ABEY. II.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

247

allow ine to begin by thanking you,” as, re-enteringthe hall, he sat down, “ for the promptitude withwhich you obeyed my orders; and far better thanhad Divine Providence allowed you to be in timefor Acre, since there you could only have increasedsuperfluous deaths, but here you show that HolyLand has not lost all its defenders. But, bythe courage that animates you, I see we have stillmen worthy of the name of Hospitallers, andcapable of remedying all our losses; St. John’sAcre is indeed ours, as sepulchre of so many of ourgallant brethren. It is for you to replace them,and liberate Jerusalem from the barbarian’s irondespotism .” 1

And observing Limisso to be an open town, withonly a well-fortified citadel in the centre, too smallfor the order’s residence, some proposed removingto one of the Italian ports, which was instantlyquashed with indignation by the grand master andchief knights, as contrary to the spirit of their in-stitution, which did not permit them to go far fromPalestine, but be always at hand, and ready toprofit by any opportunity. And this sentimentmet universal applause, and was immediately drawnup as a sort of perpetual statute . 2 And the chapter

1 Bosio.—Yertot: iv. 10.

^ Id.—Id.: 12.