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

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THE RIGHT OF PRESENTATION. 235<br />

<strong>the</strong> very beginning <strong>of</strong> his pontificate he pubUcly called atten-<br />

tion to this principle <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> election capitulation,^ and a short<br />

time afterwards took away <strong>from</strong> <strong>the</strong> Duke <strong>of</strong> Mantua <strong>the</strong> right<br />

<strong>of</strong> presentation to <strong>the</strong> bishopric <strong>of</strong> that city which had been<br />

granted to him by Pius IV., ^ and later on he extended <strong>the</strong><br />

same thing to all <strong>the</strong> rights <strong>of</strong> presentation which had been<br />

granted by his predecessors, except such as had really received<br />

<strong>the</strong> required consent <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Cardinals.^ It was in vain that<br />

<strong>the</strong> princes protested. <strong>The</strong> Mantuan agent in Rome wrote<br />

to <strong>the</strong> Duke that <strong>the</strong> Pope was so determined in his opposition<br />

to such rights <strong>of</strong> patronage that he did not even dare to speak<br />

to him on <strong>the</strong> subject ; <strong>the</strong>re was no hope whatever <strong>of</strong> making<br />

him change his mind, where <strong>the</strong> liberties <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Church were<br />

concerned.^ <strong>The</strong> Pope courteously but firmly rejected all<br />

<strong>the</strong> complaints <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> princes.^<br />

1 BuU. Rom., VII., 427.<br />

-Acta consist, card. Gambarae, July 19 and December 23,<br />

1566, in Laderchi, 1566, n. 197 seqq.<br />

* *" Aspetti V. S. R^'^di veder presto bolle di riforme di molte<br />

cose, le quali N. S. vuol dar fuori. Ha fra I'altre rivocato tutti 11<br />

iuspatronati, etiam ducum at regum, che sono ex privilegio, onde<br />

il re di Portogallo havra qui che fare." (B. Pia to <strong>the</strong> Bishop <strong>of</strong><br />

Mantua, September 17, 1567, Gonzaga Archives, Mantua). *<strong>The</strong><br />

Pope has abolished all rights <strong>of</strong> patronage except those " ex<br />

fundatione et dotatione " (Arco, December 13, 1567, State Archives<br />

Vienna). *Abolition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Portuguese right <strong>of</strong> patronage by a<br />

brief <strong>of</strong> February 7, 1567, Corp. dipl. Portug., X., 237. *Arco,<br />

August 23, 1567, State Archives, Vienna ; cf. *Arco, March 23 and<br />

29, 1567, ibid. See also Acta consist, card. Fames, February 7,<br />

1567, in Laderchi, 1567, n. 14.<br />

^ *" II card^® mi rephco ch' egli credeva che tutto questo fosse<br />

vero et che averebbe anco fatto opera di fame capace N. S., ma<br />

che sapesse certo che S. S*^ stava tanto mal disposta contra questi<br />

iuspatronati che restava <strong>of</strong>feso solo a sentirne parlare, et che diffi-<br />

cilissima cosa, per non dire impossibile, pareva a lui che fosse il<br />

sperare di poter vincere il Papa in queste materia ne le quali si<br />

tratta de la hberta de la chiesa." Luzzara to <strong>the</strong> Duke <strong>of</strong> Mantua,<br />

June 12, 1566, Gonzaga Archives, Mantua.<br />

^ Two letters to <strong>the</strong> Cardinal <strong>of</strong> Lorraine and his mo<strong>the</strong>r

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