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

go HISTORY OF THE POPES.
preferred to take a middle course. His talent was particularly
shown in the smoothing over and adjustment of conflicting
interests, and this he was very fond of doing/ and therefore
hated nothing so much as harsh and inconsiderate action.
His sense of statesmanship, and his grasp of practical questions
and the needs of the moment were very remarkable. These
qualities, as well as the absolute independence of his decisions,
first came to light, it is true, after his elevation to the throne
of St. Peter. Only then was it understood that the simple
and shrewd Lombard possessed, if not a very outstanding,
at least a thoroughly independent personality, and that he had
made most excellent use of the manifold experience and know-
ledge of different countries which he had acquired during his
long years of hard and practical work.^ Full of worldly
wisdom, he had above all learned from the bitter experience
of his predecessor that the respect due to the Holy See could
not be maintained under strained relations with the Catholic
princes, and that a moderate and cautious policy should be
followed. This knowledge restrained his impulsive nature,^
and as early as December 26th, 1559, we find Pius IV. saying
to the ambassadors of Cosimo I. that he wished to be on good
terms with all the Catholic princes, and to preserve peace.
The ambassadors were better able to understand the gifts
of statesmanship of the new Pope, his clear grasp of the
realities of practical political life, and his delicate tact, as his
intercourse with them grew more unrestrained. Here again
the difference between him and Paul IV. showed itself in a
1 His attitude to the Carafa after their fall is characteristic
of this. Cf. Vol. XIV. of this work, p. 227, n. i.
* Cf. SusTA, Kurie, I., xxx, and Pius IV., 36 seq. In the latter
place it is excellently shown how false was the opinion of the
superficial or hostile observer who only saw in Cardinal Medici a
good and simple man, well versed in law, but without any great
power of imagination, who pretended to be indifferent, in order
the more surely to attain to the supreme dignity.
* Cf. HiLLIGER, 4.
* See the *report of G. B. Ricasoli of December 26, 1559 (State
Arch., Florence).
^