deliver himself up into his hands; but as, on the other side, he was afraid of furnishing him, by a refusal, with a pretence, which perhaps he wished to find, of not keeping his word, this great man, who had, during the siege, exposed himself to the greatest dangers, got over all considerations, and resolved to sacrifice himself once more, for the safety of his brethren. He came early the next morning into the quarters to the entrance of the Sultan's tent. The Turks, out of pride and a barbarous kind of grandeur, suffered him to wait there, almost all the whole day, without offering him any thing to eat or drink, exposed to a severe cold, and to snow and hail, which fell in abundance. When the evening was drawing on, he was called in; and, clothing him and the Knights that attended him with magnificent vests, they introduced him to an audience of the Sultan. That Prince was struck with the majesty that appeared in all the air and over the whole person of the Grand-master, and told him, by his interpreter, by way of consolation, "That the conquest and loss of empires were the ordinary sports of fortune." He added, in order to engage so great a captain in his service, that he had just seen, by a woful experience, the little stress that was to be laid on the amity and alliance of the Christian princes, who had so scandalously abandoned him; and that, if he was willing to embrace his law, there was no post or dignity in the whole extent of his empire, but he was ready to gratify him with. The

Grand-master, who was as zealous a Christian as he was a great captain, after thanking him for the good will he expressed towards him, replied, that he should be very unworthy of his favors, if he were capable of accepting them; that so great a prince as he would be dishonored by the services of a traitor and a renegado; and that all he requested of Soliman was, that he would be pleased to order his officers not to give him any disturbance in his going off and embarcation. Soliman signified to him, that he might go on with it quietly; that his word was inviolable; and, as a token of friendship, though perhaps out of ostentation of his grandeur, he gave him his hand, to kiss.

In breach, however, of the treaty, and the positive promises of the Grand Signior, five days after the capitulation was signed, some Janizaries, under pretence of visiting their comrades, who, with their Aga, had taken possession of the place, dispersed themselves over it, plundered the first houses they came to near the gate of Cosquin, broke into the churches, which they profaned, and ransacked the very tombs of the Grand-masters, where their avarice made them fancy-they should find treasure. Thence they ran, like so many furies, to the Infirmary, that celebrated monument of the charity of the Knights, drove out the sick, and carried off the plate, in which they were served, and would have carried their violence still further, if, upon the Grand-master's complaints, general Achmet, who knew the Grand Signior's intention, had not sent word to the Aga, that his head should answer for the plunder and extravagance of his soldiers. Indeed, the Grand Signior, who was fond of glory and jealous of his reputation, was desirous that the Knights, when they retired into the various states of Christendom, should, with the news of the conquest of Rhodes, carry likewise with them the reputation of his clemency, and his inviolable observance of his word; and this, perhaps, might be the motive that engaged him, when he visited his new conquest, to enter into the Grandmaster's palace.

This Prince received him with all the marks of respect due to so potent a monarch. Soliman, in this visit, so very extraordinary in a Grand Signior, accosted him in an affable manner, exhorted him to bear, courageously, this change of fortune, and signified to him, by Achmet, who attended him, that he might take his own time to embark his effects, and that, if the time stipulated was not sufficient, he would readily prolong it. He retired, upon this, after repeating his assurances to the Grandmaster of an inviolable fidelity, in the execution of the capitulation; and, turning towards his General, as he went out of the palace, "I cannot help being concerned," says he to him, "that I force this Christian, at his age, to go out of his house."

tt

The Grand-master was obliged to quit it, even before the term agreed on was expired; for, being informed that the Sultan was preparing to set out, in two days, for Constantinople, he did not think it proper to stay in the island, exposed to the mercy of the officers that were to command there, who might, perhaps, in the Grand Signior's absence, value themselves on giving such explications to the treaty as suited their hatred and animosity against the Knights. So that, not thinking it safe to stay any longer, among barbarians that were not over scrupulous with regard to the law of nations, he ordered the Knights, and such as would follow the fortune of the Order, to carry, immediately, their most valuable effects on board the vessels of the Order.

This dismal embarcation was made in the night, with a precipitation and disorder that can hardly be described. Nothing could be more moving, than to see the poor citizens, loaded with their goods, and followed by their families, abandoning their country. There was heard, on all sides, a confused noise of children, crying; of women, bemoaning themselves; of men, cursing their ill 'ortune; and of seamen, calling out after them all. The Grand-master, alone, wisely dissembled his grief; the sentiments of his heart were not betrayed by his looks; and, in this confusion, he gave his orders with the same tranquillity, as if he had been only to send away a squadron of the Order to cruise.

