A new age had opened, in which such schemes became impossible--when Popes could no longer dare to acknowledge and legitimize their bastards, and when they had to administer their dominions exclusively for the temporal and ecclesiastical aggrandizement of the tiara.
Nevertheless, Paul was living under the conditions which brought this modern attitude of the Papacy into potent actuality.

He was surrounded by intellectual and moral forces of recent growth but of incalculable potency.

One of the first acts of his reign was to advance six members of the moderate reforming party--Sadoleto, Pole, Giberto, Federigo, Fregoso, Gasparo Contarini, and G.M.

Caraffa--to the Cardinalate.

By this exercise of power he showed his willingness to recognize new elements of very various qualities in the Catholic hierarchy.