CHAPTER IV A PROFESSED KNIGHT
Gervaise was soon quite at home in the palace of the grand master, andhis companions were, like other boys, of varying characters; but as allwere of noble families, were strongly impressed with the importance ofthe Order and the honour of their own position, and were constantlyin contact with stately knights and grave officials, their mannersconformed to those of their elders; and even among themselves there wasno rough fun, or loud disputes, but a certain courtesy of manner thatwas in accordance with their surroundings. This came naturally toGervaise, brought up as he had been by his father and mother, and havingat frequent intervals stayed with them for months at the variousroyal castles in which Margaret of Anjou and her son had been assignedapartments during their exile. Even at St. John's house the noviceswith whom he lived were all a good deal older than himself, and thediscipline of the house was much more strict than that at Rhodes.
He enjoyed both his exercises with the knights and the time spentwith the sub-chaplain, no small proportion of the hours of study beingoccupied in listening to stories of chivalry; it being considered one ofthe most important parts of a knight's education that he should have athorough acquaintance, not only with the laws of chivalry, but with thebrave deeds both of former and of living knights, with the relations ofthe noble houses of Europe to each other, especially of the many greatfamilies whose members were connected with the Order of St. John.
These matters formed, indeed, the main subject of their studies. Allwere taught to read and write, but this was considered sufficient in theway of actual instruction. The rules of the Order had to be committedto memory. Beyond this their reading consisted largely of the livesof saints, especially of those who distinguished themselves by theircharity or their devotion to their vows of poverty, to both of which themembers of the Order were pledged. Gervaise, however, could see aroundhim no signs whatever of poverty on their part. It was true that theyall lived and fed together in the auberges of their respective langues,and that they possessed no houses or establishments of their own; butthe magnificence of their armour and attire, and the lavish expenditureof some upon their pleasures, contrasted strangely with the povertyto which they had vowed themselves. It was true that in many cases themeans to support the expenditure was derived from the shares the knightsreceived of the plunder acquired in their captures of Moslem ships; butundoubtedly many must have possessed large private means; the bailiffs,for example, although only required by the rules to place before theknights at their auberges the rations they received for them, withsuch luxuries as could be purchased by their yearly allowance for thatpurpose, expended annually very large sums in addition, and suppliedtheir tables with every dainty, in order to gain popularity and goodwillamong the members of the langue.
Not only did the post of bailiff confer upon its owner a very highposition at Rhodes, but it was a stepping stone to the most lucrativeoffices in their langues. The bailiffs at Rhodes had the right ofclaiming any of the grand priories or bailiwicks at home that mightfall vacant, and the grand master was frequently chosen from among theirnumber, as, by being present at Rhodes, they had many advantages in theway of making themselves popular among the electors. The emoluments ofsome of these provincial bailiwicks were large; and as the bailiffs atRhodes were generally elected by seniority--although younger knights whohad greatly distinguished themselves were sometimes chosen--they wereusually glad to resign the heavy work and responsibility of theirposition at Rhodes, and to retire to the far easier position of aprovincial bailiff. In the majority of cases, doubtless, the fortunesof the high officials were obtained from the money amassed when inpossession of rich commanderies at home; but even this was assuredlyincompatible with their vows of poverty.
His hours of leisure Gervaise spent either on the water or in thesaddle, and his love of exercise of all sorts excited the wonder andeven the amusement of his companions, who for the most part preferredspending the time at their disposal in sleep, in idly looking out froma shaded room at what was going on outside, or in visits to friends andrelations at the auberges of the langues to which they belonged. Thenatural consequence was, that by the time he reached the end of histhree years' pageship, Gervaise was indisputably superior in strength,activity, and skill in military exercises, to any of his companions.The majority of these, after completing their time, returned to theheadquarters of their langue at home, to pass their time there, until ofan age to be eligible for the charge of a commandery obtained for themby family influence, which had no small share in the granting of theseappointments. As it was known, however, that Gervaise intended to remainpermanently in the Island, his progress was watched with particularattention by his instructors; and, seeing his own earnestness in thematter, they took special pains with his training. The bailiff ofAuvergne continued to take much interest in him, inquiring often fromthe officers in charge of the pages, and from his instructors, of hisconduct and progress, and occasionally sending for him to his aubergeand talking with him as to his life and progress. Just before hispageship terminated, he said to him, "I was rather puzzled at first,Gervaise, as to what we should do with you when your term of officeconcluded, but I am so no longer, for, although you are some two yearsyounger than the professed knights who come out here, you are betterfitted than the majority to take your place in the naval expeditions,and to fight the Moslem pirates. I will see that you have your share ofthese adventures. All young knights are, as you know, obliged to makethree voyages, but beyond that many of them do not care to share inthe rough life at sea, and prefer the bustle, and, I grieve to say,the gaiety and pleasures of this city. For one, then, really eagerto distinguish himself, the opportunities are frequent. When dangerthreatens, or heavy engagements are expected, every knight is desirousof bearing his part in the fray; but this is not the case when the workto be done consists of scouring the sea for weeks, without perchancecoming across a single pirate. Of course, as soon as your pageship isover you will go to the English auberge, but I shall still keep my eyeupon you, and shall do my best to help you to achieve distinction; andI shall take upon myself the providing of your arms and armour as aknight."
