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

DEMANDS OF THE EMPEROR. 269
Curia. ^ After the legates had received these instructions on
February 24th, they resolved, in the General Congregation of
the 25th, to fix the next Session for May 14th.- At the same
time as they informed the Pope of this, they made him a
proposal that a special envoy should be sent to the Emperor,
in order to prevent further delays.^ The Pope agreed to this,
and suggested that Commendone might ba entrusted with this
mission, when he came to Trent after the completion of his
journey through Germany.* Commendone, who reached
Trent on March 7th, was prepared to undertake this new task,
but wished first to go to Venice for a few days.^
The position, however, had in the meantime been altered
by the new demands presented by the Imperial envoys on
• March 5th the reform of the German clergy was to be taken
in hand at once, and a solemn invitation to the Council
addressed to the Protestants.^ The legates, in their reply,'
made very reasonable objections to these demands ;
^ the Pope
also wished to refuse them, and was specially averse to the
second one, for an invitation of the Protestants to the Council,
which they did not recognize as such, would only lead to a
further delay in its activities, without being of any other use,
as the Protestants had already received an invitation, which
they had only disregarded and despised. As it was now
feared that the proposed envoy from the Council to the
Emperor might be won over by the latter to his views, the
Pope thought it wiser that the whole mission should if possible
'See §USTA, II., 31 seq. ; ibid., 32 seq., the more confidential
instructions to Simonetta. Cf. Eder, I., 129 seq.
" Theiner, I., 690.
* Letter of the legates of February 25, 1562, in Susta, II., 37.
* Borromeo to the legates on March 8, 1562, in Susta, II.,
48 seq. Cf. Steinherz, III., 26.
* See Susta, II., 52, 412.
* Le Plat, V., 102 seq. Cf. Steinherz, III., 26. For the date,
March 5 (instead of 6) see Eder, I., 136 n. i, and 147 seq., as
against Lowe, 87 seq.
' Of March 9, in Le Plat, V., 103.
« See Eder, 1., 136. Cf. SagmCller, PapstwahlbuUen, 122,