244 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book hi.

quired vast expenditure to sustain the properdecorum of his high office, after they had passed inreview the whole property of the order all over theworld, voted him a large income, to be calculatedfrom the day of the Turk’s coming to Rhodes; forfrom that day his means had commenced declining.He accepted not at all for himself, but as necessaryfor his order and his unfortunate Rhodians; and forthat assembly’s eternal honour in such an extremity,the law was proposed, fully debated, balloted for,and passed in one calm and short sitting, and with-out a single dissent. And to make some return forthe noble Justinian’s kindness, his son—whose birthmight have been wanting in some formality, if putto the usual proof—was, without it, knighted withthe due ceremonies, and insured the succession ofthe first commandery that should fall vacant in thePriory of Venice, with consent of the whole ItalianLanguage, which highly pleased the grateful father;this and other largesses agreeing with what hasbeen always the order’s highly honourable custom,ever to testify its thankfulness and well remunerateany favour. Nor is it far distant from sublimitythat it was in this pitiable state it was decreed, allthe warehouses of the order should in every countybe thrown open to the knights; and that what-soever they took out they should not be called to