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

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172<br />

HISTORY OF THE POPES.<br />

been dismissed <strong>from</strong> <strong>the</strong> Penitentiaria : It is always better,<br />

he said, to die <strong>of</strong> hunger than to lose one's soal.^ In reality he<br />

had no intention <strong>of</strong> condenming anyone to die <strong>of</strong> hunger, and<br />

<strong>the</strong>refore, in spite <strong>of</strong> his zeal, he had to proceed step by step.<br />

In <strong>the</strong> first months <strong>of</strong> his reign, Tiepolo wrote that <strong>the</strong> Pope<br />

was watching <strong>the</strong> Dataria very <strong>close</strong>ly, and that he would no<br />

longer tolerate <strong>the</strong> slightest suspicion <strong>of</strong> simony. ^ Immedi-<br />

ately after his election he had set a very distinguished president<br />

over this department in <strong>the</strong> person <strong>of</strong> Archbishop Ma.ffei, and<br />

had placed it under <strong>the</strong> care <strong>of</strong> Cardinals Scotti, Reumano and<br />

Rebiba,^ ordering that for <strong>the</strong> future money was no longer<br />

to be taken for compositions.* A constant source <strong>of</strong> scandal<br />

and simoniacal intrigue were <strong>the</strong> many cessioni <strong>from</strong> benefices,<br />

made to <strong>the</strong> Pope, not unconditionally, however, but in favour<br />

<strong>of</strong> some third party.^ Pius V. forbade all such arrangements ;®<br />

<strong>the</strong> Datary must submit to him all requests for such resigna-<br />

tions, so that he might be sure <strong>the</strong>re were no unjust conditions<br />

attached to <strong>the</strong>m.' In 1566 he appointed several Cardinals<br />

to examine into <strong>the</strong> question how far such resignations could<br />

^ *Arco, February 19, 1569, State Archives, Vienna.<br />

"May 25, 1566, in Mutinelli, I., ^5.<br />

^ See Salmeron, Epist., II., 60.<br />

* Requesens, January 11, 1566, Corresp. dipl., I., 86.<br />

* *" [le renoncie], dalle quale precedevano infiniti scandali di<br />

simonie et altri errori " *Avviso di Roma <strong>of</strong> September 28, 1566,<br />

Urb. 1040, p. 291b, Vatican Library.<br />

* " *Nella medesima signatura ordino al datario che non passasse<br />

pill suppliche di quelle che parlano di rinuntie de benefici in mano<br />

del Papa, ma pero in favore di tale, percioche pare a lui che questo<br />

sia mode di appropriarsi troppo lungamente beneficii ecclesiastici<br />

et in se stesso non puo patire questa cosa, con tutto che per tanti<br />

et tanti anni sia stata accettata et usata dai pontefici et da la<br />

corte. Di mode che da qui innanzi chi vorra rinuntiare in mano<br />

del Papa bisognera rinuntiare liberamente, et non piu in favore<br />

di persona." Luzzara to <strong>the</strong> Duke <strong>of</strong> Mantua, May 15, 1566,<br />

Gonzaga Archives, Mantua.<br />

' *Avviso di Roma <strong>of</strong> May 18, 1566, Urb. 1040, p. 229, Vatican<br />

Library. <strong>The</strong>se " pr<strong>of</strong>ane conditions " might be, for example,<br />

<strong>the</strong> various forms <strong>of</strong> confidential simony.

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