ciiap. ii.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

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pitch and tar, and at the nearer end connectedwith a colossal cable tightened or loosened by-several windlasses on the platform; nor could theybe wrought, or the smallest boat pass withoutorders from the said knight . 1 Several othercurious works, it is too tedious to describe.

Hired soldiers, as far as they went, were dividedout to all the Languages. The Governor of St.Elmo being too old, he was not insulted bysuperseding, but under colour of captain of suc-cour, a Bailiff, in the prime of manhood, with fortyknights, and a corps of the choicest troops, werestationed there.

On the grand master’s return to his palace, hefound two men waiting for him, both of them vil-lains unknown to each other, both of them spies,both renegades, sent to him by his Constantino-politan emissaries, to advise him carefully of thetrue state of the Turkish fleet, in which they bothhad come in different ships, and landing with theearliest disembarkation, ran away, and bore himletters and countersigns. One was from Salerno,the other from Cataro. The former regularly inpay of the grand master himself; the other he hadnever seen. However, he brought proofs not tobe doubted. Both agreed in the most minute parti-1 Bosio : par. iii., lib. xxv. 519.

VOL. IV.

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