieme gionti Et cotal summa sara il tuo concetto Et terzo poi de questi nostri conti Se solve col recordo se ben guardi Che per natura son quasi congionti Questi trouai, et non con passi tardi Nel mille cinquecent' e quatro e trenta Con fondamenti ben sald' e gagliardi Nella citta del mar' intorno centa." Having handed over to his host these rhymes, with the precious rules enshrined therein, Tartaglia told him that, with so clear an exposition, he could not fail to understand them, ending with a warning hint to Cardan that, if he should publish the rules, either in the work he had in hand, or in any future one, either under the name of Tartaglia or of Cardan, he, the author, would put into print certain things which Messer Hieronimo would not find very pleasant reading. After all Tartaglia was destined to quit Milan without paying his respects to D'Avalos. There is not a word in his notes which gives the reason of this eccentric action on his part. He simply says that he is no longer inclined to go to Vigevano, but has made up his mind to return to Venice forthwith; and Cardan, probably, was not displeased at this exhibition of petulant impatience on the part of his guest, but was rather somewhat relieved to see Messer Niccolo ride away, now that he had extracted from him the coveted information. From the beginning to the end of this affair Cardan has been credited with an amount of subtle cunning which he assuredly did not manifest at other times when his wits were pitted for contest with those of other men. It has been advanced to his disparagement that he walked in deceitful ways from the very beginning; that he dangled before Tartaglia's eyes the prospect of gain and preferment simply for the purpose of enticing him to Milan, where he deemed he might use more efficaciously his arguments for the accomplishment of the purpose which was really in his mind; that he had no intention of advancing Tartaglia's fortunes when he suggested the introduction to D'Avalos, but that the Governor of Milan was brought into the business merely that he might be used as a potent ally in the attack upon Tartaglia's obstinate silence. Whether this may have been his line of action or not, the issue shows that he was fully able to fight his battle alone, and that his powers of