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

2l8 HISTORY OF THE POPES.
the bull pointed to a continuation of the Council of Trent, the
Spanish king was displeased because the continuation was not
expressly and clearly proclaimed. Philip II. and his coun-
sellors, in their great zeal for the Catholic faith, feared that
Pius IV. might give way still further, and, in order to win
over the Protestants, allow a renewed discussion of the
decrees already formulated. It was not, however, difficult
to satisfy Philip II. on this point. The greatest danger for
Pius IV. lay in the possibility of an understanding between
the French government and the Emperor, as together they
might be able to enforce their will upon him in the matter of
the Council.^
As a matter of fact, of all the princes, Ferdinand had the
least occasion to make further difficulties, as his request that
the continuation of the Council should not be definitely spoken
of had been complied with, but the Emperor's constant fear
of a sudden attack by the Protestants, which caused him to take
quite exaggerated measures to reassure them, prevented him,
on this occasion as weU, from declaring himself boldly in
favour of the Council. ^
Pius IV. chose Giovanni Commendone, Bishop of Zante,
to deliver the bull of convocation to the Emperor, and he was,
at the same time, commissioned to announce the Council to
the ecclesiastical and secular princes in north Germany,
Belgium and the Rhineland, Zaccaria Delfino, Bishop of
Lesina, receiving instructions to travel through central and
south Germany for the same purpose. In order to publish
the invitation to the Council in the widest manner possible,
the Pope had thought of allowing his representatives to visit
the Protestant princes as well, but by so doing he would
expose himself to the danger of offensive refusals, so he com-
^ How much the Pope feared this is evident from the *report
of Cusano of January ii, 1560 (State Archives, Vienna).
* Steinherz very justly remarks (I., xci) that nothing was
more significant of the anxiety with which Ferdinand I. regarded
the Protestants than the fact that he did not wish to publish
the indulgence bull of November 15, because there was mention
in it of the continuation of the Council.