Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/259

Rh to take active measures against the culprits, which he ‘sisely refused to do, preferring to cast oil on the troubled waters. In this he was at length successful, and his statesmanlike and far-seeing views prevailed. The consequence was that by degrees the recusants began to perceive the danger and folly of their conduct, and in the end made ample submission to the Grand-Master and chapter.

De Mily died of an attack of gout on the 17th August, 1461. His remains were placed in a sarcophagus, bearing an inscription, with his name, titles, and date of death. Three years afterwards a member of the House of Savoy, who was prince of Antioch, died at Rhodes, and was buried in the same sarcophagus, his body being placed over that of the Grand.Master, and a second inscription added recording the fact. This sarcophagus is now in the museum of Cluny at Paris, and the two inscriptions are legible thereon.

Raymond Zacosta, castellan of Emposta, was elected to the vacant government. The nomination of a Spanish knight to the supreme dignity after the rule of so many successive Frenchmen at a time when the disputes between the nations had been running so high, proves that the majority were opposed to the pretensions of the French langues. The first act decreed by the council under their new chief also marks the same feeling, and clearly demonstrates the influence of a Grand-Master in its decisions. This was the subdivision of the langue of Aragon, removing from it the kingdom of Portugal, together with the provinces of Castile and Leon, which were formed into an eighth langue, to which the dignity of grand-chancellor was thenceforth attached. This compromise appears to have thoroughly healed the smouldering feud. The knights, no longer at discord within themselves, commenced once again to prepare for the attack which was still threatening them.

Raymond availed himself of their restored unanimity to carry out the erection of a fort on a rock which jutted out into the sea, at the extremity of the ancient Greek mole, forming one side of the entrance to the harbour of Rhodes. The importance of this spot had long been recognised, but hitherto the want of means and the pressing demands of other parts of the fortress had prevented steps being taken for its occupation. Now, how-