248 THE HISTORY OR THE ORDER OF [book H.

ended by determining to fortify Limisso, and erectit into a regular establishment of Hospitality.

Nor is there any earlier approximation to thenaval, than when it was resolved that the ship whichhad conveyed them from Acre, should be used inlearning to clear the coasts from the continualattacks of Saracen pirates. Nor did this preventcavalry from being the order’s principal care still;as we find (even five years later) certain lands setapart for forage for their horses, whereas there islittle or nothing about galleys in these documentsas yet . 1

Such was the commencement of the navy of theOrder of Malta; no auspicious one certainly, to com-mence in a period of abeyance (which some calleddecline or extinction), after having lived the trifleof above two hundred years; far from promisingfuture maritime glory.

Fortunately their young efforts were not crushedby the sultan, enraged that the two bodies (Tem-plars and Hospitallers), whom he had thought tohave put an end to, were reviving; for the fleethe sent against them was lost, and he himself diedshortly after . 2

A new Pope, who had been chosen and soon ab-

i

Appendix, Lxxviii.

2 Bosio.—Vertot: ir. 14.