Page:Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography Volume 1.pdf/952

CAR some splendid fragments of science and truth. Laying open with perfect sincerity the antagonisms of his character, he tells us how, with many a call for the highest developments of intellect and many a germ of evil, he grew, on the one side, wild in fancy, and often in folly; and, on the other, strong in thought, not devoid of noble and generous instincts, impressionable, changeable, inconsistent, still capable of great mental achievements, and of an ardent devotion to scientific discovery and the extension of knowledge. (See Liber de vita propria, Cardani Opera, vol. i.) He embraced in his works (10 vols. fol. Lugd., 1663) almost every department of philosophy and natural science, mathematics, astronomy, physics, medicine, divination, theology, morals, history of literature, of philosophy, &c. His treatises, "De Subtilitate, et rerum varietate," besides being, on the whole, extremely valuable documents for the history of science in those days, contain some original ideas and observations on the phenomena of heat and cold, on light, colours, &c., experimental attempts in physics, chimics, and mechanics, and descriptions of machines, which, as G. Libri says in his Histoire des sciences mathématiques en Italie, have been recently reproduced as modern inventions. (Libri, vol. iii., p. 178. See also, as regards the studies and experiments of Cardano in mechanics, his Opus Novum, Oper. tom. iv.) Cardano also took the deepest interest in the progress of geometry and algebra, and, together with his great contemporary, Nicolò Tartaglia, gave a fresh impulse to that branch of knowledge, which was in his opinion one of the highest attainments of man's mind. He actually co-operated to the solution of some mathematical problems, which, at that stage of the science, were considered of the greatest difficulty. (Cardano, Ars magna, cf. Cossali, Storia dell' Algebra.) Thus, at the beginning of the sixteenth century, before Bacon and Galileo had led the way to the discoveries of natural philosophy. Cardano's mind having shaken off the trammels of scholastic authority, and trusting only to its own reason and deep insight, foresaw by intuition, though unable fully to comprehend them, those laws of nature and of the human mind, which the collective work of three centuries has afterwards ascertained and organized into a system of scientific knowledge and useful application.—A. S., O.  CARDER,, an English naval officer, who lived in the latter half of the sixteenth century. He was with Drake when that celebrated commander was despatched to the South Sea for the purpose of harassing the Spanish commerce, and was sent by him to England, September 6, 1586, with tidings of the expedition. Carder passed safely through the Straits of Magellan on his homeward voyage, but having been overtaken by stormy weather to the north of Rio de la Plata, his vessel was shipwrecked, and he and one sailor alone escaped with their lives. They suffered the most frightful hardships from the want of food and water, but at last succeeded in constructing a raft out of the wreck of their ship, and after a perilous voyage of three days, they reached the continent of America. Carder's companion perished, but he fell into the hands of the native tribes, who pitied his misfortunes and supplied his pressing wants. He quitted the friendly savages after a residence among them of some months, and ultimately succeeded in reaching England in 1586.—J. T.  CARDI,, called , a distinguished artist of the Florentine school, born at the castle of Cigoli in Tuscany in 1559. He was a pupil of Alessandro Allori, and afterwards of Santo di Titi. At Florence he studied earnestly the works of Michel Angelo, Andrea del Sarto, and Pontormo, and received instruction in architecture and perspective in the school of Bernardo Buontalenti. He was received into the academy of Florence, and was rewarded by the patronage of the grand duke, for whom he painted a "Venus and a Satyr," and a "Sacrifice of Isaac," to adorn the Palazzo Pitti. His patron sent him to Rome. He there painted "St. Peter healing the Lame Man at the Gate of the Temple," estimated to be one of the chief art-treasures of the Vatican, although now fatally injured by damp. He painted smaller pictures of saints and magdalens, remarkable for their devotional fervour and for their Dutch-like finish. He died in 1613. A fine work by him is the "Stoning of Stephen," in the convent of Monte Domini at Florence. He executed one or two engravings in a good style.—W. T.  