CHAP. IV.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

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the minds of all Christendom. His successor,before he began to legislate, writes what decidedlysupposes a rule; and we find knights in Gerard’stime refusing to fight with a Christian, becausethey declare it would be contrary to their vow totake arms against any but Saracens alone; full proofthey had made a vow, and therefore professed a rule. 1All the companions of Gerard that we know of,werepersons of the highest rank; no doubt but therewere clerical members in the order from the verybeginning, and that they formed a separate class,among whom were an Archbishop of Arles, 1117,and a priest of a very noble family in England asearly as 1100. But as to the original creation, and thefirst twelve years, they have been spoken of before ;so whatever the poor expiring founder might thinkon, let us endeavour to avoid repetitions.

About 1113 (at latest), the first Roger and hisson had left a deed for permitting the free exportof all things for the use of the Hospitallers and theHoly Land, and that the Hospitallers might gowhere they liked by sea or land, and that theships to receive them should never have to paypilot or freight; and also in Bari, and the othercities and towns of those parts, the Hospitallers

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1 P. A. Paoli: 200