The Knights of St. John
Subtitle: with the Battle of Lepanto and Siege of Vienna
Publisher: London : Burns & Oates; New York : Benziger Bros.
Published: 1858
Language: eng
Table of contents: title: CONTENTS; title: CHAPTER I.; title: Commencement of the Order — The object of its institution — Its achievements in the Holy Land — Its settlement in Acre - after the fall of Jerusalem — Description of Acre — The Great Hospital and its traditions — Successes of the Saracens — Siege of Acre under Melee Soraf, sultan of Egypt — The last assault — Massacre — The survivors of the Order take refuge in Cyprus 1; title: CHAPTER II.; title: The Knights at Limisso — Commencement of their naval power — Suppression of the Templars — Enterprise of the Hospitallers against Rhodes — Its final success — The island and its dependencies — First hostilities with the Turks — Deposition of Villaret — Complaints against the Order — Division into languages — The Pope charges the Knights with the defence of Smyrna; title: CHAPTER III.; title: Progress of the Turks — Bajazet and Timour the Tartar — Siege and conquest of Smyrna — St. Peter's of the Freed — Greatness of the Order under Naillac — Mahomet II. — Fall of Constantinople — Threatened invasion of Rhodes — Death of Scanderbeg — Conquest of Lesbos and Negropont — Election of Peter deAubusson 38; title: CHAPTER IV.; title: Character of DeAubusson — Religious union in Rhodes — Destruction of the suburbs — Arrival of the Turkish fleet — Attack on St. Nicholas — Conduct of D' Aubusson during the siege — First repulse of the infidels — Fresh attack on the Jewish quarter — Storm of the city — Defeat and failure of the Turks — D'Aubusson's danger and recovery — Fall of Kaffa and Otranto — Death of Mahomet the Great 64; title: CHAPTER V.; title: Bajaset and Djem — Djem takes refuge at Rhodes — He proceeds to France, and thence to Italy — Exculpation of DeAubusson — His last days and death — Conquests of Selim, and accession of Solyman the Magnificent — Fall of Belgrade — Election of L'Isle Adam, and his correspondence with the sultan — Preparations for a fresh siege — Review of the Knights — Appearance of Rhodes — Character of L'Isle Adam — Ceremony at St. John's — Military spectacle — Arrival of the enemy's fleet 86; title: CHAPTER VI.; title: Ill success of the Turkish troops — Arrival of the sultan — The English bastion blown up — Conduct of the grand master — Fresh assault under Peri Pasha — Panic produced by the appearance of L'Isle Adam — Attack on the ruins of the English bastion by Mustapha Pasha — Assault general — Retreat of the infidels — Renewed hostilities — State of Rhodes during the last month of the siege — Solyman has recourse to negotiation — The grand master is compelled to yield by the entreaties of the citizens — Honourable terms of capitulation-interview between L'Isle Adam and the sultan — Cruelties of the Janizaries — Generous conduct of the sultan Solyman 108; title: CHAPTER VII.; title: Departure from Rhodes — Danger at sea — Rendezvous at Setia — Deplorable state of the Rhodians — Inspection of his followers by the grand master — His arrival with the Rhodians at Messina — Inquiry into the conduct of the Knights, and their acquittal — They proceed to Civith Vecchia, and are granted the city of Viterbo — Journeys of L'Isle Adam to the courts of Europe — Offer of Malta to the Order by the emperor — Report of the commissioners 124; title: CHAPTER VIII.; title: Exploits of the Knights in Africa — Taking of Tunis — The great carrack — Expedition against Algiers — Tempest off the coast of Barbary — Taking of Mehdljd — Admirable charity of the Knights — Dragut attacks Malta ; failure of the expedition — Fall of Tripoli — Election of John de la Valette — Solyman prepares for the siege of Malta — Description of the city and its defences — Character of La Valette, and his address to his troops 140; title: CHAPTER IX.; title: Arrival of the Turkish fleet — The landing and attack on St. Elmo — Storming of the ravelin ; Christian bearing of the Knights — Message to the borgo, and reply of La Valette — First assault general — The Turks are repulsed, and the garrison reinforced — Second and third assaults — Preparation of the Knights for death — Capture of St Elmo, and barbarities of the Turkish general 155; title: CHAPTER X.; title: St John's day — Arrival of the "little succor" — Assaults on St. Michael — Death of the grand master's nephew — Assaults from the 2d to the 16th of August — Attack on the bastion of Castile — Conduct of La Valette — His visit to the infirmary — Repulse of the Turks — Appearance of the succours — Hasty embarkation of the Turks — Fresh landing, and engagement with the Christian army — They leave the island — State of Malta after the siege — Building of the city of Valetta — Death of the grand master — Conclusion 172; title: THE BATTLE OF LEPANTO.; title: Religious state of Europe — Fall of Cyprus — Bragadino — Calepius — The Christian league and armament — Rendezvous at Messina — Don John of Austria, his character and conduct — Meeting of the hostile fleets — Disposition of the ships — The battle — The Knights of Malta — Cervantes — Utter defeat of the infidels — Magnanimity of Don John — Results of the victory — Revelation made to St. Pius — The joy of Christendom, and commemorations of the Church 199; title: THE RELIEF OF VIENNA.; title: CHAPTER I.; title: THE SIEGE.; title: State of the city — Situation of the Empire — Rapid advance of the Turks — The massacre of Perchtoldsdorf — The Turkish camp — Kollonitsch — View without the walls — Ditto within — Progress of the siege — The camp of Creme — Desperate condition of the citizens — The signal-rockets 28$; title: CHAPTER II.; title: THE BELIEF.; title: March of the Poles — Junction with the Imperialists — Ascent of the Kahlenberg — A day of suspense — Scene from the heights — The morning of the battle — Descent into the plain — Advance of Sobieski — Rout of the Turks — Sobieski's entry into Vienna — Charity of Kollonitsch — Behaviour of the emperor — Joy of Europe — Thanksgiving of the Church 261