Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/377

Rh which had been refused by the Grand-Master. They followed his suggestions, and, departing by night, secretly proceeded to Caudia.

L’Isle Adam was dismayed at this serious defection from his force, already too feeble for its duties. His was not, however, the character to swerve from the path of duty through any motive of expediency. In the present dilemma his course was prompt and decisive, and, as is usually the case, when men guide themselves by the strict rules of justice, it was in the end eminently successful. He at once summoned a general council, before which he arraigned the recusant knights, and in their absence judgment was passed by default. They were sentenced to be deprived of their habit, and expelled the fraternity as unworthy members who had treacherously and pusillanimously abandoned their brethren during a crisis of extreme danger. This sentence soon brought the fugitives to a sense of their duty. They had abandoned the island, not from cowardice or from disinclination to share the common peril, but simply from a feeling of insubordination, aroused in a moment of pique and irritation against the Grand-Master. The view which had been taken of their conduct by the council touched their honour deeply. Instantly hurrying back to Rhodes they threw themselves at the feet of L’Isle Adam, imploring a remission of the sentence, and that they might be permitted to wash away in the blood of the infidel all recollection of their misconduct. To this petition L’Isle Adam at once assented. He was naturally overjoyed at the prospect of recalling so many gallant spirits to his standard, and during the lengthened struggle which ensued the conduct of the Italian knights was such that he had no cause to regret the leniency he had shown.

The total strength of the garrison, the, inspection of which L’Isle Adam had caused to be made, amounted only to 600 knights and 4,500 men-at-arms. In addition to this force of regular troops, many of the inhabitants had enrolled themselves as a volunteer body, and were formed into battalions. The sailors of the galleys were also landed, and composed a naval brigade. The peasants who flocked into the town from the surrounding country were made useful as pioneers, performing most of the manual labour which the small number of the