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

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CARDINAL ALFONSO CARAFA. I73<br />

learned on March 17th that <strong>the</strong>y would be pardoned.^<br />

<strong>The</strong> youthful, and absolutely innocent Cardinal Alfonso<br />

Carafa, aroused great sympathy, ^ and for him <strong>the</strong> King <strong>of</strong><br />

Spain, <strong>the</strong> Viceroy <strong>of</strong> Naples, and <strong>the</strong> Duke <strong>of</strong> Florence<br />

interceded. Alfonso was completely broken down. He<br />

promised everything <strong>the</strong>y asked ; renunciation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> gifts<br />

<strong>of</strong> Paul IV., and <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong> President <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Apostolic<br />

Camera, as well as <strong>the</strong> payment <strong>of</strong> a fine <strong>of</strong> 100,000 gold scudi.<br />

On March 24th his pardon was decided on, and on April 4th<br />

he was released <strong>from</strong> <strong>the</strong> Castle <strong>of</strong> St. Angelo. A bull <strong>of</strong> Pius<br />

IV. suppressed <strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong> President <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Apostolic Camera,<br />

and Cardinal Alfonso had to confirm this in writing. In<br />

secret, however, he drew up protests against this, as well as<br />

against aU <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r things which he had been made to pro-<br />

mise. ^ On October loth, 1561, he again appeared, to <strong>the</strong> great<br />

joy <strong>of</strong> everyone, in <strong>the</strong> consistory."* When, in August, 1562,<br />

fresh suspicion fell upon Alfonso, through <strong>the</strong> discovery <strong>of</strong> a<br />

letter <strong>of</strong> Cardinal du Bellay, he thought it advisable to retire<br />

to his archdiocese <strong>of</strong> Naples,^ where he died, worn out by<br />

1 See <strong>the</strong> *letter <strong>of</strong> Saraceni <strong>of</strong> March 17, 1561 (State Archives,<br />

Florence).<br />

^As <strong>the</strong> Cardinal was not yet 25 years <strong>of</strong> age, by <strong>the</strong> *Motu<br />

Proprio Cum ad aures, <strong>of</strong> July 26, 1560 (Lib. iur., p. 498, Papal<br />

Secret Archives) a procurator was appointed for him in <strong>the</strong> person<br />

<strong>of</strong> Cardinal Bertrand.<br />

'See Massarelli, 354<br />

; Bondonus, 541 ; *Ietter <strong>of</strong> Saraceni<br />

<strong>of</strong> March 21, 22 and 26, 1561 (State Archives, Florence) ;<br />

<strong>of</strong> G. Grandi <strong>of</strong> March 26, 1561 (State Archives, Modena) ;<br />

*report<br />

Gori,<br />

Archivio, IL, 311 seq., and especially Ancel, Disgrace, 160 seq.<br />

Concerning <strong>the</strong> intercession made in favour <strong>of</strong> Cardinal Alfonso,<br />

cf. <strong>the</strong> brief in Raynaldus, 1561 n. 80 and *that to <strong>the</strong> Viceroy<br />

<strong>of</strong> Naples <strong>of</strong> April 13, 1561, Min. brev. 11, n. 51, Papal Secret<br />

Archives. See also Corpo dipl. Portug., IX., 215. Among those<br />

who efficaciously helped Cardinal Alfonso in <strong>the</strong> payment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

enormous fine was Ugo Boncompagni (see Maffei, L, g). Cf.<br />

Reumont, Carafa, I., 238.<br />

* See <strong>the</strong> *report <strong>of</strong> Saraceni <strong>of</strong> October 10, 1 561 (State Archives,<br />

Florence)<br />

.<br />

* See <strong>the</strong> *report <strong>of</strong> Fr. Tonina <strong>of</strong> August 22, 1562 (Gonzaga<br />

Archives, Mantua).

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