234 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book ill.

man, “ Then he shall be the last Grand Master ofRhodes,” and sent a Turkish slave of his with aletter to Solyman, imploring him to come and be-siege the town, and that he would be his spy; thatso he continued giving information to the Turks,to the very last, the high esteem in which he washeld keeping him from being ever suspected; sothat when he was discovered, it was too late tosave the city, and most of the knights alreadyslain. His servant was tried and hanged, afterwhich De Merail himself was condemned and de-prived of the habit, and expelled from the order inSt. John’s Church with all due ceremonials; and wasthen put on his trial as a felon, and sentenced, subse-quent to a free and minute defence, before a fair jury,not one of whom was ever before or since even sus-pected of prejudice. What definitely was his end?Swollen and all dislocated (as he was certainly fromthe torture) he persevered to his last breath in adeclaration of utter innocence. To no one else ofthe knights was any participation in his crime everimputed. Fontanus clearly acquitted him, if notfor no other reason, at least from want of proof ofhis guilt. In tears his companions urged him invain to confess, and that he should be pardoned,and not die guilty; that for them it was the same,their moment too was at hand. Yea, to be slain,