Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/272

244 case in so many cities, the Jews dwelt in a quarter set apart for them in the south-eastern corner, where they were covered by the ramparts of the langue of Italy.

From the time of Zacosta the defence of the line of works had been allotted amongst the different langues as follows:— From the foot of the mole of St. Nicholas to the Grand-Master’s palace was in charge of France; thence to the gate of St. George was held by Germany; Auvergne was posted between that gate and the Spanish tower; England between the Spanish tower and that of St. Mary, of which they only defended the lower story, the upper part being held by Aragon, as well as the line up to the gate of St. John; from that gate to the tower of Italy was held by Provence, the sea-face closing the circuit being in charge, one half of Italy and the other half of Castile. The palace itself was held by a force composed of members of all the langues, it being naturally considered the post of honour.

The amazing fertility and luxuriant vegetation of the island had converted the country outside the walls into one vast garden. Far as the eye could reach there appeared on every side fields, groves, and orchards, clothed in all the brilliancy of summer verdure, whilst from the summit of St. Stephen’s Hill, an eminence which overlooked the town a short distance off on the western side, the land stretched away in a gradual descent towards the foot of the ramparts. This slope was broken by hillocks and undulations, which in their pleasing variety gave life and animation to the landscape. Here and there on every side the ground was dotted with chapels, summer-houses, and other rustic buildings, very picturesque in appearance, but, unfortunately, highly detrimental to the defence of the place. D’Aubusson had, it is true, exerted his power with no sparing hand to sweep away the most dangerous of these buildings, and, to a certain extent, with success. Nothing but a stern sense of the urgency of the case, and a blind confidence in his unerring judgment, would have permitted the destruction of so much that was prized by the inhabitants. Still much remained intact to afford cover to an advancing enemy. To quote the quaint language of Merry Dupuis, a member of the Order, who, although not actually present at the siege, arrived in Rhodes almost immediately afterwards, and wrote a history of it from