Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/162

136 Collecting a considerable force, he made a descent on the island before Villaret had had time to restore the fortifications of his stronghold to anything like a state of security. The determined valour of his knights proved sufficient to supply all deficiencies in the strength of his ramparts, and after several unsuccessful assaults, Othman found himself compelled to abandon the attack, and to retire crestfallen to his galleys. Amadeus V., count of Savoy, rendered loyal assistance to the besieged Hospitallers during this incursion, which took place in the year 1315. In commemoration of the fact, his descendants have since that time always borne the white cross with the word “Fert” as a device, that word being composed of the initial letters of the sentence, “Fortitudo ejus Rhodum tenuit.”

The failure of Othman’s enterprise left Villaret a period of leisure in which to complete the establishment of his government. Under his able superintendence, and expedited by his energy and promptitude, the ramparts of Rhodes were rapidly placed in a state of security. The Saracen inhabitants of the town having either fled of their own accord or been expelled by the victors, Villaret found that it was necessary to create a new population by attracting to his capital a number of Christian immigrants. Trade was encouraged in all possible ways, and merchants from every country in Europe were tempted to take up their abode in the island, by the freedom from restrictions and taxation which commerce enjoyed under the rule of this politic chief. He made it, in fact, a free port, the result of which was that within a very few years its harbours were filled with rich argosies laden with all the moat precious commodities of European traffic, from whence they bore back, on their return voyage, the no less valuable merchandise of the East. To protect this vast and annually increasing trade, the galleys of the Order, now developing into a considerable fleet, traversed the Levant in all directions, at one time conveying the homeward-bound merchautmen to their destination, and at another falling upon the Turkish corsair wherever he dared to show his flag. Rarely indeed did they return to port without some substantial tokens wherewith to remunerate themselves for the hardships and perils of their voyage.