Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/395

Rh themselves whilst yet there remained a knight to oppose the entry of the Moslem.

It is not surprising that in this desperate condition men should lend a ready ear to tales of treason. It was evident to all that spies were in the town; everything that occurred was soon made known to Solyman, and many points in his attack had been altered in conformity with the information he had received. They knew not where to look for the traitor, and each one glanced fearfully at his neighbour, as though feeling that at such a moment no one could be trusted. At. this crisis suspicion was directed against some of the chief dignitaries by a Spanish pilgrim, a female of great reputed sanctity, who was then residing at Rhodes, having lately returned from Jerusalem. This woman traversed the streets with bare feet, denouncing the leaders and asserting that the calamities then befalling the town were due to the vengeance of God called down by the iniquities of some of those who ruled over their fortunes. No names were mentioned, but the general suspicion being thus turned in a particular direction it required but little to create a victim, and this was ere long effected.

Whilst the ferment was at its height a servant of the chancellor D’Amaral, named Blaise Bias, was detected on the bastion of Auvergne with a bow in his hand. As this was not the first time he had been seen under similar circumstances he was arrested and brought before the Grand-Master. By his instructions the man was interrogated before the judges of the castellany, and under the influence of torture averred that he had been employed by his master to discharge treasonable correspondence into the enemy’s camp. D’Amaral was at once arrested and confronted with his accuser, who repeated the charge to his face. No sooner had the name of the chancellor become bruited abroad than numbers rushed forward, eager to add corroborative testimony. His arrogant conduct had created him enemies in every sphere of life, and now, when suspicion had fallen on him, all were ready to lend a helping hand to complete his destruction. A Greek priest deposed that he had seen the chancellor with Diaz on the bastion of Auvergne, and that the latter had discharged an arrow with a letter attached to it. The statement was also recalled that at