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THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book iv.

Francis the most unfortunate of human beings.The white cross in a scarlet field, was first in theassault, and in an instant dashing through thetremendous cloud of musquetry, cannon shots,arrows, stones, whirled from the capultas, broke theTurks, and planted St. John’s banner on thehighest point of the bastions, surrounded by whitecross warriors.

The great karack of Rhodes having been burneddown by accident, the new one built at Nice cameoff Barbary, and was examined with wonderfuladmiration, not only by the Moors, but by CharlesY. himself; for it truly was a marvel, and wouldbe even now for many things, its salubrity parti-cularly, and that it rivalled with our life-boats inthis, that however pierced with multitudinousholes, no water could sink it. When the plaguewas at Nice, and the mortality so frightfully hugethat the stench of the corrupted air made thebirds of the sky drop down dead, not a man wasever sick on board it, which is attributed to thegreat quantity of fires kept by the workmen—chiefly the quantity of smiths —to supply the re-quisite screws, nails, and other irons, while vesselsfull of earth had cypress, or orange and lemontrees, and flowers, like small, but delicious gardens,in that ship, which had eight decks or floors, and