Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/411

Rh of the weather. From various points efforts had been made to bring up the necessary relief, but the incessant violent and contrary winds which had prevailed prevented their departure. One English knight, indeed, Thomas Newport, the bailiff of Aquila, had persisted in the endeavour to force his way to Rhodes in spite of every obstacle, and he fell a victim to his temerity, the vessel with all on board having been lost on the voyage. The explanation was accepted as satisfactory, and the Grand-Master in council pronounced a full acquittal of the accused.

The plague having at this juncture broken out amongst the exiles, the authorities of Messina ordered L’Isle Adam to leave the port. With the permission of the viceroy the refugees were all transferred to the gulf of Baiss, where they remained for a month. At the expiration of that time, the pestilence having disappeared, they proceeded to Civita Vecchia, whence the Grand-Master pushed on to Rome to pay a personal visit to the Pope. He was received with the greatest distinction, and Adrian pledged himself to use every possible exertion to obtain for the knights a new home, where they might establish themselves on a footing as advantageous to themselves and to the support of Christian power in the Levant, as that which they had held at Rhodes. These promises were unfortunately rendered futile by the death of the pontiff, which occurred shortly after. The honour of guarding the conclave which was assembled for the election of a successor once more devolved upon the knights of St. John. Giulio di Medici ascended the papal throne under the title of Clement VII., and great hopes were entertained that he would prove a powerful support to the fraternity from the fact that he had himself been a knight of St. John, the first Hospitaller who had ever attained to the chair of St. Peter. These hopes were to a large extent fulfilled. Clement had no sooner assumed his new position than he reiterated all the promises of his predecessor, and pledged himself to exert his influence in obtaining a suitable home for the convent. The islands of Elba, Cerigo, and Candia were severally named, but the objections to each seemed insurmountable. At last the idea of the island of Malta, with its dependency Gozo, was suggested,