Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/320

290 may be his unbelief.” This was the line of conduct pursued by the fraternity throughout the trying period of Djem’s residence in Europe. He had been promised safe entry into, and departure from Rhodes, and this pledge had been redeemed. He left Rhodes voluntarily, and the risk incurred by the measure fell on his own responsibility. The knights, scorning to adhere to the bare letter of their guarantee, had continued their protection to the hapless prince for many years, without which it is not too much to say that he would soon have fallen a victim to either the open or secret attacks of his enemies. That this duty was performed in a manner honourable to themselves and beneficial to the prince is proved by the letter already quoted, which was written after his abandonment of the Order’s protection, and his removal to the papal court.

That event took place in the year 1488. The Pope had long been very urgent that Djem should be transferred into his own hands, inasmuch as he was organizing an expedition against Bajazet. He was aware of the support which the presence of the prince would afford him, and so tempted him to exchange the protection of the knights for his own by the offer of placing him on the Ottoman throne. D’Aubusson knew that it would have been safer for Djem to remain the guest of the fraternity; still he felt it was impossible for him to thwart the wishes of his ecclesiastical superior, when supported by the urgent desire of Diem himself. The transfer was effected with great splendour in the month of March, 1488, the king of France being a consenting party. It has been adduced as a proof of dishonourable dealing on the part of the Order, that the possession of the person of Djem was purchased by the Pope at the expense of numerous important concessions. Such concessions were undoubtedly made, but they appear to have been the result of the Pope’s gratitude to the fraternity for compliance with his wishes, tardy and reluctant though that consent had been. Moreover, a glance at the benefits conferred will show that they were only such as the knights had a right to claim as an act of justice, and not as a favour, being merely the abandonment of pretensions which had been usurped by the pontiff’s predecessors. He now pledged himself never again to interfere in the