tset of his pontificate ever doubted the expediency of
reassembling the council at Trent.

The emperor Ferdinand and the French Government, who persisted in
treating the reunion of the Church as the primary object of the council,
at first strongly urged the substitution for Trent of a genuinely German
or French town, where the German bishops, and perhaps even the
Protestants, would feel no scruple about attending. But a totally free
and _new_ council of this description lay outside the horizon of the
papacy; and Pius IV might have let fall the plan altogether but for the
fear of the entire separation in that event of the Gallican Church from
Rome. In France, Protestantism had made considerable strides during the
reign of Henry II (1547-1559). About six weeks before the death of Henry
the first national synod of Protestants was held at Paris (May, 1559).
Under Francis II the Guise influence became paramount, and the
persecution of the Protestants continued. But though the suppression,
just before this, of the so-called conspiracy of Amboise had temporarily
added to the power of the Guises, it had also made the Queen-mother,
Catherine de' Medici, resolve not to let the power of the state pass
wholly out of her hands. Hence the appointment of the large-hearted
L'Hopital as chancellor, and the assembly of notables at Fontainebleau
(August), where the grievances against Rome found full expression, and
where arrangements were made for a meeting of the States-general and a
national council of the French Church. This resolution determined Pius
IV to lose no further time. On November 29, 1560, he issued a bull
summoning all the prelates and princes of Christendom to Trent for the
following Easter. The invitation included both Eastern schismatics and
Western heretics, Elizabeth of England among the rest; but neither she
nor the German Protestant princes assembled at Naumburg, nor the kings
of the Scandinavian North, would so much as receive the papal summons.
In France the death of Francis II (December 5, 1560) further depressed
the Guise influence; and Catherine entered into negotiations with the
Pope with a view to concessions such as would satisfy the Huguenots
while approved by the French bishops. The "Edict of January" (1562),
which followed, long remained a sort of standard of fair concessions to
the Huguenots.

The first deliberations of the reassembled council were barren. The
question which really came home to the fathe