emptible poet.

The work of Cardan's, however, which retains most interest for this
generation is his autobiography, _De Vita Propria_. In its clearness and
frankness of self-revelation this book stands almost alone among records
of its class. It may be compared with the autobiography of another
celebrated Italian of the age, Benvenuto Cellini, but is much more free
from vanity and self-consciousness, unless the extreme candour with
which Cardan reveals his own errors is to be regarded as vanity in a
more subtle form. The general impression is highly favourable to the
writer, whose impetuosity and fits of reckless dissipation appear as
mere exaggerations of the warmth of heart which imparted such strength
to his domestic affections, and in the region of science imparted that
passionate devotion to research which could alone have enabled him to
persevere so resolutely and effect such marked advances in such
multifarious fields of inquiry.

Cardan's autobiography has been most ably condensed, and at the same
time supplemented by information from the general body of his writings
and other sources, by Henry Morley (_Jerome Cardan_, 1854, 2 vols).
His capital treatises, _De Subtilitate_ and _De Varietate Rerum_, are
combined and fully analysed in vol. ii. of Rixner and Siber's _Leben
und Lehrmeinungen beruhmter Physiker am Ende des xvi. und am Anfange
des xvii. Jahrhunderts_ (Sulzbach, 1820). Cardan's works were edited
in ten volumes by Sponius (Lyons, 1663). A biography was prefixed by
Gabriel Naude, whose unreasonable depreciation has unduly lowered
Cardan's character with posterity. (R. G.)

CARDENAS (_San Juan de Dios de Cardenas_), a maritime town of Cuba, in
Matanzas province, about 75 m. E. of Havana, on the level and somewhat
marshy shore of a spacious bay of the northern coast of the island,
sheltered by a long promontory. Pop. (1907) 24,280. It has railway
communication with the trunk railway of the island, and communicates by
regular steamers with all the coast towns. The city lies between the sea
and hills. There are broad streets, various squares (including the Plaza
de Colon, with a bronze statue of Columbus given to the city by Queen
Isabel II. and erected in 1862) and substantial business buildings.
Cardenas is one of the principal sugar-exporting towns of Cuba. The
shallowness of the harbour necessitates lighterage and repeated loading
of cargoes. The surrounding region is fam