34 THE HISTORY OE THE ORDER OF [book ill.

of a King of England, Sir John Langstrother, havingdied Grand Commander of Cyprus, the dignity wasconferred on another. Of that same year are theletters patent of the King of France, to permitevery one of the order to traverse his kingdomfreely, with their horses, and whatever they have,without stoppage or disturbance of any kind, orexamination, hurrying as they are to Rhodes andthe battles in that quarter. 1 The union of theGreek and Latin Churches, as established by theCouncil of Florence, was always inviolably kept toby the Rhodians, and therefore it more easily cameto pass that the people of Rhodes got much attachedto the order. Many of the principal, noblest, andrichest families then followed the Roman ritual,and the others who did not, yet had to deviate innothing from their own. So they sturdily assertedthey were all of one religion. 2

The Turcopolier Sir John Weston was namedcommander of the galleys that were sent tojoin the Venetian fleet under Moncenigo, in1473. 3

On the 1st September, 1475, another general

1 Cod. Dipl. Geros., ii., Num. cxx.—Appendix, clxv.

2 Bosio: par. ii., lib. ix., anno 1471.—Appendix, clxvi.

s Id.: id., anno 1473.