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

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262 HISTORY OF THE POPES.<br />

busily employed during <strong>the</strong>se days with <strong>the</strong> preliminary<br />

work <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Council, sent to Rome a draft <strong>of</strong> a decree for<br />

<strong>the</strong> first session, which had been <strong>drawn</strong> up by Seripando.^<br />

In a consistory on December 17th, <strong>the</strong> Pope, who, in spite<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> difficulties which still existed, was firmly resolved^ on<br />

a speedy opening <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Council, bestowed <strong>the</strong> legatine cross<br />

on Mark Sittich. <strong>The</strong> departure <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Cardinal, however,<br />

was delayed until <strong>the</strong> new year, and he did not reach Trent<br />

until January 30th, 1562.^<br />

<strong>The</strong> Pope, as he informed <strong>the</strong> legates through Cardinal<br />

Borromeo on December 31st, 1561, had chosen January i8th,<br />

1562, a Sunday, on which day <strong>the</strong> feast <strong>of</strong> St. Peter's Chair<br />

fell, for <strong>the</strong> opening day <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Council.^ On <strong>the</strong> receipt <strong>of</strong><br />

Deliino's information that <strong>the</strong> Imperial envoys would hardly<br />

be in Trent before <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> January, it was left to <strong>the</strong><br />

legates, on January 7th, to postpone <strong>the</strong> opening for ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />

eight or ten days.^<br />

As <strong>the</strong>re were already about a hundred prelates assembled<br />

at Trent, <strong>the</strong> legates resolved to keep to Januarv^ i8th. On<br />

<strong>the</strong> 15th <strong>the</strong> first preparatory General Congregation assembled.<br />

It was held at <strong>the</strong> residence <strong>of</strong> Cardinal Gonzaga, who, as<br />

first legate, opened it with an address and prayer. <strong>The</strong>n<br />

<strong>the</strong> secretary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Coimcil, Massarelli, read aloud <strong>the</strong> decrees<br />

arranged for <strong>the</strong> inaugural session, and a Papal brief, by<br />

which, in order to avoid disputes concerning precedure,<br />

<strong>the</strong> order <strong>of</strong> rank among <strong>the</strong> Fa<strong>the</strong>rs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Council was<br />

decided. According to this <strong>the</strong> patriarchs were to come first,<br />

<strong>the</strong> archbishops second, and <strong>the</strong> bishops third ;<br />

<strong>the</strong> primates,<br />

on <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r hand, were to have no precedence ov^er <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

archbishops ; within <strong>the</strong> various ranks, <strong>the</strong> fa<strong>the</strong>rs were<br />

^ SusTA, I., 144 seq. ; ibid., 146 seq. <strong>the</strong> draft <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> decree.<br />

^ Cf. in Appendix No. 19 <strong>the</strong> *report <strong>of</strong> Fr. Tonina <strong>of</strong> December<br />

3, 1 561 (Gonzaga Archives, Mantua).<br />

^ *Report <strong>of</strong> Tonina, dated Rome, December 17, 1561 (Gonzaga<br />

Archives, Mantua). Cf. Susta, I., 134, 151, IL, 14 seq. ; Stein-<br />

HERZ, III., I ; <strong>The</strong>iner, I., 680 ; Ehses, VIII., 122.<br />

* SusTA, I., 151.<br />

^ Ibid., 156.

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