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

ATTITUDE OF COSIMO I. II
Duke's wishes. The leader of the Florentine party in the
conclave was undoubtedly Sforza. Cosimo had strongly
dissuaded the Emperor from giving his support to any Cardinal
of princely family, or to one of any great distinction, such as
Este, Faniese, Madruzzo, or Morone, on the ground that such
men, as experience had shown, were likely, if they became
Pope, to sacrifice everything so as to enhance the splendour
of their own family. Several others, in the opinion of the
Duke, were not to be supported, Pisani and Mula, because
they were Venetians, Reumano because he was a Frenchman,
and Ghislieri because he was obstinate and unbending, though
he was a man of exemplary life. On the other hand he recommended
to the Emperor, Cardinals Cicada, Dolera, Boncom-
pagni, Niccolini, Grasso, Ricci and Ferreri,^ though later on,
in more particular negotiations with Arco, he decided in favour
of Ricci, the Cardinal of Montepulciano.- Of the other
Italian princes, the Duke of Urbino worked against Ricci, and
the Duke of Savoy on behalf of the Cardinal of Vercelli, Pier
Francesco Ferreri, as well as for Morone.^
French policy was not more likely to exercise much influence
over the conclave than that of the Emperor. It is quite true
that the power of France in the Eternal City had considerably
increased under Pius IV. ;^ proof of this may be found in the
controversy as to precedence between the French and Spanish
ambassadors, which the Pope had decided in 1564 in favour
of France, and had thereby caused the departure of the
Spanish ambassador, Requesens, who had already pointed
out to his sovereign that he would have to take serious steps
^ BiBL, Korrespondenz, I., 331 seqq.
^ BiBL, Korrespondenz, I., 333, 366. *Cardinal Gonzaga sent
news to Mantua that the Duke favoured Ricci, Dolera and Nic-
colini ;
that the last named was really the most pleasing to him,
but that Ricci was " piii riuscibile " (Fr. Tosabezzo to the Duke
of Mantua, December 15, 1565, Gonzaga Archives, Mantua).
*" Non vorria [Cosimo] ne Morone ne Farnese." Cardinal
Gonzaga in Tosabezzo, loc. cii.
' Requesens, December 30, 1565, Corresp. dipL, I., 67.
* Corresp. dipl., I., 66 seqq.