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

CHAPTER IV
The Fall of the House of Carafa
When, in January, 1559, the sudden fall of the nephews of
Paul IV. took place, the Pope had expressed the hope that
his successor would punish the guilty in a fitting manner.
There seemed, at first, but little prospect of his hope being
realized, as Cardinal Carlo Carafa succeeded after the death
of Paul IV. in again immediately gaining a firm footing in
the Sacred College. The fierce anger of his enemies stood
him in good stead in this respect, for even those who, like
Cardinal Pacheco, were by no means friendly to the Carafa,
blamed the wild excesses of the Romans, against which
the Sacred College was bound, in its own interests, to make
a stand.
The Romans understood these feelings very well, and
although they were resolved upon the banishment of the
secular nephews of Paul IV., they did not dare to proceed
in a like manner against the two Cardinals, Carlo and Alfonso
Carafa. 1 The request of the Roman people to be allowed
to drive the Duke of Paliano, Giovanni Carafa, out of the
States of the Church, was unanimously rejected by the Sacred
College.'^ The shrewd attitude taken up by Cardinal Carlo
Carafa had not been without its influence upon this refusal.
He declared, before the Cardinals, that if it were for the
good of the Church, not only his brother, but also he himself
and Cardinal Alfonso would leave Rome ;
they were prepared
to sacrifice their own personal interests to the public good ;
but if it were a mere question of satisfying hatred, the Car-
dinals would do well to consider what such a compliance
with the fury of the populace would entail. In the election
^ See supra p. 4.
'^ See supra p. 5,