42 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book hi.

assiduous in visiting the sick individually, exactingthe details of progress of cure from the doctors . 1Not from any indifference to religion—and hecertainly thought his own the best—but he wouldnot allow it to be propagated by any but fair means;nor admitted of illtimed arguments, only calculatedto produce disquietude and domestic strife, nor pro-selytism,except when clearly prudent; saying that assovereign of the island, he had to reign, not overthe Latins alone, but the Greeks too—schismatic ornot—and to treat both with the strictest imparti-ality—while as a Christian soldier, he was bound torest neutral between all Christians. No theologian,he resolved not to enter into the dispute about theCouncil of Florence and the rites ; but, as a tem-poral authority, to show the self-same treatment toeach. But let us take things in their regularsequence. It is said Mahomet regretted that hisdesigns had been penetrated before completely ripe;and wishing for what the proudest of men could notbrook asking, he gave orders to his son Zain, then go-vernor of the neighbouring coast of Asia Minor, tosend a subtle Greek renegade to Rhodes and proposea truce—to which the able grand master agreed atonce; not at all deceived, but desirous of leavingthe passage free for succours from Europe. It was1 Bosio : par. ii., lib. xiv., anno 1488.