CARDIGAN,, seventh earl of, was born in 1797, and succeeded to the title in 1836. He entered the army as cornet in the 8th hussars in 1824, and became in 1832 lieutenant-colonel in the 15th hussars, but left this regiment in the following year, when Captain Wathen, whom he had accused of insubordination, was acquitted by a court-martial. In 1836 his lordship was appointed to command the 11th hussars. It would be unprofitable to follow him through his famous "black bottle quarrel" at Canterbury, his duel with Captain Tuckett in 1840, and his subsequent trial and acquittal before the house of peers. In the Crimean war he led the famous charge of the light brigade at Balaklava, 25th October, 1854. We cannot enter into the question as to his share of the blame in connection with that glorious, but disastrous engagement. His whole conduct in the war made him unpopular in England, but it is only fair to mention that when he commanded the 11th hussars, the duke of Wellington complimented him on the general efficiency of his regiment. He was appointed, after the Crimean war, inspector-general of cavalry. He died 28th March, 1868.—J. B.  CARDINI,, a physician and naturalist, born in Corsica in 1563; died about the close of the century. He practised medicine in his native town, and was distinguished for the universality of his acquirements. Cardini wrote in Latin a remarkable work on the minerals and plants of Corsica, but brought on himself the odium of the priests by some satirical letters against the clergy appended to his book. He was obliged to flee to Lucca, where he died.—J. B., G.  CARDIUS,, a Swedish clergyman, pastor of Sodermanland, who lived in the eighteenth century. He was the author of a ballad history of Sweden, from Christina to Adolf Frederik, written in the manner of the Folk's songs, and called "Hönsgumman's Visa," or the Henwife's Song. This is one of the latest of the many imitations of the old Folk's songs; and, whilst it retains its place in every cottage of Sweden, it is devoid of true poetry, or of that tender sentiment which characterizes the true old national poetry of all lands, and for which the Folk's songs of the north are so remarkable.—M. H.  CARDOSO,, a Portuguese priest and author, born at Lisbon; died 3d October, 1669. His chief work is entitled "Agiologeo Lusitano, dos Sanctos e varones illustres en virtude de reino de Portugal e sus anguistas," or a calendar of the saints and illustrious men of Portugal. The first part of this work appeared in 1652, but the author only lived to complete half the year. At the time of his death he was engaged on a "Parnaso Lusitano."—F. M. W.  CARDOSO,, was born in the early part of the seventeenth century at Cerolica de Fruta, in the Portuguese province of Beira, of parents who belonged to the numerous class of the new, i.e. compulsory, christians. He chose the science of medicine, fixed himself at Madrid, and soon acquired great fame as a practitioner among the nobles and the clergy. In the midst of his professional successes, however, he found no refuge from the pangs of his conscience, which upbraided him with the duplicity of which he had been guilty from his childhood. At length, unable to sustain his mental agony, he escaped from Spain, and safely arrived at Venice. On the free soil of that republic he re-entered the synagogue to which his ancestors had belonged; he changed his name, and subsequently removed to Verona, where he lived a number of years, apparently at ease, amid the congenial occupations of literature and medical practice. His earlier years produced some poetical effusions; several medical treatises were also published by him previously to his flight from Spain. His claim to posthumous fame, however, rests on his "Philosophia Libera" (on Philosophy and Dogmas), and more especially on his work, "Las Excelencias de los Hebreos" (The Privileges of the Hebrews). He died at Verona, some time after the year 1680.—, Isaac Cardoso's brother, experienced nearly the same vicissitudes. He, too, broke loose from Spain and Catholicism. He emigrated into Africa, where he became physician to the dey of Tripoli, and devoted his leisure to philosophical studies, as is proved by a work of his still extant, entitled "De Scala Jacobi."—(Fürst.)—T. T. <section end="952H" /> <section begin="952Zcontin" />CARDOSO, and, two brothers, adherents of the pseudo-Messiah, Shabbatai Zevi, lived in the African state of Tripoli, towards the end of the seventeenth century. They fanaticized a great number of their brethren, and ultimately caused, perhaps unwillingly, many Jews in North Africa to embrace the Islam, in imitation of their pretended Messiah. They expressed their hope of enforcing, by this wholesale defection from Judaism, the advent of the Son of David. Michael Cardoso, whose cabbalistical writings have been preserved, boldly declared himself to be the fellow-Messiah (Messiah ben Ephraim) <section end="952Zcontin" />