Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/215

Rh bounty, he secretly took his departure for Rhodes, leaving his children under the protection of their uncle. There he was received with every demonstration of welcome by the Grand-Master, Elyou de Villanova, and at once professed as a knight. He soon ingratiated himself with the dignitaries of the fraternity, and his advancement became as rapid as his high birth and unquestionable merits warranted, lie was promoted in succession to the commandery of Alhambra, to that of Villet, then to the bailiwick of Capsa, and lastly to the castellany of Emposta, one of the most important posts possessed by the Order.

The grand-priory of Catalonia having become vacant, the nomination of a successor to the dignity gave rise to a dispute between the Pope and the Grand-Master. The former had nominated a protdgi of his own in defiance of the wishes of the council, and in utter disregard to the claims of seniority. They strongly resisted the nomination, and appointed a successor on their own account. In such a delicate matter the Grand-Master felt desirous that the dispute should, if possible, be decided amicably. He determined, therefore, upon sending an envoy to the court of Avignon, with plenary powers to treat with his holiness upon the disputed question. This was an office of much delicacy, requiring a person of extreme tact, in whose judgment and good faith the council could place implicit reliance. Heredia was unanimously selected for the duty, and, having received the most detailed instructions as to the line of conduct he should pursue towards the Pope, he set sail for France.

After his arrival at Avignon he was not long in discovering that it would be impossible to induce Clement to revoke the nomination he had made to the vacant dignity. Heredia therefore directed his energies towards the bringing about of a compromise which should be amicable in its nature, and by which the dignity of neither party should be offended. After much negotiation with the rival claimants, in the course of which he displayed in an eminent degree that diplomatic address which was destined shortly to secure his own political advancement, he obtained their joint consent to an arrangement by which the revenues of the priory were to be divided between them, the Pope’s nominee retaining the title. To this decision