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

156 HISTORY OF THE POPES.
been granted to a cardinal nephew. This point, as well as
others upon which the defence laid much stress, was open to
discussion, but all their skill did not succeed in absolving
Carlo from the guilt of having been an accessory to the murder
of the Duchess of Paliano. Extenuating circumstances,
especially the exaggerated ideas of honour prevalent in Naples,
were brought forward on behalf of the Duke, both for this and
for the murder of Capece, the guilt of Violante being taken for
granted, though it was by no means proved.^
The advocates were not the only persons who were working
for the prisoners, several members of the Sacred College taking
up their case, as for example. Carpi, who, on October 25th,
at the beginning of the consistory, raised a great many objec-
tions to the proceedings against the Carafa, and loudly
demanded justice. Pius IV. defended his action in excited
words. 2 Again, when Cosimo I. came to Rome, and had long
secret conversations with the Pope, the affair of the Carafa
is certain to have been discussed. On November loth
Francesco Tonina definitely informed the Duke of Mantua
that Cosimo had interceded for the prisoners.^ In Rome many
people believed that on this account the trial would end in
^ See ibid., 131 seqq., 139 seq.
^ See in Appendix No. 11 the *report of Mula of October 26,
1560 (Court Library, Vienna). Cardinal Cesi had previously
specially interceded for Carafa ; see Atti Lig., XIII., 762.
* Cosimo, says Tonina's *letter of November 10, 1560, is said
to have handed the Pope a petition m favour of the Carafa,
" ma e generale opinione che anzi facci secretamente ufificio con
lore " (Gonzaga Archives, Mantua). Cosimo had in reality done
nothing of consequence for the Carafa, and indeed had perhaps
worked definitely against them. Even at that time people were
inclined to explain this by saying that the Duke sought in this
manner to evade payment of the sum of money which he is said
to have promised Cardinal Carafa for the election of Medici. See
Gnoli, Nuova Antol., XIX. (1872), 816 seq., and Riess, 407 seq.,
who, however, goes too far in his deductions. The intercession
of Cosimo for Cardinal del Monte, in whose behalf he was working
as early as August, was sincere ; see the *letter of Mula of August
3, 1560 (Court Library, Vienna).