One day he was driving in his carriage in the Forum, when he remembered
that he wanted to see a certain jeweller who lived in a narrow alley close
by. Wherefore he told his coachman, a stupid fellow, to go to the Campo
Altoviti, and await him there. The coachman drove off apparently
understanding the order; but, instead of going to the place designated,
went somewhere else; so Cardan, when he set about to find his carriage,
sought in vain. He had a notion that the man had gone to a spot near the
citadel, so he walked thither, encumbered with the thick garments he had
put on as necessary for riding in the carriage. Just then he met a friend
of his, Vincenzio, a Bolognese musician, who remarked that Cardan was not
in his carriage as usual. The old man went on towards the citadel, but saw
nothing of the carriage; and now he began to be seriously troubled, for
there was naught else to be done but to go back over the bridge, and he
was wearied with long fasting and his heavy clothes. He might indeed have
asked for the loan of a carriage from the Governor of the castle; but he
was unwilling to do this, so having commended himself to God, he resolved
to use all his patience and prudence in finding his way back. He set out,
and when he had crossed the bridge, he entered the banking-house of the
Altoviti to inquire as to the alteration in the rate of exchange on
Naples, and there sat down to rest. While the banker was giving him this
information, the Governor entered the place, whereupon Cardan went out and
there he found his carriage, the driver having been informed by Vincenzio,
whom he had met, of the mistake he had made. Cardan got into the carriage,
and while he was wondering whether or not he had better go home and break
his fast, he found three raisins in his pocket, and thus made a fortunate
ending of all his difficulties.

All this reads like a commonplace chapter of accidents; but the events
recorded did not present themselves to Cardan in this guise. He sits down
to moralize over the succession of momentary events: his meeting with
Vincenzio; Vincenzio's meeting with the driver, and directions given to
the man to drive to the money-changers'; the presence of the Governor, his
exit from the bank, his consequent meeting with the carriage, and his
discovery of the raisins, seven occurrences in all, any one of which, if
it had happened a little sooner or a little later, would have brought
about great inconvenience, or even