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

40 HISTORY OF THE POPES.
Spanish party. On the night of November 26th he made a
detailed declaration to this effect before Pacheco, Madruzzo,
Farnese and Sforza, and repeated it even more fully on the
following night in the presence of Vargas. Now as before,
he assured them, his own wishes led him to serve the Spanish
king ; he would, however, pledge himself to nothing, and
would not be bound by any exclusion on the part of the powers,
but would give his vote to the candidate who, in hi> opinion,
was the best for Spain. ^ Carafa, therefore, did not dare to
break completely with his former friends ; indeed he com-
plained that Sforza no longer invited him to the meetings
of the Spanish party. ^ He wished to make the Spaniards
realize the value of his friendship by his separation from them.
Should the king really prove unwilling to grant Carafa's
wishes after this experience, then he intended to go over
entirely to the side of the French, and with their assistance
to elevate a Cardinal from whom he might hope for something
for his house. ^ He had Carpi, Reumano and Dolera in view.^
It also pleased him to be regarded by both Spaniards and
French as the arbiter of the conclave and to be paid court to
by them ; at this time he was filled with such arrogance that
people hardly ventured to address him.^
It was true that Carafa now had the election in his hand ;
to whichever side he, with the sixteen votes of his party of
firm adherents should incline, there it seemed that the decisive
power must lie.
The altered state of affairs found expression in the fact
that the candidates of the French party now seemed to come
into prominence in the conclave, while previously there had
only been question of the endeavours of the Spaniards on
behalf of the Cardinals who were agreeable to them. Gonzaga's
adherents took fresh courage, while Este, in particular, thought
^ Vargas loc. cit., 300 seq.
^ Ibid., 307.
*MULLER, 172 seq.
' Vargas, loc. cit., 301.
'" Ibid. Cf. also the *letter of Tonina of January 15, 1561, quoted
in Chapter IV., p. 132, n. 2 infra (Gonzaga Archives, Mantua).