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

34 HISTORY OF THE POPES.
Madruzzo, however, would not give up the support of Gonzaga.
He answered the ambassador by saying that he could not
understand how he could express himself in such terms about
so good a friend of Spain ;
at the same time he wrote to Philip
II. that the Cardinal of Mantua deserved the Papacy a hun-
dred times, and that he could be of more use to the world as
Pope than all the others together. ^
The rest of the Spanish supporters of Gonzaga had pledged
themselves, with Sforza, to wait until October 17th for the
courier from Spain, and on that day they extended the period
by yet another eight or ten days. Sforza only gave way to
the importunity of Carafa to the extent that he did not renew
the promise of his friends, as far as he himself was concerned.
This slight concession naturally did not satisfy Carafa.
He now approached the French who, at his overtures, at once
despatched a courier to the French king ; the hostility of
Carafa towards Sforza in the meantime increased from " hour
to hour." He complained to Vargas that Sforza was his
enemy, and wished to destroy him and his house ; the King
of Spain would sacrifice the Carafa without scruple to please
a Pope elected according to the proposals of Sforza. He would
therefore support Farnesc, as he had promised, and repudiate
Gonzaga, and for the rest, in spite of his earnest desire to serve
Philip, he would adopt a neutral attitude between the parties.
The ambassador sought to dissuade him, but in vain ;
^
Carafa
adhered to his resolution.^ Este was jubilant at this success ;
he now threw off his mask, canvassed for votes for himself,
made extensive offers and promises, as was his wont, and gained
ground hour to hour."*
Such M^as the position of affairs when at last, on October
27th, a letter from King Philip arrived. It bore the dates
of October 8th and 9th, and contained nothing concerning
Gonzaga's candidature, but, instead, news which could not
have arrived more inopportunely for Vargas. With regard
^Letter of October 20, 1559, in Wahrmund, 82 seq.
-Vargas on October 18, 1559, in Dollinger, I,, 279 seq,
* Vargas on November 5, 1539 ibid., 282 seqq,
* Vargas, ibid., 285.