CHAP. III.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

27

commanding—stretching the Pontifical authorityto its very utmost—under pain of ipso facto ex-communication, in the highest and worst degree ofit, which no power on earth, but the Pontiff alone,can absolve from, except at the hour of death,without distinction even of those dignified with thecardinalship itself, still less others said to be pro-tected by kings at foreign courts, to set out im-mediately for Rhodes, according to the commandalready issued by their grand master, withthe full consent of the whole body of theirbrothers assembled in that island in chapt. gen.;whose ordinances whoever neglects them, let himknow the curse of the Omnipotent God will fallupon him . 1 And dated on this very same day, is acircular to all the princes in Europe, in which howdangerous the situation of Rhodes, with menaces ofincursions from both Saracens and Turks, andravages of the plague, which had broken out therewith dreaful violence, as ambassadors from thegrand master have too truly brought us word, andwhich produces its miserable sequel, famine; allthese horrific details are given by the Pope withfervid and deep eloquence . 2

1 Cod. Dipl. Geros., ii., Hum. cxviii.—Seb. Paoli: Osser-vazioni, ii. 551.—Appendix, olxiii.—Bosio: par. ii., lib. viii.,anno 1464.

2 Cod Dipl. Geros., ii., Hum. cxvii.—Seb. Paoli: Osserva-zioni, ii. 551.