The Grand-master, besides the Knights, put on board above four thousand inhabitants of the island, men, women, and children, who, not caring to stay under the dominion of the Infidels, resolved to follow the fortune of the Order, and abandon their country.

Prince Amurath, son to the unfortunate Zizim,* would

* Zizim, (or, as is more correct, Djem,) son of the Sultan Mohammed the Second and brother to Bajazet, had warred against this Sultan, and, after repeated failures, had given himself into the power of the Hospitallers, after having made a regular treaty with them. Zizim, nevertheless, was carried to France, as a prisoner, and treated with the most cruel faithlessness. He was finally handed over to the Pope; and, when the King of France insisted upon his being given up to him, to be treated as became the brother of a Sultan, and according

gladly have followed the Grand-master, and had agreed with him to come on board, with all his family; but Soliman, resolving to get him into his power, caused him to be watched so narrowly, that, in spite of all the disguises he put on, he could never get near the fleet, but was forced to hide himself in the ruins of some houses which the Turkish cannon had demolished. The Grand-master, not being able to save him, took leave of the GrandSignior, and was the last man that went on board his vessel. The first day of January, A. D. 1523, all the fleet, after his example, made ready for sailing; and the few Knights, who survived this long and bloody siege, were reduced to the dismal necessity of quitting the isle of Rhodes, and the places and other islands that depended on the Order, and in which the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem had maintained themselves, with so much glory, for near two hundred and twenty years.

to the solemn treaty concluded between Zizim and the Knights of Rhodes, Alexander the Sixth, who then occupied the papal throne, resisted for a long time, because the Sultan paid a large sum for his brother's maintenance, and money was of great importance to this criminal and licentious Pope. At length, however, he was obliged to yield to the demands of the King of France. Alexander sent Zizim away, but not till he had poisoned him. Zizim soon died, resisting to the last, all importunities to become a Christian. Zizim had a son who went to Rhodes, and became a Christian. According to Herbelot, he there married, and had two sons and two daughters. He and his two sons were executed, after the surrender of Rhodes, because they would not abandon the Christian religion. The two daughters were taken by Soliman to Constantinople. The barbarous treatment of Zizim has been frequently the subject of discussion; the question being, whether the Knights knowingly broke faith with him, or whether the Pope was the original cause of his ill treatment. Several new sources have been lately made use of, to settle this question, and it seems that the Knights are first of all answerable for the crime. See the article, Zizim, in the Biographie Universelle.'

THE SACK OF ROME, IN 1527.

DESCRIBED BY JAMES BONAPARTE, AN EYEWITNESS.

THE first half of the sixteenth century contained, in an uncommon degree, the elements of civil fermentation and social disturbance, on a large scale. New doctrines of religion were preached, and the Reformation had begun to array one half of Europe against the other, not only on the ground of theological belief, but of political opinions, also. The political dissensions which arose were influenced by religious differences, and were, therefore, according to the common experience of history, more difficult to be settled than any others. On the thrones of the largest countries, were seated young, ambitious, active, monarchs-Charles the Fifth, of Germany and Spain; Francis the First, of France; and Henry the Eighth, of England. The dominions of Francis the First and Charles the Fifth, but especiaily of the latter, had become by inheritance, marriage, election, and conquest, most complicated; and the supremacy over many districts, or whole realms, was disputed between the French King and the German Emperor. The power of the Pope, having necessarily declined, in the same degree in which more compact, enlarged, and national, governments rose up, had received a most serious shock, by the Reformation. It could not, therefore, overawe the power of the Emperor, who ruled over many of the fairest portions of Europe, and extended his conquests over the richest parts of America. Still it was strong enough to make him a desirable, ally, or, if allied to the opposite party, a formidable enemy. Italy was divided into many small states, some of which were, nevertheless, sufficiently powerful to make them, like the Pope, important allies or enemies. The feudal militia had gradually lost its character; and, between its extinction and the beginning of more regular armies, a new species of soldiery had arisen. This consisted of men, making a profession of arms, not, however, organized into national armies, for the well-regulated support of governments, (for such armies did not yet exist,) but unatta hed