ost noteworthy was one regulating the powers of
the college of cardinals, while their exclusive right to elect the
pontiff was maintained against the pretensions of the council. The
best Catholic spirit of the time was represented in {386} Cardinal
Charles Borromeo, Archbishop of Milan, an excellent prelate who sought
to win back members of Christ to the fold by his good example, while he
did not disdain to use the harsher methods of persecution when
necessary. Among the amiable weaknesses of Pius was the belief,
inherited from a bygone age, that the Protestants might still be
reunited to the church by a few concessions, such as those of the
marriage of the clergy and the use of the cup by the laity.

[Sidenote: Pius V, 1566-72]

With Pius V a sterner spirit entered into the councils of the church.
The election of the Dominican and Chief Inquisitor Michael Ghislieri
was a triumph for the policy of Borromeo. His pitiless hatred of the
heretics hounded Catharine de' Medici against the Huguenots, and Philip
II against the Dutch. Contrary to the dictates of prudence and the
wishes of the greatest Catholic princes, he issued the bull deposing
Elizabeth. But he was severe to himself, an ascetic nicknamed for his
monkish narrowness "Friar Wooden-shoe" by the Roman populace. He
ruthlessly reformed the Italian clergy, meting out terrible punishments
to all sinners. Under his leadership Catholicism took the offensive in
earnest and accomplished much. His zeal won him the name of saint, for
he was the last of the Roman pontiffs to be canonized.

But the reign of sainthood coupled with absolutism is apt to grow
irksome, and it was with relief that the Romans hailed the election of
Hugo Buoncompagno as Gregory XIII. [Sidenote: Gregory XIII, 1572-85]
He did little but follow out, somewhat weakly, the paths indicated by
his predecessors. So heavily did he lean on Spain that he was called
the chaplain of Philip, but, as the obligations were mutual, and the
Catholic king came also to depend more and more upon the spiritual arms
wielded by the papacy, it might just as well have been said that Philip
was the executioner employed by Gregory. The {387} mediocrity of his
rule did not prevent notable achievement by the Jesuits in the cause of
the church. His reform of the calendar will be described more fully
elsewhere.

Gregory XIII offers an opportunity to measure the moral standard of the
papacy after half a century of refo