CHAP. V.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

165

moreover one of the highest dignitaries of the order,grand prior, lost his election. 1

To Caraffa did the Emperor Leopold write aletter to thank him for keeping off theTurkish fleet from Christendom ; 2 but whatevery one will find splendid, is that the renowned JohnSohiesky does something similar; when not forget-ful of the duties of a good knight, he writes to thegrand master a full account of his two famous victo-ries ; one under the walls of Yienna, the other someweeks later at Barcan, fortress beyond the Danube. 3The next year on the 25th of February,

Caraffa writes to his Holiness to offer him-self as part of any league against the Turks. 4Again the same to the same, on the same subject inAugust. 5 But in December the Doge of Veniceagain expresses his sense of the generous kindnessof the sacred knightly order, which is as usual everready to come to the aid of Christendom in any ofits mishaps; and with the co-operation of thoserenowned cavaliers of St. John of Jerusalem, whosevalour is so celebrated through the world, the

1 Pozzo: par. ii. 477.

2 Cod. Dipl. Geros., ii., Num. ccclx.

3 Pozzo: par. ii. 503.—Cod. Dipl. Geros., ii., Num. ccclxi.and occlxii.—Appendix, Num. ccxxix.

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

5 Id, Id., Id. lit.—iii. Giunta.