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

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BULL-FIGHTS IN SPAIN. 20/<br />

whe<strong>the</strong>r such a decree would meet with any success.^ Pius V.<br />

showed greater courage. After, as had already been done<br />

by Thomas <strong>of</strong> Villanova,^ <strong>the</strong> Council <strong>of</strong> Toledo in 1566^ had<br />

expressed itself against this popular sport, which was so dear<br />

to <strong>the</strong> Spaniards, Pius V., through his nuncio in Madrid,<br />

begged <strong>the</strong> king to abolish a custom which <strong>the</strong> Pope had<br />

already done away with in <strong>the</strong> Papal States.** Philip II.<br />

resisted this proposal on <strong>the</strong> score <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> great irritation and<br />

discontent which it would cause in Spain. ^ On <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r hand<br />

Pius V. was <strong>of</strong> opinion that if <strong>the</strong> Council had forbidden duels,<br />

it was all <strong>the</strong> more necessary to combat <strong>the</strong> abuse <strong>of</strong> bullfights,^<br />

and, acting on <strong>the</strong> advice <strong>of</strong> Francis Borgia, on Novem-<br />

ber ist, 1567, he issued a bull which strictly prohibited <strong>the</strong>se<br />

spectacles " which were more suited to devils than to men."'<br />

Although <strong>the</strong> Papal nuncio was at pains to see that <strong>the</strong> Papal<br />

prohibition was made known far and wide by <strong>the</strong> Lenten<br />

preachers, <strong>the</strong> Spanish bishops had not <strong>the</strong> courage formally<br />

to publish <strong>the</strong> bull.^ <strong>The</strong> king begged that <strong>the</strong> old custom<br />

might be allowed to continue, at least under certain condi-<br />

tions ;^ it was maintained that as <strong>the</strong> bull-fighters were<br />

^ " Placerent [this and ano<strong>the</strong>r proposal] nisi essent difficilis<br />

observationis." so it was said in Rome. Ibid.<br />

-Opera, Venice, 1740, 627. Cf. Stimmen aus Maria-Laach,<br />

LXV., 246.<br />

' Cone. Tolet. <strong>of</strong> 1566, n. 26, in Hardouin, X., 1169.<br />

' Bonelli to Castagna, January 31, 1567, Corresp. dipl., II., 31.<br />

* " grandissimo disturbio et discontento di tutti li popoli."<br />

Castagna to Bonelli, June 17, 1566, ibid., 137.<br />

^ Bone^li to Castagna, July 11, 1567, ibid., 155.<br />

' Bull. Rom., VII., 630. That this bull was obtained through<br />

<strong>the</strong> influence <strong>of</strong> Francis Borgia, see Borgia to Polanco, November<br />

19, 1567 (S. Franciscus Borgia, IV., 551). Borgia had been led<br />

to take this step by Juan Quiros de Sosa (his letter to Borgia <strong>of</strong><br />

August 17, 1567, ibid., 51 y seqq.) and Pietro Camaiani, Bishop <strong>of</strong><br />

Ascoli (Borgia to <strong>the</strong> latter, November 22, 1567, ibid., 552 ; cf.<br />

155). For <strong>the</strong> attitude <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Jesuits towards bull-fights, cf.<br />

JS'adal, Epist., IV., 390 seq.<br />

* Castagna to Bonelli, May 14, 1568, Corresp. dipl., II., 366.<br />

."Castagna to Bonelli, June J 6, 1568, ibid., 323.

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