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

26o HISTORY OF THE POPES.
of continuation was concerned, Simonetta was authorized
by his instructions, in the event of any dispute arising, to
declare openly that the Council was a continuation of the
previous one ; the decrees of Trent, published under Paul
III. and Julius III., were to be regarded as valid, and ander
no circumstances to be called in question. The legates were
to prevent the question of the Pope's supremacy over the
Council from being made the subject of discussion, especially
as the former Council had accepted the Papal supremacy
without question. Should matters, however, go so far,
that the prelates were not to be turned from the treatment
of this article, then the legates were to suspend the Council,
and inform the Pope by courier ;
he would then take further
measures, and either remove the Council to another place
or dissolve it altogether.
^
Two further documents for the legates were probably
a brief of September 22nd,
1561, which authorized the legates, in case of need, to remove
the Council at their own discretion to another city, and
another brief of the same date which decided that if the Pope
taken to Trent by Simonetta :
should die during the Council, the choice of his successor
was not to belong to the Council, but to the Cardinals.
Shortly before the arrival of Simonetta, during the night
between December 8th and 9th, the report of Delfino had
reached Trent, that in accordance with his promise, the
Emperor's envoys would arrive by the middle of January.
The legates at once informed all the prelates present, and
resolved, in consideration of this news, to postpone the opening
of the Council until January 15th ; Delfino was informed of
una strada tanto invecchiata et bisognando quasi passare da un
estremo all' altro. (Gonzaga Archives, Mantua).
^The instruction, according to the minute of the private
secretary, T. Galli, in Susta, I., 116 seq.
2 Both documents in Raynaldus, 1561, n. 7-9 ; Le
^
Plat, IV.,
721 seq., and Ehses, VIII., 179 seq., 248. Cf. Susta, I., 118 seq.
See also the Acta consist, of November 19, 1561, in Laemmer,
Melet., 213, and Ehses, VIII., 121. Cf. Sagmuller, Papstwahl-
t)ullen, 118,