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

THE ENCLOSURE OF NUNS. 267
formed of the eleven belonging to the Franciscan nuns of the
Third Order, and the Dominican and Augustinian nuns were
treated in a like manner. ^ In order to cultivate a better spirit
in the convents the Pope caused some of the older sisters from
other cities to be transferred to the houses in Rome.- Natur-
ally such a method was only of use where there was already
good will, and where the only cause of trouble had been the
lack of knowledge, but too often this good will was wanting ;
it was said in Rome that some of the nuns had poisoned
themselves at the prospect of reform at the hands of
Carniglia.^
As had been the case in the Eternal City, the enclosure was
enforced in the Papal States,* and in the rest of Italy and in
Spain.^ A beginning had already been made under Pius IV. ;
the correspondence of Cardinal Borromeo gives some idea of
the difficulties which had to be overcome.^ At Milan the law
of enclosure had been so completely lost sight of that even
dances were held in the convents ; the nobles of the city would
not hear of the shutting up of the religious houses because they
did not wish for any interference with their intercourse with
their relatives who were nuns, while the religious themselves
looked upon the enclosure as a mark of want of confidence.
Cardinal Borromeo had to send long letters to the three sisters
1 *Avviso di Roma of May 3, 1567, ibid. 390b.
^ " They are expecting eight experienced nuns from Perugia
for the reform of the Roman convents," says an *Avviso di Roma
of March 16, 1571, Urb. 1042, p. 37, ibid.
3 -Avviso di Roma of February 7, 1571, ibid. 46. For the
corruption in the convents of women see Tamassia, FamigUe
itahane, Milan, 1910, 322 seq. (for the years 1554 and 1555).
* Reform of the convents of women in the Roman province of
the Dominicans : *brief of May 15, 1568, Brevia, Arm. 44, t. 13,
p. 189, Papal Secret Archives ; enforcement of the enclosure at
Perugia in 1571 ; Pellini, Storia di Perugia, II., 807.
5 *Avviso di Roma of June 5, 1568, on the reform of the Con-
ventual women. State Archives, Naples, C. Fames., VI., i. Brief
to Spain of January 15, 1568, in Laderchi, 1568, n. 38.
•^ Sylvain,
81.
I., 267 seqq. Cf. S. Aless. Sauh, Note e documenti,