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

PARTIES. 3
was not the opposition of the various parties, but the fact
that the question of the Spanish succession was fraught with
so many possibihties of trouble that everything depended
on the choice of a personahty that would be a match for such
perils. The grouping of the parties was accordingly quite
simple ; one group consisted of the French and the
Imperialists, who were implacable opponents, and the other
of the " Zelanti " who were inspired by strict ecclesiastical
sentiments.^ The imperial party numbered at first only two
members, viz. Medici and Giudice. In November they were
reinforced by Cardinals Lamberg and Grimani, dispatched by
Leopold I. They were instructed to have Cardinals Panciatici,
Carpegna and Acciaioli excluded by the Spanish ambassador,
but it was found impossible to carry out such a step.^ The
French party was numerically the strongest ; it was also more
compact and united. As Bouillon did not count, by reason
of his being out of favour with the court of Paris, it consisted
of Cardinals D'Estrees, Forbin, Coislin, Arquien, Le Camus,
who experienced no difficulty in preventing a decisive step
until Cardinal de Noailles should have arrived.^
The " Zelanti " had agreed to set aside all worldly con-
siderations of nationality, friendship, enmity, kinship,
gratitude or interest, and to keep exclusively before their
eyes the welfare of the Church. Among the older electors
this group comprised Carlo Barberini, Acciaioli and Orsini,
as well as ten of Innocent XL's Cardinals, viz. Spinola,
Mellini, Durazzo, Barbarigo, Petrucci, CoUoredo, Pamfili,
Negroni, Astalli ; they were reinforced by another eighteen
who owed their elevation to Innocent XII., namely Morigia,
Tanara, Boncompagni, Del Verme, Ferrari, Cenci, Sagri-
panti, Noris, the younger Spinola, Cornaro, Paolucci,
^ This grouping of the parties was already foreseen in
" *Refleciones ", etc.. Archives of the Spanish Embassy, Rome.
" Wahrmund, i8o seq., where details are also given about the
exclusion formulas which were subsequently sent open to Lam-
berg, with orders to make use of them in case of necessity.
' Galland, 239 seqq.