Page:Tirant lo Blanch; a study of its authorship, principal sources and historical setting (IA cu31924026512263).pdf/48

 CHAPTER II

TIRANT SUCCORS THE KNIGHTS OF RHODES

The news of the great deeds of Tirant preceded him, and when he arrived in Brittany he was received with great honor in the city of Nantes by the Duke of Brittany and a multitude of people. One day, while Tirant was engaged in conversation with the duke, two knights arrived from the court of the King of France, who related how the Knights of Saint John had left Jerusalem when that city fell, and established themselves on the island of Rhodes. The Sultan of Cairo was highly displeased that Christians should live on that island and made preparations to capture it. The Genoese, discovering the intentions of the Sultan, and realizing what an important seaport it afforded, planned to conquer it for themselves, but their designs and plans were discovered by the Knights of Rhodes and frustrated. The captain of the unsuccessful Genoese venture then sailed to Beirut, where the Sultan was at that time, and told all that had happened. It was then agreed that the Sultan in person should go to Rhodes with as large an army as possible. One hundred and fifty thousand Moors were taken to the island, and they destroyed everything on it, except the city, which they besieged. The port of the city was blockaded so that no food could reach the inhabitants. The Grand Master of the Knights, seeing that their plight was daily becoming more and more critical, sent letters to the Pope, the Emperor, and to all the Christian kings and princes, begging them to come to their aid. The King of France received one of these appeals, but paid little attention to it. (Chaps. 97-99)

Tirant, however, was eager to give them help. He