10 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book hi.

informing him of his election. To which the infidelreturned fine words; but (not unwilling that theKnights of Rhodes should be occupied with Egypt,while he himself had to face the whole Christianleague, including Castriot and Humniades), declinedrenewing the truce made with the late grandmaster, under pretence of its being totally super-fluous, seeing they were candid friends; and thatit was therefore as well to let things stand as theywere. But this veil did not conceal the truth. Onthe contrary, it engaged Lastic to lose no time indirecting his nephew Sir William de Lastic to visitEgypt, who hurried back to bid him expect to havethe whole Egyptian force on his shoulders within afew days.' And indeed he soon saw he had actedwisely in summoning all his knights to join him;for the Egyptian fleet putting out very strong withsixteen fire-ships, and a large body of transportscontaining heavy artillery, and horse, and foot, andland troops of every description, as well as all thenecessaries for regular sieges, after taking a fortifiedcastle in one of its dependencies to the eastward,

arrived off the harbour of Rhodes in Sep-1440 . ^

tember of 1440, but were soon driven off by

the order’s galleys. 2 The same year the Pope sent

1 Bosio : par. ii., lib. vi., anno 1439.

2 Id. : id., id. 1440.