136 THE HISTORY OP THE ORDER OP [book IT.

them to request the Pope to cease interfering withthe commanderies belonging to the Languages, butpermit them to follow their forms and usages, and1625 n °^ ( ^ s P ense an y favours regarding the same

—this was in June, 1625. That they obtainedwhat they wanted, and the expostulations of theorder’s ambassador, Imbroll, were at length attendedto, and that Rome prohibited its court of cardinalsand prelates to decide on matters appertaining tothe grand master and his council, but simply allowedPapal ministers to take preliminary informations;which only tended to render the decisions of theorder more respectable—we have a proof in anotherdiplomatic document. 1

That the order lost two galleys, offers a fineopportunity to its own Prior of Aquitayne to makeit a present of four thousand six hundred goldcrowns; 2 a new instance of the benevolence of itsmembers towards their common stock, very charac-teristic, and highly laudable trait, which an historianwould be singularly inattentive to his duty not tonotice.

Another attempt of his Holiness, in 1627—likethat of Clement VIII., in 1599—to introduce againthe new form of electing the grand master, was

1 Cod. Dipl. Geros., ii., Xum. cclxxxvii.

a Id., Id., Id. cclxxxviii.