CHAP, lit.] ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM. 23

most high lord and master the soldan, whose king-dom may God strengthen it. I will be a friendof the soldan’s friends, and enemy of his enemies.

I will not tolerate pirates in my dominions, norwill aid them in any way, or give them victuals.The Mahometans who are slaves in Cyprus, I willbuy them, and give them their liberty. I willoffer up as tribute on the first of September orOctober, every year in the most mighty temples ofJerusalem or Lamech. I will prevent the Knightsof Rhodes from aiding the European pirates . . . andif I do not perform all I promise, I will own myselfa renegade and apostate fi’oin God’s commandmentsand the Christian faith. I will say that the Gospelis false; I will deny that Christ lives, and thatMary his mother was a virgin; I will immolate acamel on the baptismal fount; I will curse thepriests from the altar, and—” but who not blush,and his pen blister his fingers, if he transcribed therest? 1

Yet the wise Milly preferred to yield some ofhis rights, rather than expose his unfortunate sub-jects. “Withyour valour,” said he to his knights,“ I know extremely well 1 can resist the republicof Venice; but can I prevent their galleys from sur-prising some point of the island, and carrying off

1 Bosio: par. ii., lib. vii., auno 1459.