Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/610

574 berg and eight others, £10 each, amounting in the whole to £2,870.

On this subject, Fuller, in his “Holy War,” records—“The suppression of the Hospitallers deserveth especial notice, because the manner thereof was different from the dissolution of other religious houses, for manfully they stood out to the last in despite of several assaults. The Knights Hospitallers (whose chief mansion was at Clerkenwell, nigh London), being gentlemen and soldiers of ancient families and high spirits, would not be brought to present to Henry the Eighth such puling petitions and public recognitions of their errors as other Orders had done; wherefore, like stout fellows, they opposed any that thought to. enrich themselves with their ample revenues, and stood on their own defence and justification. But Barnabas-day itself hath a night, and this long-lived Order, which in England went over the grave of all others, came at last to its own. . . Their dears friends persuaded them to submit to the king’s mercie, and not to capitulate with him on conditions, nor to stop his favour by their own obstinacy. This counsel, harsh at first, grew tunable in the ears of the Hospitallers, so that, contented rather to exchange their clothes for worse than be quite stript, they resigned all into the king’s hands.”

The bulk of the knights retired to Malta; out of those who remained several were executed. Sir Thomas Dingley, Sir Marmaduke Bowes, and Sir Adrian Fortescue were attainted together of high treason, for denying the king’s supremacy, on the 29th April, 1539, and were all beheaded. Sir David Genson, for the same reason, was condemned to death, and having been drawn on a sledge through Southwark, was hanged and quartered at St. Thomas Watering, on the 1st July, 1541.

A few years afterwards the king granted to John Dudley, Lord Viscount Lisle and Lord High Admiral of England, “as well in consideration of his service as for the sum of £1,000 sterling, the site, circuit, and precinct of this hospital or priory of St. John, only the lead, bells, timber, stone, glass, iron, and other things of the church were specially reserved for the king’s majesty.” Stow records that “the priory church, and house of St. John were preserved from spoil or pulling down so long as Henry VIII. reigned, and were employed as a store-