Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/86

62 cornice above is adorned with medallions, representing leaves, griffins, etc.

Passing through this gateway the visitor would enter the north side of the church of Sta. Maria Majora, which consists of a nave and two aisles, terminating in three apses at the east. In its greatest length it is about 120 feet, and about 65 feet in breadth. It is, of course, roofless, and only portions of the columns are to be seen. The aisles were separated from the nave by four arches, carried on three clustered columns on each side. Behind the church on the south is a vaulted quadrangle, evidently the monastic establishment, and on the south side of the quadrangle was the refectory now used as a German Lutheran chapel. South again of this the excavations have laid bare a number of piers and columns, which were no doubt a portion of the Hospital. It was thus described by Mandeville in 1322:—“ Before the church of the Sepulchre, 200 paces to the south, is the great Hospital of St. John, of which the Hospitallers had their foundation. And within the palace of the sick men of that Hospital are 124 pillars of stone, and in the walls of the house, besides the number aforesaid, there are fifty-four pillars that support the house. From that hospital, going towards the east, is a very fair church, which is called Our Lady the Great, and after it there is another church very near called Our Lady the Latin, and there stood Mary Cleophas and Mary Magdalene and tore their hair when our Lord was executed on the cross.”

Such is the present state of these most interesting rains, and it is to be hoped that when the western half of the Muristân (still in the possession of the Turks) is excavated many valuable remains, both of the Hospital and conventual church, will be laid bare.

Thus rudely deprived of a home the Order, greatly diminished in numbers, and with an exhausted treasury, betook themselves to Margat, a town which still remained in the possession of the Christians. here they established their convent and hospital, and as far as their reduced exchequer permitted continued to carry on those charitable duties which,