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

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MORONE AND NAVAGERO LEGATES. 315<br />

portance for Christendom that <strong>the</strong> Papal election should be<br />

lawful and beyond reproach. So many good and wise laws<br />

had already been issued on this matter by former Councils<br />

and Popes, that it had been believed that nothing more could<br />

be added. In order, however, completely to remove every<br />

abuse, <strong>the</strong> Pope had published a new law. He had not com-<br />

municated it to <strong>the</strong> Council before its publication, much as he<br />

would have liked to do so, because he had realized, since <strong>the</strong><br />

recent disputes, how difficult it was, in such an important<br />

and controverted manner, to succeed in accomplishing any-<br />

thing. Should <strong>the</strong> Council, however, <strong>of</strong> its own accord,<br />

approve <strong>the</strong> law which he had issued, it would be very pleasing<br />

to him. With regard to <strong>the</strong> nomination <strong>of</strong> Cardinals, he<br />

referred to <strong>the</strong> statements which would be made by Cardinal<br />

Morone, who had been decided upon as legate at <strong>the</strong> Imperial<br />

court. ^<br />

<strong>The</strong> dispatch <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se briefs, however, did not take place,<br />

because it was decided that all <strong>the</strong> matters touched upon in<br />

<strong>the</strong> Imperial letters <strong>of</strong> March 3rd should be answered verbally<br />

by Morone. His mission was announced to <strong>the</strong> Emperor by<br />

<strong>the</strong> legate in a detailed brief on March 19th.- <strong>The</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r very<br />

important task with which Morone had already been entrusted,<br />

his appointment as legate to <strong>the</strong> Council, was also spoken <strong>of</strong> in<br />

this brief.<br />

When <strong>the</strong> news <strong>of</strong> Gonzaga's death reached Rome on<br />

March 6th, Pius IV. at once saw that he must provide a suc-<br />

cessor for <strong>the</strong> dead president without delay. On <strong>the</strong> very<br />

next morning, without consulting <strong>the</strong> Sacred College, he<br />

appointed Morone and Navagero as legates to <strong>the</strong> Council.^<br />

By this act, so quickly carried out, Pius IV. again displayed<br />

his great political shrewdness. O<strong>the</strong>r proposals were made,<br />

especially <strong>the</strong> candidature <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ambitious Cardinal Guise,<br />

^See Raynaldus, 1563, n. 38; Le Plat, V., 765-8 ; Sag-<br />

MULLER, Papstwahlbullen, 143 seq.<br />

2 See Steinherz, III., 259. Cf. Sickel, Konzil, 471.<br />

' See Acta consist, card. Gambarae (Cod. Vat. 7061) in Sickel,<br />

Beitrage, I., 52 ; Susta, 267 seq., 270 ; Pogiani Epist., III., 262 ;<br />

DoLLiNGER, Beitrage, I., 487 ; Sickel, Konzil, 452.

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