Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/305

Rh of the danger once past, people began to realize its extent. Had the Ottoman emperor succeeded in planting his standard on the ramparts of Rhodes, the way to Italy would have been open to his advance, and his threat that it should wave over the Capitol at Rome might probably have been carried into effect. The energetic and successful resistance of D’Aubusson had thwarted that project, and Rome, rescued from her peril, was loud in her expressions of gratitude towards her deliverer, to whom she gave the high sounding title of “Buckler of Christianity.”

His first care, upon recovery from his wounds, was to restore the fortifications, which the constant battering had reduced to a state of complete ruin. He also distributed rewards and promotions to the knights who had so bravely supported him in the struggle. In one instance a justly merited degradation was inflicted. James Hetting (or Keating), the grand-prior of Ireland, had not only refused to join the ranks of his-fraternity at Rhodes at the hour of its peril, but had even neglected to forward the amount of responsions for which his priory was liable. D’Aubusson, therefore, now that he had leisure to deal with the question, deprived him of his office; and Marmaduke Lumley, an English knight, who had been desperately wounded in the siege, was nominated in his place. To the inhabitants of the island generally he gave free access to the public granaries, in consideration of the losses they had sustained by the ravages of the enemy. He also exempted them from all taxation for several years.

Until this time the people of Rhodes had been looked upon by the knights as an inferior race. Now that they had shown themselves not only staunch and faithful to their rulers, but also brave and devoted, even during the most trying arid critical moments, a feeling sprang up that they should be treated on terms somewhat more of equality. The first Rhodian nominated to a post of any importance in the government of the island was William Caoursin, who, although not a knight, was appointed vice-chancellor, and ambassador of the Order at the papal court. This dignitary has left to the world two documents, written in the most pompous and pedantic Latin, but which, nevertheless, form a very valuable and important addition to the history of his time. One is an account of the siege, collected from official