134 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book iv.

form of electing the grand masters; since two yearshad scarce elapsed ere the same Pope had to write inhigh praise of Wignacourt, as most zealous for theusual discipline, and therefore animates him tocontinue what he had so well begun.

In 1609 in November, that grand master wrote aletter to the King of Persia offering him the order’salliance in a war against the Turk; 1 and the answerof his Persian Majesty, translated from the ori-ginal, preserved in the archives of Malta, shall begiven in the Appendix. 2 Which may have renderedit the more advisable to cite to Malta all the knightsof his order in a circular of 15th of February, 1614. 3

But, in 1622, aPapal letter, both lamenting Wigna-court’s death, and congratulating his successor,Vasconcellos, a Portuguese 4 who, however, reignedfor only about six months; and was succeeded by1622 Gascony, 5 and to sharpen his

sense of responsibility, a generous descantis rung on the glories of the order, and its valour,which terrifies the barbarian, and is the shield ofEurope. 6

1 Cod. Dipl. Geros., ii., Num. ccxlv.

2 Id., id., Id., col.—Appendix, ccxxiv.

3 Seb. Paoli: Oeservazioni, ii. 506.

4 Cod. Dipl. Geros., ii., Num. cclvi.

5 Seb. Paoli : Serie, ii. 479.

6 Cod. Dipl. Geros., ii., Num. cclxiii, 17th of June, 1623.