The history of the popes, from the close of the middle ages : drawn ...

WEARINESS OF THE ELECTORS. 53
A long altercation, kept indeed within the bounds of courtesy/
now took place between the two, owing to which Vargas'
attempts to win over Mercuric were seriously hampered.
When the ambassador had retired, Guise sent for a workman
and had the opening in the wall by which Vargas was in the
habit of communicating with the Cardinals walled up.^
Vargas' endeavours also proved vain in other directions.
The last hopes of the Spanish party of being able to decide
upon a Pope of themselves, and by their own power, was
shipwrecked with the failure of the candidature of Pacheco.
It had become clear that the only way of reaching a decision
was by coming to an understanding with the French.^ By
this time most of the Cardinals were so weary of the whole
affair that, as Vargas said, they would have elected a piece
of wood as Pope, if only to bring matters to an end.^ On
December 22nd and the following days the leaders of the
Spanish and French parties arranged meetings in order to
agree upon a common candidate.^ The decision soon lay only
between Cesi, who had hitherto not been proposed or rejected,
and that Cardinal whom the far-seeing had from the first
looked upon as the only possible Pope, Medici.^
1 " citra indignationem tamen, immo cum summa benevolentia "
(GuiDus, 629) ;
" con todo tiento de ambas partes " (Vargas in
DoLLiNGER, Beitrage, I., 321). According to Thurm " nonulli
et communiter omnes " asserted that Guise had said to Vargas
that he ought to be thrown into the Tiber for having exceeded
his authority. Wahrmund, 264.
^ GuiDUs, 628 sg^. BoNDONUs, 529. C/. Vargas in DoLLiNGER,
I., 320 seq., 321 seq. It is not improbable that they had had a
window walled up before Vargas' eyes as early as the middle of
November. Mijller, 198. Cf. as to this Sagmuller, 71, n. i ;
Merkle, II., 529, n. 3.
8 Cf. SusTA, Pius IV., 144.
* Vargas on December 20, 1559, in Dollinger, Beitrage, I., 317.
Concerning Concini's impatience, see his satirical letter of Decem-
ber 16, 1559, in Dembinski, Wybor, 260.
* Giulio de Grandis, Bishop of Anglona, on December 23, in
Petrucelli, 1 58.
* Concerning Medici's prospects cf. supra pp. 13, 23 seq., and
Vargas loc. cit., 279, 319.