CHAP. IV.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

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mighty renown. Come quickly you who are asyet away, into our common treasury, instantly, asan impetuous river into the sea, rush responsionsand payments for three years in advance, fromthroughout all the priories, commanderies, houses,knight’s fees, the whole property of the order.” 1

Gardens, villas, most verdant hills, orange groves,pomegranates, woods, a profusion of large singletrees, an immense number of springs of extremelylucid and delicious water, characterised the suburbandistrict of Rhodes, in D’Aubusson’s time. 2 Nowonder, then, that one of its own citizens calls it:“ The favourite, sweetest island of the sun, wherethe air is so pure, and the country so smiling ! ’’ 8

The truce had not lasted long; for on the 23rdof May, 1480, the Moslem fleet of above one hun-dred and sixty sail 4 appeared off Rhodes, and ap-proaching quite close to the city, under the universalgaze, disembarked its mighty land army withoutopposition—rather with pomp and music, like vic-

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

2 Bouhours: Vie D’Aubusson, iii. 109. Mary Dupuis; forthus the man named himself, and not Herri, as Vertot has ; JeMary Dupuis gros et rude de sens et de l’entendement, selon queje peux voir a l’ceil,” that is, “temoin oculaire,” which maybe enough, as to the exterior appearance of Rhodes; but is notwhen military operations are to be described.—Appendix, clxix.

3 Caoursinus : Orat_Appendix, clxx.

* Bosio: par. ii., lib. xi., anno 1480.

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