116 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book iii.

I have thought it safer, to shut him up for somedays, close in our fortress and castle of St. Angelo,and therefore judged it no longer necessary to re-tain the knights, his body guard, who have alwaysconducted themselves with the highest integrityand fidelity in that quality—having consigned himto the care and custody of our own nephews.”

So it was evident the knights had performedtheir difficult duties egregiously well, as becamethem, and in nowise merited their sudden dis-missal. That D’Aubusson was much hurt wasbut natural, and even alarmed for the unfortunateprisoner, towards whom he bore something not un-like paternal love; as also for such a slight towardshis worthy order, and indeed himself in particular,whose fair fame in this world was thus exposed toslander, notwithstanding their best precautions . 1

Ill-fated Zain had indeed fallen into the worstpossible hands, those of the execrable AlexanderVI., of whom, whatever his mind, our advertingto it would only seem a palliation of his crimes,which no honest man should attempt; for justiceis to be left in such instances to the Creator, lestwe run the risk of confounding right and wrong,which would be a greater injury to this universalworld, than any benefit to his memory. His doom1 Bouhours: Yie D’Aubusson,y. 290.—Mines de 1’Orient, v. 188.