282 THE HISTORY OE THE ORDER OF [book ill.

Under pretence of reforming us, or uniting us to anew military order, the intention is to destroy us,and deprive us of all we have, and merge our nameeven (which has become too glorious for safety) inanother from some unknown vocabulary, to serveits turn, and shortly be abolished. Yes, had ourancestors and we all acted less nobly well, we shouldnot now be in so dangerous a predicament. Yet, atthe very moment when prudence the most consum-mate is so requisite, you draw down the reproachesof censorial hypocrites. It is to ruin you and usall.”

Yet what could be done, when Villaret, with hisown debauchery, publicly warranted that of hissubjects? This, and his monstrous favouritism,and occasional haughtiness and undue severity,and still more undue indulgence, caused tumults,which ripened into revolts, and even attacks upon

his life. So that he had to throw himself

1317

on the Pope’s protection; and we havePapal documents to this day of those disgracefulscenes. First, comes a letter of recommendationbrought by a person who may have been a spy, toconsole and advise ,' and next the brief. “ We aresorry to know you have been assaulted, and obligedto fly from Rhodes by your own knights into aCod. Dipl. Geros., ii., ]N"um. xlii.

i