Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/637

Rh consequently nearly tripled their numbers during that interval beneath the flourishing sway of the Order of St. John, notwithstanding the fearful losses they had sustained during the siege of 1565.

Antoine de Paule died on the 10th of June, 1637, and was again succeeded by an aged knight. This was John Paul de Lascaris Castellar, of the langue of Provence, who was seventy-six years old when he was elected. lie was at the time bailiff of Manosque, and was not long in discovering that he had exchanged a very dignified and lucrative sinecure for a post which was by no means equally desirable. A fierce war was at this moment raging between France and Spain, and many knights of both countries, contrary to the express terms of the statutes, took part in the struggle. The French element then, as always, preponderated greatly in the convent, and the sympathies of the Order in consequence leant visibly towards that country. In revenge for this partiality, the viceroy of Sicily, espousing the interests of his master, the king of Spain, forbade the exportation of grain to Malta. As that island was almost entirely dependent on Sicily for its supply of provisions, this prohibition was tantamount to the creation of a famine. The Grand-Master was therefore driven to mollify the offended Spaniard by a strict enforcement of neutrality on the part of the convent between the contending powers. In pursuance of this resolve he caused a French vessel of war to be fired on, which, being commanded by one of his knights, had ventured to anchor in the channel between Malta and Gozo. Pacified by this act, the viceroy removed his embargo on the exportation of corn. On the other hand, however, the king of France was so irritated at the open insult shewn to his flag, that he prepared to seize all the possessions of the Order in France, and annex them to the crown. Fortunately Lascaris was able to prove to the king that he had only acted in the matter as he was bound to do by his statutes, as well as by the treaty under which he held the tenure of Malta. The affair was thus settled, and he and his convent left in peace.

In the year 1638, an action was fought between the six galleys of the Order and a Turkish squadron of three large ships of war which were engaged in convoying a number of merchant