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

COMPLAINTS OF THE ROMANS. 3
to which they were entitled, and prevent the Cardinals from
communicating with the outside world by letter.
The Cardinal-Dean, du Bellay, dismissed the Conservators
with a sharp reproof on account of their arrogant language
and the excesses of the previous night. The complaints were,
however, only too well justified, and other remonstrances were
not wanting regarding the general insecurity in Rome.^ The
want of order in the conclave itself was so great that the Vene-
tian ambassador, Mocenigo, wrote in 1560 that it was the
most open and free of which there was any record.^ On
October 2nd four Cardinals were appointed,^ who were to
confer with the ordinary commission of Cardinals concerning
a reform of the conclave. They did indeed make various
regulations,'* but, as Bondonus says, although these were well
conceived nobody paid any attention to them.^ The windows
and breaches in the walls by which Cardinals and conclavists
communicated with the outside world were indeed closed,
but were very soon opened again, ^ and no lasting improvement
of the conditions took place.
As a matter of fact, no exhortations or regulations for
reform could have much success as long as the evil was not
grasped at the root, and the secular princes deprived of all
1 The *Avviso di Roma of September 23, 1559, announces
that many murders take place by day and by night (Urb. 1039,
p. 85. Vatican Library). Cardinal Cueva spoke to the same effect
in an address to the conclave on November 12 (Guidus, 619) :
" Lites non legibus, sed gladiis et caedibus diffiniebantur ' com-
plained the Conservators on November 3. Guidus, 618. Cf.
SusTA, Pius IV., 135.
2 MocENiGO, 43. Cf. Dembinski, Wybor Piusa IV., 260 ;
SusTA, Pius IV., 134 See ibid, concerning the abuses in the
matter of wagers as to who should be Pope ;
made these for their own personal gain.
many conclavists
521.
^ They were Madruzzo, Este, Scotti and Carafa. Bondonus,
* Bondonus, 522; Guidus 617.
^ Bondonus, 522.
p Mocenigo, loc. cit.
1