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

THE CASE OF CARRANZA. 357
In this way a complete net-work—in which the web was
the national sense of superiority^ and the woof specious
maxims, rebukes and threats—enfolded the Pope more and
more, so as to tie his hands complete^ and remove the de-
cision to Madrid. Very characteristic is an autograph letter
of Maj'' nth, 1571,^ in which the king " the devoted and loving
son " of the Pope, sought to deprive him of all freedom of
action. First Philip lauds his own zeal in the affair of
Carranza, a zeal which he says befits " his own duty to the
service of Our Lord, the defence of his Catholic faith, his
Church and his religion." He has not been able to forego
taking the steps he has taken, or undertaking the course in
which he still persists, that is to say his determination to
set his hand to the measures best suited to ensure that the
world, which is watching the affair so closety, shall realize
and understand his intention. This intention is nothing
but the wish and the aim that justice shall be done on the
basis of the manifest truth. Since the unhappy business
has dragged on so long, it has seemed good to Philip, as the
devoted and loving son of the Pope, to warn him that his
authority and good name would be greatly jeopardized if
the idea got about that His Holiness intended to reinstate
the archbishop out of any considerations of favouritism or
affection ; at present, however, as the ambassador has already,
by the king's orders, pointed out to the Pope, the methods
and procedure of the Roman trial seemed to suggest that that
was the case.^ He therefore implores the Pope to treat an
affair of so great importance with the care, freedom of judgment
and zeal which men looked for in him, taking counsel
with learned men who were inspired with zeal for religion,
^ Ibid. 273 seq.
que tanto amor
" " Me ha parecido como devote hijo de V. S. y
le tiene, advertirle quanta autoridad y reputacion aventuraria
V. S. en que se pensase, que de algun genero de pasion o aficion
queria librar al Arzobispo, como lo ha dado a entender en el raodo
y orden con que se ha procedido como de my parte se lo ha referido
my embaxador " (Corresp. dipl., IV., 274). The ambassador
renewed this complaint again later on ; see supra p. 356, n. 2.