CHAP. III.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

11

a circular to all the kings of Christendom, inform-ing them that the infamous Soldan of Egypt waspreparing a large army in Asia to overwhelm theisland of Rhodes, and eventually Europe itself. 1But success did not prevent the wise grand masterfrom writing to the Castellan d’Emposta and allthe Spanish knights, in the most urgent terms, foreither their persons or contributions, or both, sincehe foresaw this was the forerunner of a worsestorm. 2 Yet grievous had been the Egyptian loss,and cannon and musketry were on both sides.Curious to see how general the use of gunpowder.They kept up a violent cannonade on each other,not only the Moslem, but likewise the Christianships of war, being furnished with cannons andmusketeers in efficient quantity. The guns ofLango, and other land batteries are spoken of asseemingly of long standing, and of the vesselstaking shelter under their cannon. The same maybe said of nearly every country in the civilisedparts of Asia, and all Europe. We read of thirty-four pieces of cannon in the Milan army in 1397,and of twenty thousand muskets with the samein 1449. 3 It is impossible to indicate the exact

1 Cod. Dipl. Geros., ii., Num. ci.

2 Id. : id., Id. cii.

3 Hallam: Middle Ages, i. 254.