Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/329



death of D’Aubusson was speedily followed by that of the Pope, to the inexpressible relief of the whole Christian world, the scandalous iniquities which had disgraced his pontificate having excited the abhorrence of every one. Nowhere was the event hailed with greater joy than at Rhodes. The Pope had in his grasping rapacity seized upon all the appointments and emoluments in the possession of the fraternity as they successively became vacant, and either bestowed them on members of his own family or openly sold. them to the highest bidder. Remonstrances had proved utterly unavailing, and nothing seemed left to the Order but either tamely to submit to this wanton infraction of all their rights and privileges, or else to cast off their allegiance to the pontiff, who, vile though his personal character might be, was nevertheless recognized as the head of the church and their own immediate ecclesiastical superior. happily the death of Alexander obviated the necessity for such an alternative, and the knights were permitted to continue their maritime warfare against the Moslem under their new chief without further hindrance from the court of Rome.