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

86 HISTORY OF THE POPES
The Romans had many other opportunities of reahzing
with what ruthless severity Pius V. punished moral offences.
As early as January 19th, 1566, Caligari informed his friend
Commendone of the publication of a stern edict against the
immorality prevalent in Rome.^ At the consistory of January
23rd the Pope spoke, not only of the need of reform
among the clergy, but also of his intention of taking action
against blasphemy and concubinage. ^ To give effect to
this intention he issued, on April ist, 1566, an edict which
imposed the severest penalties for the disturbance of divine
worship, the profanation of Sundays and festivals, simony,
blasphemy, sodomy and concubinage.^ In July, 1566, an
ordinance was issued for the limitation of luxury in dress and
of excessive lavishness in banquets,* which was followed
*Avviso di Roma of February 23, 1572, Urb. 1042, p. 41, loc. cit.
That the Pope's severity was justified is shown by the condemnation
of Paolo to death for homicide in 1577. He died
in 1596. See Bruzzone in Cosmos illustr., 1903, 141 ; 1904,
61.
1 *Lett. di princ., XXXIII., n. 77, Papal Secret Archives. A
copy of the *Bando generale concernente il governo di Roma,
dated January 15, 1566, is in the State Archives, Vienna, Varia 3.
2 *Report of Arco of January 23, 1566, State Archives,
Vienna.
^ See Bull. Rom. VII., 434 seq. The edict ordered also " ut
cadaverum capsae in ecclesiis super terram existentes amoveantur
" a thing which had already been ordered by Paul IV. The
penalties were quite in the draconian spirit of the Carafa Pope ;
cf. Vol. XIV. of this work, 239 seq.
* In the collection in the Papal Secret Archives and in the
Casanatense Library in Rome there is no copy of the " Bando e
riforma sopra le immoderare spese et pompa del vestire et de'
conviti " which is spoken of in the *Avviso di Roma of May 25
and June i, 1566 (Urb. 1040, p. 220. 231b, Vatican Library) ; the
same is true of the Bando of January 15, 1566 (see supra n. i).
A copy is preserved in the State Archives, Vienna, Varia 3, and
bears the date June 28, 1566, but according to the *report of
Cusano of July 6, 1566 (State Archives, Vienna) it was only
published at the latter date.