CHAP. VI.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

223

Janissaries joined from Mesopotamia, who hadnever learned to dread the knights. On the fifthday of the twelve, and precisely on the vigil ofChristmas-day, those barbarous Janissaries 1 brokeinto the city, conducting themselves as if they hadtaken it by storm, only drew no sword, but sacked,and robbed just the same, when none of the Rho-dians were ready to embark; and in flagrantviolation of his own words, had St. John’s con-verted into a mosque that same hour, flinging outornaments, relics, everything, and rooting up thegraves of the grand masters in search of treasure,and to erase every memorial of them from the place.That temple was infinitely rich in fine marble,carved with rare art, but they smashed it all onpurpose, and only when the walls had been reducedto nakedness, the sultan entered it and prayed.And his Mamelukes robbed the poor Rhodians, whowere carrying their things to the ships, forcedmarried women, violated virgins, some of thembrides, others mere children. As ill-fared the hos-pital, where they beat the sick from their beds(whence some of them died, one of the knights wasflung from the corridor and killed), bore off all theplate, with which it was so furnished; and refusedto admit artillery of any sort to be put on board.

1 Bosio: par. ii., lib. xx. 588.—Bourbon : 25.