Druckschrift 
2 (1852)
Entstehung
Seite
332
Einzelbild herunterladen
 

332

THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book hi.

a well, or rather cistern, to avoid the Turks, whopursued him, he must have died of hunger, butfor one of those sagacious and faithful animals,who, during several days, threw him down thegreater portion of the bread given to him everymorning for his own nourishment; until the ser-vant, who dealt out the breads, surprised to seethe dog got leaner every day, set to find out whathe did with his food, and discovered the truth tohis astonishment. So the good mastiff acquiredhis niche in history; of which who shall deprivehim ?

This celebrated fort had seven lines of bastionsand walls landward, and on that side might bereally inexpugnable ; whoever got within it, musthave passed seven gates. Over the inmost, how-ever, was inscribed an avowal that to keep it, re-quired more than human ability: Nisi Dominuscustodierat, frustra vigilat qui custodit; but towardsthe sea was the point of attack; yet to take it, youmust first have taken Rhodes itself. Saint Pierrede Libertini was now its name, and its site was wonthe very same year that Smyrna fell1399. 1

Later, Kaillacs wise policy preserved Cyprus

1 Bosio : par. ii., lib. iv. Scb. Paoli: Nbtiz. Geogr., ii.499.Appendix, cxlviii.