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

THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE. 99
made it plain that he considered it his sacred duty to provide
for a strong and impartial administration of justice. It now
became as difficult for culprits to escape by means of bribery
as it had been easy under his predecessor, and it was above all
to seeing that the poor and the helpless should have justice
that Pius V. directed his efforts. When a poor baker com-
plained to him that Cardinal Simoncelli had owed him 36
scudi for bread for six years, the nephew of Julius III. was
forced to make immediate payment. On the last Wednesday
of every month Pius V. held a public audience at which all
were at liberty to make their complaints about the courts
of justice. The Pope also turned his attention to the reform
of the legal fraternity.^ What a deep respect he had for
justice is certainty best shown by the revision of the trial of
the Carafa which he caused to be made, and which ended on
September 26th, 1567, in the annulment of the sentence
pronounced by Pius IV., and the restoration of the house of
Carafa. 2 By such procedure as this Pius V. showed that he
did not hesitate to act in direct opposition to all the rules of
^ See the *report of Arco of April 26, 1567, State Archives,
Vienna, and the *Avvisi di Roma of February 14 and December 18,
1568, Urb. 1040, p. 486, 616, Vatican Library. Cf. Tiepolo, 173 ;
Catena, 136 seq. ; Gabutius, 218; Laderchi, 1566, n. 113 seq.
Pius V. took great trouble to secure a good administration of
justice even in the provinces. An *Avviso of March 9, 1566,
relates that power over criminal cases was withdrawn from
Cardinal Mark Sittich at Terni, in consequence of which the
Cardinal resigned civil cases as well, and went away " et nell'uni-
versale li nipoti et parenti di Pio IV. par che restino mal sodis-
fatti del Papa." Urb. 1040, p. 190b, Vatican Library.
^ Cf. the authoritative account by Angel, Disgrace, 169-181,
who makes it clear that the new trial, the acts of which have not
so far been found, seems to have dealt almost entirely with the
crimen laesae maiestaiis, and that the assassination of the Duchess
of Paliano was not again brought under consideration. That
Pius V. did not consult any Cardinal before coming to his decision
(Angel, i 78) is also attested by Arco in his *report of September 27
1567, State Archives, Vienna. See also Corresp. dipl., II., 218
seq., 224.