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

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76 HISTORY OF THE POPES.<br />

had to pass through, a school in which he gained a thorough<br />

knowledge <strong>of</strong> men and countries, and learned to show adapta-<br />

bility in all circumstances. 1<br />

After his bro<strong>the</strong>r's marriage had connected him with <strong>the</strong><br />

family <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Pope, it was not fitting that Gian Angelo should<br />

remain in his hi<strong>the</strong>rto modest position, and he was appointed<br />

Archbishop <strong>of</strong> Ragusa on December 14th, 1545, in which<br />

diocese he was represented by a vicar. It is certain that he<br />

now received <strong>the</strong> major orders for <strong>the</strong> first time ; he was<br />

consecrated bishop in St. Peter's on April 26th, 1546. ^ At<br />

this time his appointment as nuncio at Vienna seemed certain,^<br />

but just at that moment <strong>the</strong> great crisis in Germany occurred,<br />

and Charles V., resolved on war against <strong>the</strong> Schmalkaldic<br />

League, allied himself with Paul III. on June 26th, 1546.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Pope's nephew, Alessandro Farnese, was appointed<br />

Legate, and his bro<strong>the</strong>r Ottavio commander-in-chief <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Papal auxiliary forces,"* <strong>the</strong> Archbishop <strong>of</strong> Ragusa accom-<br />

panying <strong>the</strong>m as Commissary General.^ <strong>The</strong> future Pope,<br />

Pius IV. was thus made acquainted with conditions in <strong>the</strong><br />

country where <strong>the</strong> great schism in <strong>the</strong> Church had taken its<br />

origin, his field <strong>of</strong> vision being <strong>the</strong>reby substantially extended.<br />

At <strong>the</strong> seat <strong>of</strong> war he met his bro<strong>the</strong>r Gian Giacomo who, as<br />

colonel in chief <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> infantry, was attached to <strong>the</strong> head-<br />

^Cf. SusTA, Pius IV., 23.<br />

" See <strong>the</strong> Acta consist, in Merkle, I., 630 ; Susta, loc. cit., 27.<br />

When Medici was Archbishop <strong>of</strong> Ragusa <strong>the</strong> *Dialogus de vita ac<br />

clericorum moribus auctore Marco Antonio Sacco Cremonense<br />

flamine, was dedicated to him. In this he is called " ecclesiastici<br />

decus ordinis praesulumque gemma," and overwhelmed with<br />

flattery (Cod. Vat., 5679, Vatican Library).<br />

3 Cf. <strong>the</strong> Nuntiaturberichte aus Deutschland, VIII., 582-3.<br />

* Cf. Vol. XII. <strong>of</strong> this work, p. 291 seq.<br />

* See <strong>the</strong> Diary <strong>of</strong> Viglius van Zwichem concerning <strong>the</strong> Schmalkaldic<br />

War on <strong>the</strong> Danube, published by Druffel, p. 264, Munich,<br />

1877. Numerous reports <strong>from</strong> Gian Angelo are made use <strong>of</strong><br />

in <strong>the</strong> Nuntiaturberichte aus Deutschland, IX., 175, 185, 187,<br />

189, 195, 198, 201, 205, 219, 251, 259, 268, 269, 280, 283, 304,<br />

311, 326.

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