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THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OE [book nr.

The thirtieth grand master, if by descent aSpaniard, was a Proven gal by birth, in line fromthe Counts of Barcelona, sovereigns of Catalogna,certainly, and perhaps of Italy. 1 2 Whatever blazeof glory he inherited from his ancestors, Sir Ray-mond de Berenger showed his were qualificationsto add to its lustre. After taking Alexandria bysurprise, and burning the piratical fleet in its port, 3a very bold and necessary exploit, though at theexpense of one hundred knights killed, and a great

1365 ^° SS ^ orses (f° r ^ ose pi ra t es spread de-struction throughout the Christian shores ofthe Mediterranean), his return to his island wasinstantly followed by a letter to the procuratorgeneral for all the receivers to be commandedforthwith to send in all the responsions, and arrears,and debts, they could possibly collect, with whateverthey could get on credit, to enable the order toresist the invasion of Rhodes that was on the pointof ensuing by the Sultan of Babylon, in leaguewith the Turks; 3 so that in this most urgent dangerthe monies were absolutely requisite to its veryexistence, and this official note bearing the date of

1 Seb. Paoli : Serie, ii. 466.

2 Bosio: par. ii., lib. iii., anno 1365.

3 Id- : Id., anno 1366.