Complete Works, Volume 1: The Book on Games of Chance

Previously; and may our Lyon, another colony of Plancus a reference to the Roman founder of Lyon, Lucius Munatius Plancus, publish this today. Each city is truly worthy to give generous offspring to the world; and to inspire the Roman spirits with the freedoms of a most free man; and to exclaim with exultation to his Shades, "O your goddesses, Cardano, your goddesses favor you: Fame, Liberty, and Erudition."

You will no less favor him, most learned Prince, if after a kindly admission into your embrace, you furthermore commend him to the circle of the learned: Otherwise, with hope suspended, he wavers in ambiguity; on this day, he is either about to accumulate or to tear down the honors won so long ago. For although he is great in fame, and greater in merits, he has long since acquired many adversaries: whom, while still alive and already enjoying his own glory, he experienced as most bitter: but after his death (which was mournful even to his antagonists, and especially to the great Scaliger) certain little animals, malignant and venomous, scorpions of another’s fame, were exuded by the damned earth: who, since they could not succeed with virtue and strength as their predecessors did, have pressed on with little stings and venom: And, as the judgments of the unskilled are unjust, they have dared to place an innocent man, now a corpse and dust, among the initiates of the Dark Arts. Truly,