Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/676

640 that nation consequently celebrated the nomination of de Rohan with the most brilliant festivities. His first act was to summon a chapter-general. A period of 150 years had elapsed since the last convocation of this assembly, and now de Rohan, who did not deem the powers intrusted to him by the council sufficient for the position in which the fraternity found itself, once more called into existence this venerable parliament of the Order. The statutes were revised, and additional stringency given to many of the prohibitions, especially those relating to duelling, gambling, and loose living. On the whole, the chapter effected but little in the way of reform, and when, at the close of its sixteen days’ session, it was dissolved, never more to reassemble, the code of laws was left much as it had been found. De Rohan himself, however, instituted many beneficial measures; he established public schools, and made some very judicious changes in the courts of law.

Whilst carrying out these internal reforms he was not neglectful of external policy. The Order of St. Anthony, an institution as ancient as that of St. John, was incorporated with it, and its property divided between the latter Order and that of St. Lazarus. In 1781 the whole property was made over to the knights of Malta, who thus became possessed of a considerable augmentation to their resources. In 1782 a new langue was created in Bavaria, and joined to the dormant langue of England under the title of Anglo-Bavaria. This new body was endowed by the elector of Bavaria with the forfeited possessions of the Jesuits, who had been suppressed in that country as elsewhere. The value of this additional revenue was £15,000 a year, and the assessment of responsions was calculated on the basis of this sum. The dignities of Turcopolier and grand-prior of Bavaria were attached to the new langue, which comprised twenty commanderies for knights and four for chaplains. In Poland, de Rohan succeeded in obtaining the restoration of some property with which the Order had been originally endowed by a prince of the family of Sangaszko, but of which it had subsequently been deprived. By the negotiations and personal influence of the bailiff di Sagramoso this property was once more restored.

De Rohan was interrupted in the midst of these reforms by a calamity which occurred in 1783, and which filled the southern