The History of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, Vol. 3 - Paperback

Excerpt from The History of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, Vol. 3: Styled Afterwards, the Knights of Rhodes, and at Present, the Knights of Malta

The prince paid a just deference to this advice, set out immediately for Rhodes, and arrived there on Aug. 20, 1454. His presence was indeed very necessary. Mahomet, the haughtiest and proudest man breathing, enraged at the resolute answer that the knights made his ambassador, swore their ruin, and the destruction of Rhodes; and, out of his eagerness to be revenged, had just sent thirty gallies, as the harbingers of his fury, who had by his command ravaged the coasts of the isles of the order.

Of all the neighbouring princes, whom his vast ambition made him look upon as his enemies, there was none more odious to him, or whom he suffered more impatiently in the midst of his territories, than the grand masters of Rhodes. He intended the year following to fall upon that isle, and extirpate the whole order of St. John: but he was obliged to defer that enterprise upon news of a powerful league that was formed against him for the defence of Hungary. Pope Calixtus III. was the head of it; and besides the king of Hungary, he had engaged in it successively one after another, Alphonsus king of Arragon, Philip duke of Burgundy, the republicks of Venice and Genoa, the new grand master of Rhodes, and several princes of Italy.

Charles VII. king of France was strongly solicited by a legate, whom the pope had font him on purpose, to join his forces with those of the allies. The pontiff too, upon that prince's appearing averse to leave his dominions, had wrote to him in imperious terms. But those times were now no more, when popes, either out of a true zeal for religion, or political views, could easily carry their point, under the specious pretext of crusades and holy wars, of banishing, as we may say, emperors and other sovereigns into the farthest parts of the east.

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