CHAP. I.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

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places of the order, and of enriching themselves atthe expense of their brethren—though grand mastersare meant to be active, as their frequently beingentrusted with dictatorial authority proves. Theycould never be young, for great experience was anessential quality. Books are no excellent school,nor any second-hand experience, but only personal.No education, however good, can compensate forthe unique, in their predicament. But love of careis nearly always the fault of age. No doubt thereare some bright exceptions, like D’Aubusson andL’lsle Adam; but perhaps Homedez was not of theseillustrious few. Yet had he still a little of theenergy of his honoured manhood, an aftergrowth ofwhat he had been at Rhodes, and during the hard-ships of wandering exile and poverty, exposure tomultitudinous perils, storms, wars, plague. TheEnglish had only to praise him as long as master ofhimself in his rights intact.

A brief from Paul III., calling upon the grandmaster to assail the Turks, proffering also his owngalleys, Avhich probably the knights had no

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great reliance on , 1 is well answered by anexpostulation that the Turkish and French fleets areso united, that there is no distinguishing betweenthem; so that it would be a breach of the order’sCod. Dipl. Geros., ii., Kiim. clxxxv.

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