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

TRIAL OF THE CARAFA. I53
results of this special enquiry were as follows : Cardinal
Alfonso Carafa appears to have enriched himself in an un-
lawful manner, at the expense of the Holy See, at the time of
the death of Paul IV., and to have had a brief drawn up in his
favour without the dying Pope having been aware of the
matter. Moreover, he was accused of having approved of the
murder of the Duchess of Paliano. This dreadful act was the
principal accusation against the Duke of Paliano, Lionardo di
Cardine, and the Count d'Alife. The greatest number of
accusations, no fewer than twenty-two, were those brought
against Carlo Carafa. Everything had been collected, and
investigations made as far back as his earliest years.
Carlo Carafa protested against any inquiries being made
concerning the crimes of his life as a soldier ; he appealed to
the brief of absolution which Paul IV. had given him before
his appointment as Cardinal. It was more difficult for him
to defend himself against those other accusations which
belonged to the time of his cardinalate, especially that of the
attempted murder of Domenico de' Massimi. No guilt could
be proved against him as to the murder of Capece ; this
concerned only the Duke of Paliano and his two accomplices.
It was otherwise, however, with regard to the murder of the
Duchess ;
as to this it was clearly proved that Carlo had been
an accessory, still, however crushing the proofs adduced might
be, he obstinately entrenched himself against them by sys-
tematic lying. Further accusations were to the effect that
Carlo had been guilty of heresy. The incidents adduced
against him from the time of his life as a soldier were of no
account in this respect, but authentic documents proved the
relations of the Cardinal with the Protestant Margrave, Albert
Alcibiades of Brandenburg. Carlo had to admit them, but
maintained that in this case, as weU as in his dealings with the
Turks, he had only acted as the tool of his uncle. He made
use of a similar defence with regard to other political accusa-
tions, which laid the blame for the whole of the blunders of
Paul IV. upon his shoulders. All this was, however, of no
^ See Ancel, ioi seqq.
^