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

THE CANDIDATURE OF RICCI. 33
order to bring still greater pressure to bear upon the Cardinals,
the Roman people were to take up arms on the appointed day
and, after making a little disturbance acclaim Farnese as
Pope.i It is a fact that during the night following January
4th such cries were to be heard in the streets of Rome,^ The
munificent Farnese was indeed very popular in Rome, and on
his return from Parma after the death of Pius IV. he had been
pubHcly hailed by the people as the next Pope.^
Cusano, the not very reliable Imperial agent, claims to have
learned that Farnese was not very far from attaining his end,
and that he only lacked two votes ; in order to frustrate him,
he says, the Florentines set to work on behalf of Ricci,* whose
hopes had run very high from the first. Requesens, too had
for some time been recommending Ricci, who was not learned,
but very capable, to Borromeo, besides the two religious,
Dolera and Ghislieri.^ On the evening of December 30th there
was much activity on behalf of Ricci, ^ and even many of
Borromeo's Cardinals, especially Mark Sittich, would have
declared themselves in his favour,' if their leader had allowed
them to do so. It now appeared, however, that in spite of
his piety and gentleness, Borromeo could be severe, when he
deemed it necessary. He spoke openly of Ricci's defects,
and injured his chances of election considerably.^ In order
^ Requesens, January 3, 1566, ibid. For the rest Requesens adds
that it rnust be admitted that Colonna had been deceived; ibid.
* *Avviso di Roma of January 5, 1566, Urb. 1040, p. 161.
Vatican Library.
' " II popolo alia prima vista I'ha cridato publicamente per
Papa " Cusano to Maximilian II., December 22, 1565, in
HiLLlGER, 86, n. 2.
* *Cusano to Maximilian II., January 5, 1566, State Archives,
Vienna.
* Requesens to Philip II., January 22, 1566, Corresp. dipl., I., 96.
* Corn. Firmanus ,*Diarium XII., p. 28b, Papal Secret Archives.
' *Anonymous report on the conclave to Maximilian II.,
January 5, 1566, State Archives, Vienna.
* Requesens, loc. cit., 96. Ricci left an illegitimate son ; see
ZufJiGA in Nueva coleccion de docum. ined., II., 243.
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