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

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34<br />

HISTORY OF THE POPES.<br />

to satisfy Mark Sittich, he promised him that he would not,<br />

for his part, work for ei<strong>the</strong>r Dolera or Ghislieri. In spite <strong>of</strong><br />

this, however, even without Borromeo's help, Ricci succeeded<br />

in collecting thirty votes for himself,^ and if he had had two<br />

days longer he might perhaps have attained <strong>the</strong> goal <strong>of</strong> his<br />

ambitions. In <strong>the</strong> meantime Famese had not given up hopes<br />

<strong>of</strong> winning <strong>the</strong> tiara. He sent a courier to Mantua in order<br />

to arrange a matrimonial alliance between his house and <strong>the</strong><br />

Gonzaga and Este, and thus win votes. ^ On January 3rd,<br />

1566, he sent Cardinals Orsini and Paleotto <strong>of</strong>l&ciaUy to<br />

Borromeo to beg his support in <strong>the</strong> election, but on <strong>the</strong> next<br />

day he received a reply <strong>from</strong> Borromeo and Mark Sittich that<br />

<strong>the</strong>y considered it quite impossible to accede to his request.^<br />

If Famese had hoped by means <strong>of</strong> his matrimonial plans<br />

to win over to his side Cardinal Gonzaga, who had been<br />

opposed to him so far, he was soon to be undeceived. Gonzaga<br />

had been very iU since <strong>the</strong> beginning <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> conclave, and at<br />

' <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> 1565 his condition became so critical that on<br />

December 31st he received <strong>the</strong> last sacraments.* On January<br />

6th, 1566, though he was only twenty-eight years <strong>of</strong> age, he<br />

was dead.^ During <strong>the</strong> last days <strong>of</strong> his iUness <strong>the</strong> election<br />

proceedings were ahmost entirely suspended, out <strong>of</strong> respect for<br />

<strong>the</strong> dying man.^<br />

Borromeo could hardly feel any more enthusiasm for his<br />

cousin, <strong>the</strong> Cardinal <strong>of</strong> Vercelli, Pier Francesco Ferreri, than<br />

^ Requesens, loc. cit., 96. *Cusano, loc. cit. speaks <strong>of</strong> 19 votes<br />

and 13 accessi.<br />

ibid.<br />

* Cusano, loc. cit.<br />

' *Report <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> conclave to Maximilian II., January 5, 1566,<br />

* Requesens, January 3, 1565, Corresp. dipl., I., 74. <strong>The</strong><br />

rumour that he had been poisoned was <strong>of</strong> course spread abroad.<br />

*Arco, January 5, 1566, State Archives, Vienna.<br />

* Corresp. dipl., I., 74 n,<br />

« *" Le cose del conclave sono state assai quiete per dui o tie<br />

giorni attesa I'indispositione di Mantova, nella quale h stato<br />

molto assiduo Buorromeo." .<br />

Archives, Florence, Medic. 3285, p. 3.<br />

Serristori, January 2, 1566, State

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