CONTENTS.
| CHAPTER I. | |
| PAGE | |
| Commencement of the Order—The object of its institution—Its achievements in the Holy Land—Its settlement in Acre after the fall of Jerusalem—Description of Acre—The Great Hospital and its traditions—Successes of the Saracens—Siege of Acre under Melec Seraf, sultan of Egypt—The last assault—Massacre—The survivors of the Order take refuge in Cyprus | [1] |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| The Knights at Limisso—Commencement of their naval power—Suppression of the Templars—Enterprise of the Hospitallers against Rhodes—Its final success—The island and its dependencies—First hostilities with the Turks—Deposition of Villaret—Complaints against the Order—Division into languages—The Pope charges the Knights with the defence of Smyrna | [21] |
| CHAPTER III. | |
| Progress of the Turks—Bajazet and Timour the Tartar—Siege and conquest of Smyrna—St. Peter’s of the Freed—Greatness of the Order under Naillac—Mahomet II.—Fall of Constantinople—Threatened invasion of Rhodes—Death of Scanderbeg—Conquest of Lesbos and Negropont—Election of Peter d’Aubusson | [39] |
| CHAPTER IV. | |
| Character of D’Aubusson—Religious union in Rhodes—Destruction of the suburbs—Arrival of the Turkish fleet—Attack on St. Nicholas—Conduct of D’Aubusson during the siege—First repulse of the infidels—Fresh attack on the Jewish quarter—Storm of the city—Defeat and failure of the Turks—D’Aubusson’s danger and recovery—Fall of Kaffa and Otranto—Death of Mahomet the Great | [64] |
| CHAPTER V. | |
| Bajazet and Djem—Djem takes refuge at Rhodes—He proceeds to France, and thence to Italy—Exculpation of D’Aubusson—His last days and death—Conquests of Selim, and accession of Solyman the Magnificent—Fall of Belgrade—Election of L’Isle Adam, and his correspondence with the sultan—Preparations for a fresh siege—Review of the Knights—Appearance of Rhodes—Character of L’Isle Adam—Ceremony at St. John’s—Military spectacle—Arrival of the enemy’s fleet | [86] |
| CHAPTER VI. | |
| Ill success of the Turkish troops—Arrival of the sultan—The English bastion blown up—Conduct of the grand master—Fresh assault under Peri Pasha—Panic produced by the appearance of L’Isle Adam—Attack on the ruins of the English bastion by Mustapha Pasha—Assault-general—Retreat of the infidels—Renewed hostilities—State of Rhodes during the last month of the siege—Solyman has recourse to negotiation—The grand master is compelled to yield by the entreaties of the citizens—Honourable terms of capitulation—Interview between L’Isle Adam and the sultan—Cruelties of the Janizaries—Generous conduct of the sultan Solyman | [108] |
| CHAPTER VII. | |
| Departure from Rhodes—Danger at sea—Rendezvous at Setia—Deplorable state of the Rhodians—Inspection of his followers by the grand master—His arrival with the Rhodians at Messina—Inquiry into the conduct of the Knights, and their acquittal—They proceed to Cività Vecchia, and are granted the city of Viterbo—Journeys of L’Isle Adam to the courts of Europe—Offer of Malta to the Order by the emperor—Report of the commissioners | [124] |
| CHAPTER VIII. | |
| Exploits of the Knights in Africa—Taking of Tunis—The great carrack—Expedition against Algiers—Tempest off the coast of Barbary—Taking of Mehdijé—Admirable charity of the Knights—Dragut attacks Malta; failure of the expedition—Fall of Tripoli—Election of John de la Valette—Solyman prepares for the siege of Malta—Description of the city and its defences—Character of La Valette, and his address to his troops | [140] |
| CHAPTER IX. | |
| Arrival of the Turkish fleet—The landing and attack on St. Elmo—Storming of the ravelin; Christian bearing of the Knights—Message to the borgo, and reply of La Valette—First assault-general—The Turks are repulsed, and the garrison reinforced—Second and third assaults—Preparation of the Knights for death—Capture of St Elmo, and barbarities of the Turkish general | [155] |
| CHAPTER X. | |
| St John’s day—Arrival of the “little succour”—Assaults on St. Michael—Death of the grand master’s nephew—Assaults from the 2d to the 16th of August—Attack on the bastion of Castile—Conduct of La Valette—His visit to the infirmary—Repulse of the Turks—Appearance of the succours—Hasty embarkation of the Turks—Fresh landing, and engagement with the Christian army—They leave the island—State of Malta after the siege—Building of the city of Valetta—Death of the grand master—Conclusion | [172] |
| THE BATTLE OF LEPANTO. | |
| Religious state of Europe—Fall of Cyprus—Bragadino—Calepius—The Christian league and armament—Rendezvous at Messina—Don John of Austria, his character and conduct—Meeting of the hostile fleets—Disposition of the ships—The battle—The Knights of Malta—Cervantes—Utter defeat of the infidels—Magnanimity of Don John—Results of the victory—Revelation made to St. Pius—The joy of Christendom, and commemorations of the Church | [199] |
| THE RELIEF OF VIENNA. | |
| CHAPTER I. | |
| THE SIEGE. | |
| State of the city—Situation of the Empire—Rapid advance of the Turks—The massacre of Perchtoldsdorf—The Turkish camp—Kollonitsch—View without the walls—Ditto within—Progress of the siege—The camp of Crems—Desperate condition of the citizens—The signal-rockets | [239] |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| THE RELIEF. | |
| March of the Poles—Junction with the Imperialists—Ascent of the Kahlenberg—A day of suspense—Scene from the heights—The morning of the battle—Descent into the plain—Advance of Sobieski—Rout of the Turks—Sobieski’s entry into Vienna—Charity of Kollonitsch—Behaviour of the emperor—Joy of Europe—Thanksgiving of the Church | [261] |
THE KNIGHTS OF ST. JOHN.
CHAPTER I.
Commencement of the Order—The object of its institution—Its achievements in the Holy Land—Its settlement in Acre after the fall of Jerusalem—Description of Acre—The great Hospital and its traditions—Successes of the Saracens—Siege of Acre under Melec Seraf sultan of Egypt—The last assault—Massacre—The survivors of the Order take refuge in Cyprus.
The order of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John[2] dates its origin from that heroic period of Christian chivalry when Jerusalem opened her gates to the arms of Godfrey de Bouillon. Whether or no its mixed military and religious character were coeval with its first establishment, or whether its singular constitution came to be gradually developed, as it was added to by successive masters, is a point of little consequence for us to decide. It is certain that at a very early period after its foundation it is to be found with both these characters united; and whilst the Hospital of St. John exercised that admirable charity which was the first condition of the order’s existence, the knights were winning on every field of Palestine the title bestowed on them by their Moslem enemies of the “heroes of the Christian armies.”