320 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book IV.

termined on immediately effecting what he hadbeen so long making preparations for, the invasionof Malta . 1 Nor was this resolve not invigoratedby his eunuchs, and wives, and concubines, allmore or less interested in the predatory galleonlately taken by the knights; besides these Giaoursmuch injured the pilgrimage to Mecca, for which itwas the duty of every true Mussulman who couldto punish them. Vengeance shrieked the sultanas.So night and day was he urged on towards hisdesire. To divide the emperor from the order, awish for peace with him was feigned by the GrandSeignior,who sent diplomatists to treat in Hungarywhile he himself remained in Constantinople,visiting the arsenals every forenoon, and in fine,dedicating his person entirely to the preparationsagainst Malta. Of all these transactions the grandmaster was informed, with the utmost exactnessand fidelity, and diligence, by his secret emissariesin the Turkish capital; and instantly despatched amost trusty person to reveal the whole to his Im-perial Majesty, who, as young and warlike (Maxi-milian) was extremely moved at such duplicity;and naturally benefiting of the warning, and re-jecting the uncandid Ottoman overtures, a diet was

1 Funditus delere, the knights of Malta, was his execrableintention, says Pantaleone, xi. 326.