CHAP. I.]

ST. JOHN OH JERUSALEM.

293

pense of their companions. In vain the grandmaster gave back the Turcopoliership to West,against all right reason, and Ranson, like a goodknight, contented himself ■with the Bailiwick of theEagle instead, when vacant by the death of SirJohn Babington. 1 Good old Del Ponte had onlyreigned fourteen months and two days. Aboutthree hundred knights of all nations were theelectors, of whom the English named are, Sir Cle-ment West, the Turcopolier, and Sir Beril Rose,Commander of Templebower, and Sir RichardBrown, Commander of Mount Sanjo. Sir ClementWest was also made president of the election. Thechaplain to represent the clergy, was French; theservant-at-arms to represent that class, Portuguese;the Prior of Thoulouse, where he then was, ^

Sir Desiderio di S. Jalla, became electedgrand master, 2 mere justice after the signal braveryand ability he had shown during the siege ofRhodes. Yet never did he reach Malta, but ex-pired at Montpellier, on the 26th September, 1536.Nor is there any further memorial of his at Malta,than the coat-of-arms of his house, set up in thefortifications ofCastel S. Angelo, by a locum-tenens

1 A Sir John Babington, of Chillwill, in Derbyshire, died in149.—MS.—Lodge: Ireland, iv. 104.

2 Bosio : par. ii. 156.—Appendix, coxiii.