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

60 HISTORY OF THE POPES.
concerning Paliano in favour of the Colonna. Alfonso was
now won over and agreed to the elevation of Medici. Vitelli
brought the momentous news to Cardinal Guise on the afternoon
of Christmas Day ; thereupon the party leaders, Guise,
Este, Sforza, Carlo Carafa, and Farnese held a meeting and
fixed on the following morning for the election of Medici. ^
Medici was not fully informed of all this until his election
was practically assured. ViteUi brought him the first definite
news, 2 and the affair soon became known throughout the
whole conclave ;
the last doubt vanished when, in the evening,
the Cardinal of Naples, accompanied by Vitelli, paid a visit
to Medici. A general stir now sprang up in the conclave.
Carpi still made some attempt to collect votes against Medici,
but as he had no party leader on his side, he could not count
on any success. On the other hand a long line of Cardinals
streamed to Medici's cell, both before and after the evening
meal ; everyone wished to speak to him and to congratulate
him. Vitelli came for a long consultation after Alfonso
Carafa had gone, and Medici expressed a wish to see Guise
or Este the same evening ; he would not retire to rest before
he had spoken to one of them. On account of the interchange
of compliments, however, the appearance of the two Cardinals
^GuiDUs, 630; Panvinius, 582. Several smaller matters
were arranged without difficulty. Este and Gonzaga were
promised the red hat for their nephews, Rebiba received the
assurance that the spoilium of his predecessor in the archbishopric
should be his, although the brief assigning it to him was of doubtful
validity, as it was dated the day of the death of Paul IV. Susta,
Pius IV.. 151.
2 GuiDus, 630 ; Panvinius, 583. Medici, however, said to the
Duchess of Urbino on December 23, that he thought he would
certainly be elected, but he did not know if he were capable of
bearing such a burden (Susta, Pius IV., 150, in Cod. Vat. 7039,
Vatican Library). Carpi maintained later that Medici had
bought his election from Alfonso for a large sum of money, and
that Antonio Carafa had afterwards had a written promise con-
cerning the transaction in his possession. This story proves,
at all events, the real importance of Alfonso in the election of
Pius IV. Cf. Pallavicini, 19, 2, 3.