Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/648

612 of Mahometa during his younger days, and which opened afresh at this period, lie was in his turn replaced by Raphael Cottoner, bailiff of Majorca, who remained Grand-Master for three years, during which time he endeared himself to all classes of his subjects.

Raphael died in the year 1663, and was succeeded by his brother, Nicholas Cottoner, who had become bailiff of Majorca when that office was vacated by him. Only once before had two brothers been named in succession to the Grand-Mastership, the two Vilarets having attained to that honour. On the present occasion the pre-eminent virtues of the noble brothers Cottoner amply justified the selection. A century had now elapsed since Europe had rung with acclaim at the brilliant defence the Order had made in its island stronghold of Malta. From that time comparatively little had been done to keep alive the reputation that had been gained, so that in 1663, Nicholas Cottoner found himself ruling over a fraternity whose position in public estimation was very different from what it had been in the days of La Valette. Nevertheless, every now and then some brilliant exploit was performed to shew that the old spirit was not dead. Both at the battle of Lepanto and at that of the Dardanelles the galleys of the Order, though few in number, had been so handled as to cover the knights with honour. Now we have to record one more glorious, though unsuccessful, feat of arms; this was the part they took in the defence of Candia.

It has been mentioned that in the year 1644 the galleys of the knights captured a Turkish ship, on board of which was a sultana of the imperial harem with her infant son. The prize was taken into the port of Candia, where the young mother, who had left Constantinople on a pilgrimage to Mecca, died from the effects of slow poison administered to her before her departure by one of her rivals. The child was brought to Malta, where he was tenderly nurtured by the Grand-Master Lascaris, and educated in the Christian faith. He eventually took holy orders, and became a Dominican friar under the name of father Ottoman. After a life spent in travelling throughout Europe, he returned to Malta as prior of Porto Salvo, and died there in the year 1676.