CHAP. V.]

st. john oh Jerusalem;.

91

the Rhodian ladies were reputed the most beautifulin Asia; cannons, trumpets, sweet music; and cameto meet him the grand master himself, in a mantleall covered with precious stones, and on a splendidNeapolitan courser, followed by all the magisterialcourt, brilliantly dressed and mounted ; and nearlyevery one of D’Aubusson’s pages, aide-de-camps, andnumerous officers, were famous riders. At his veryfirst sight of the grand master, Zain made hissalute ; and he made it in the most reverential formused in Turkey, putting the index finger of his righthand to his lip, as we do to denote silence; else neitherjoy nor sorrow did he ever give the least sign ofduring the cavalcade, but had the air of a personequally habituated to good and bad fortune, andwho felt himself entitled to all the honours givenhim. Nevertheless it was evident he was contentedwith the knights, and finally, on their all alighting,he did so too and embraced the grand master withgreat affection, and then went up stairs and took hisrest amid rich cushions cross-legged, in the Turkishfashion . 1 At the magnificent banquet, the grandmaster sitting below him, and he objecting, theformer replied : “ Sire, personages like you occupythe first line everywhere; and would to God youhad as much power at Constantinople as here at

1 Caoursinus, 546.—Appendix, olxxx-