CHAP. I.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

295

1332, was it without some difficulty on thescore of his health, which was not yet strongenough to support so long a voyage, in the Pon-tifical opinion. 1 Nor did he find any difficulty toengage the vicar to deliver up the supreme power,nor had there not been transactions during thatlength of period, chiefly as to adding to the fortifi-cations of the city of Rhodes itself, and the otherchief towns of the island, as well as various strongtowers and castles round all its coasts, not omittingseveral fortresses in the environing islets. Theshipping too had considerably increased, and nowmerited the name of a fleet. Just previous to thearrival of Villannova, the King of Castile hadattempted to create a new order, and endow it withthe spoils of the Templars, but the Pope refusedhis consent; which did not make any essentialchange, since they went to Calatrava just thesame, which could not but occasion discontent inthe Spanish language at Rhodes. 2

One of the first things which Villannova and hissenate had to decide, was whether to enterinto a league with France and Veniceagainst the Turk, which that the order assented to

1 Cod. Dipl. Geros., ii., jSTum. lxiii.—Vatic. Secret.

2 Cod. Dipl. Geros.,. ii., Num. lxii.—Vatic. Secret.—Ap-pendix, cxxxii.