298 THE HISTORY OE THE ORDER OF [book iv.

manner; for they began fearing they should incurblame, through Christendom, if that fortress shouldbe taken; few being aware it would argue no faultof theirs, but that it could not be defended in thepresent state of its fortifications, wholly antiquatedand unsusceptible of defence. But Charles Y. hadtoo many expenses with such rebellions in Flan-ders, and elsewhere, to have money. 1

Sir William Weston, last Prior of England, whoseconsummate prudence contrived to save some smallpart of the order’s property there, had died in 1539,deathblow to the English Language. In vain didthe grand master send two knights, one a Portu-guese, and the other a Frenchman; their irrefra-gable reasons were unattended to, avarice countedChristian sufferings at little. Violent was the blowthat deprived the order of a Language which pro-duced such an abundance of honoured and virtuousknights. The knights of England had always heldthe first place in universal esteem up to that hour,even at Malta! The order had been always soproud of them! The English knights then atMalta resolved to sell their plate and all the valu-ables they had there, and go home. But the grandmaster, accustomed to bear adversity with signalconstancy, forbade the sale and their departure, con-1 Bosio : par. ii., lib. ix. 188