Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/178

152 his audience oompletely by surprise, nominated himself, as the person best qualified to succeed to the vacant office. This tale is a vile fabrication, for amongst the documents recently discovered in the archives of the Vatican is a letter addressed to Gozon by Clement VI., dated in July, 1346, in which after congratulating him on his election to the magisterial dignity, the Pope goes on to allude to the fact of his having been prevailed upon with great reluctance to accept the post. This letter, coupled with the fact that he twice, during his rule, tendered his resignation, most completely exonerates his memory from the stigma of arrogance, which this anecdote of Vertot’s is calculated to cast upon it.

During his continuance in office, Gozon was much troubled by the difficulty he experienced in obtaining payment of responsions from the more remote commanderies. A circular is extant, addressed by him to the priors of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, reproaching them for not having remitted any responsions since the fall of Acre. The war between the Genoese and Venetians created a new difficulty, against which Gozon had to contend. The fraternity contained within its ranks knights belonging to both those nations, and these naturally sympathised with their countrymen in the struggle they were respectively carrying on. When residing in their European commanderies they could not refrain from enrolling themselves amongst the belligerents on either side. By their rules no knight was permitted to draw his sword in support of any quarrel subsisting between Christian nations. The Pope, therefore, called upon Gozon to put a stop to this infraction of the statutes, a mandate far easier given than obeyed. Deodato, in reply, pointed out to his Holiness that the Order in its corporate capacity had never sided with any European power when at war with a neighbour. It was, however, he said, impossible for him to prevent individual knights from giving such practical proofs of their sympathy, especially when their own native country chanced to be one of the belligerents. This response appears to have given but little satisfaction at the papal court; nor, it must be owned, was the argument by any means a sound one, or in accordance with the spirit of the regulations as originally framed.