CHAP. V.]

ST, JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

173

the diplomatic series, but also from the Papalbrief to the latter, congratulating him on hiselection. 1 2 Again from the same to the same, is forthe good omen it is to the first year of his pontifi-cate, that the Knights of Malta have captured twonotorious ships of piracy; binas infensissismis hosti-bus inprcesens ereptas naves*

Abdi Aga, Commander of the Pive Sultanas insight of Malta, 28th June, 1722, to the grandmaster was received and answered by Zondadari andcouncil; conformably to the translation preserved inthe archives, forming two documents that shall bothbe in the Appendix. 3 But it is the last act comedown to us of that grand master, who died ^*122in 1722, we do not know exactly on whichof the last days of August; 4 but it must have beenon one of them, since we find the Pope’s congratu-latory to the new grand master, in date of Septem-ber 2nd of that year, to wit, Sir Anthony Manoelde Yelpena, a Portuguese, who, born of a mostillustrious, nay royal family, acquired much personalglory in the order, both as warrior and statesman,

1 Seb. Paoli: Serie, ii. 485. — Cod. Dipl. Geros., ii.,Num. cccxciv.

2 Cod. Dipl. Geros., ii., ISTum. cccxcv.

3 Id., Id., Id. cccxcvii. and cccxcviii.—App.

ccxxxv.

4 Seb. Paoli: Serie, ii. 406.