amily troubles which so soon fell
upon him, Cardan's hands were certainly full; but, all allowance being
made, it is difficult to find a valid excuse for this neglect on his part.
William grew up to be a young man, and was finally apprenticed to a tailor
at Pavia, but his knavish master set him to work as a vinedresser,
suspecting that Cardan cared little what happened so long as the young man
was kept out of his sight. William seems to have been a merry,
good-tempered fellow; but his life was a short one, for he took fever, and
died in his twenty-second year.[160]

Besides chronicling this strange and somewhat pathetic incident, Cardan
sets down in the _Dialogus de Morte_ his general impressions of the
English people. Alluding to the fear of death, he remarks that the
English, so far as he has observed, were scarcely at all affected by it,
and he commends their wisdom, seeing that death is the last ill we have to
suffer, and is, moreover, inevitable. "And if an Englishman views his own
death with composure, he is even less disturbed over that of a friend or
kinsman: he will look forward to re-union in a future state of
immortality. People like these, who stand up thus readily to face death
and mourn not over their nearest ones, surely deserve sympathy, and this
boy (William) was sprung from the same race. In stature the English
resemble Italians, they are fairer in complexion, less ruddy, and broad in
the chest. There are some very tall men amongst them: they are gentle in
manner and friendly to travellers, but easily angered, and in this case
are much to be dreaded. They are brave in battle, but wanting in caution;
great eaters and drinkers, but in this respect the Germans exceed them,
and they are prone rather than prompt to lust. Some amongst them are
distinguished in talent, and of these Scotus and Suisset[161] may be given
as examples. They dress like Italians, and are always fain to declare that
they are more nearly allied to us than to any others, wherefore they try
specially to imitate us in habit and manners as closely as they can. They
are trustworthy, freehanded, and ambitious; but in speaking of bravery,
nothing can be more marvellous than the conduct of the Highland Scots,
who are wont to take with them, when they are led to execution, one
playing upon the pipes, who, as often as not, is condemned likewise, and
thus he leads the train dancing to death." Like as the English were to
Italians in other respects