chap, i.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

287

the turcopoliership, and not at all for what he pre-tended. 1 With this despatch Sir William Sullanwent back to England. 2 But though such matterswere settled, yet remained what was every daygetting worse at Rome, and by repercussionmenaced Knights of Malta, the great religiousquestion, which, however it went, could not but becalamitous for at least a time to Christendom, inas-much as it promised to create divisions amongChristians, all of whose aristocracies were repre-sented in the order, which consequently mightbailie their best efforts at neutrality, and trammeltheir wisest proceedings in a thousand ways. Thegood old grand master was never able to consolehimself, and foresaw that the Castillian rebedion,the loss of Rhodes, and the utter ruin of theEnglish language, were to be contemporaries, andall take place in his time. West’s barfaced calum-nies, diabolical untruths, struck him with surpriseand horror. Indeed, it ended as he apprehended. 3On the sack of Modon, the Pope had written,“ Beware of the irritated Turk,” as early as 1531, 4and L’lsle Adam to the same on the same misfor-

1 Condemned by even bis great protector tbe Duke of Norfolk.Appendix, ccx.

2 Bosio : par ii., lib. viii. 129.

3 Id. : id., id., 130.

Cod. Dipl. Geros., ii., Num. clxxx.

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