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

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CHAPTER X.
The Concluding Sessions of the Council of Trent.
While Morone, as legate, and as the confidant of Pius IV.,
was paving the way for an understanding with the Emperor
at Innsbruck, relations between the Spanish king and the
Pope were also taking a more favourable turn. Philip's
representative in Rome since 1559, Francisco de Vargas,
had been in no small degree to blame for the irritation and
disputes between Rome and Madrid. Vargas was not a
man who could smooth difficulties awaj^ ; he was much more
likely to render existing friction more acute. Over-zealous
and violent, quarrelsome and contentious, he was the most
unlikely person to obtain anything from Pius IV. In just
the same degree as the relations between the Venetian ambas-
sador, Mula, and the Pope were excellent, so did those between
Pius IV. and Vargas go from bad to worse. Philip II. him-
self could not fail to recognize that Vargas' position at the
Curia had become unbearable, and his successor, Luis de
Requesens, had been appointed as early as the beginning of
1562, although his departure had been delayed from month
to month.
In August, 1562, Philip II. had formed the idea of sending
to Rome a special confidential envoy, in order to settle the
differences which existed in the matter of the Council. He
chose for the purpose the aged and experienced Luis de Avila,
but put off sending him until the beginning of December,
as he wished, before doing so, to come to an agreement with
the other Catholic powers with regard to his further procedure
at Trent.
^Cf. SusTA, I., 157, II., 427, 514, III., 344, 386; Constant,
Rapport 194 seq., 211 seq., where is also given the special bibliography
on Requesens.
2 See SusTA, XL, 522 ;
III., 83, 88, 385 seq., 411, 442 seq., 446-7.
328