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

196 HISTORY OF THE POPES.
and would use his influence with the Emperor in this sense.
The Pope hoped that the king would do the same, and,
under the existing conditions, no longer contemplate a national
council.^
^
Zaccaria Delfino, Bishop of Lesina, a very skilful diplomatist,
and a great favourite at the court of Vienna, who
was well acquainted with conditions in Germany from earlier
days, was entrusted with the difficult and most important
task of winning over the Emperor to the views of the Pope.
His appointment as nuncio to Ferdinand I. had already
been made in July, but his actual mission was so long delayed
that he only left Rome on September 2nd, and arrived in
Vienna on the 28th.
The Pope's answer to the Imperial memorandum of June
26th, which Delfino took with him, bears the date of August
30th. ^ In this Pius IV. declares, in very decided terms,
his wish again to assemble the Council at Trent, notwith-
standing the objections raised by the Emperor. In matters
of religion, he says, one must proceed without secondary
aims ; it was manifest in Germany that negotiations for
reunion, prompted by temporal considerations, had always
resulted in the infliction of grave injury on religion, as well
as on Germany herself. The Council must therefore be
opened without hesitation, and with the sole purpose of
helping the Church to regain her former position. The
Emperor's doubts and objections are then dealt with one
by one. The war between England and France is at an end.
Whether the Pope will be present in person at the Council
^ See SicKEL, Konzil, 88 seq. ; Corresp. de Babou de la Bourdaisiere,
19 seq. ; Voss, 73 seq; ; Ehses, VIII., 55 seq. According
to the *report of G. B. Ricasoli of August 9, 1560, the reply to
France was read on the 8 in the " Congregatione della riforma "
(State Archives, Florence).
* See Steinherz, I., 98 seq. Cf. Sickel, Konzil, 92 seq. ;
Eder, I., 55.
* Printed in Raynaldus, 1560, n. 56 ;
Le Plat IV., 633 seqq. ;
Ehses, VIII., 59 seq. Cf. Voss, 75 seq. ; Steinherz, I., Ixxix seq.
The corresponding letter of advice of August 31 in Sickel, 92,