Accordingly, on the day on which his duties as a page terminated, twoservitors of the auberge of Auvergne brought across to the palace a suitof fine armour and a sword, a battleaxe, a lance, and a dagger; alsothree complete suits of clothes, two of them for ordinary wear, and onefor state occasions. The next day Gervaise took the oaths of the Orderin the Church of St. John. The aged master himself received the vows,and formally inducted him as a professed knight of the Order, PeterD'Aubusson and the bailiff of the English langue acting as his sponsors,vouching that he was of noble blood and in all ways fitted to becomea knight of Justice, this being the official title of the professedknights of the Order. Ten newly arrived novices were inducted at thesame time, and the ceremony was a stately one, attended by a number ofthe knights from each langue, all in full armour.
The ceremony over, Gervaise bore the title of Sir Gervaise Tresham;but this was an honorary rather than a real title, as the Order did notprofess to bestow the honour of knighthood, and it was usual for itsmembers to receive the accolade at the hands of secular knights. At theconclusion of the ceremony, he returned with the bailiff of the Englishlangue to the auberge, and took up his quarters there. By his frequentvisits he was well known to all the members, and in a day or two felt asmuch at home as he had done in the pages' room in the palace. A week wasgiven to him before he was assigned to any special duty, and he was gladwhen he was told off as one of the knights who were to take their turnin superintending the work of the slaves employed in strengtheningthe fortifications, although he would rather that any other employmentshould have been assigned to him, because he felt deep pity for theunfortunate men who were engaged in the work.
He knew well enough that if he himself were ever made prisoner by theTurks, his lot would be as hard and as hopeless as that of the Moslemcaptives; but this, although he often repeated it to himself in order toaba
te his feeling of commiseration, was but a poor satisfaction. He sawone side of the picture, and the other was hidden from him; and althoughhe told himself that after slaving in a Turkish galley he would feel asatisfaction at seeing those who had been his tyrants suffering the samefate, he was well aware that this would not be the case, and that hisown sufferings would only make him sympathise more deeply with those ofothers. He had found, soon after his arrival on the Island, that it wasbest to keep his feelings on this subject to himself. While the knightswere bound, in accordance with their vows, to relieve sufferings of anykind among Christians, they seemed to regard their captives rather inthe light of brute beasts than human beings. The slaves were struck onthe smallest provocation, and even the killing of a slave was considereda very venial offence, and punished only because the slave was of valueto the Order.
It was true that edicts were from time to time published by the council,enjoining fair treatment of slaves, and it was specially ordered thatthose employed as servants in the auberges were not to be struck. Thelot of these servants was, indeed, very much easier than that ofthose engaged on the public works, and such occupation was thereforeconsidered a privilege, the servants being for the most part selectedfrom among the captives of superior rank.
For the next six months Gervaise worked at various duties in the town.He was employed for a fortnight in the infirmary, then for a while hewas transferred to the galleys; but for the most part he was with theslaves working on the fortifications. At the end of that time he was,to his great delight, informed by the bailiff that he was one of the sixknights of the langue told off to join a galley that was on the pointof sailing. Among those going in her was Sir Ralph Harcourt, one of hiscompanions on the journey from England.
"So you are to go with us, Gervaise," the young knight said, "to tryyour luck for the first time against the infidels. This is my thirdvoyage, and I hope that it will be more fortunate than its predecessors,for, beyond picking up two or three small craft, which did not ventureupon resistance, we gained neither honour nor booty. I regard you ashaving specially good fortune, and besides being glad that we shallbe together, I expect that you will bring good luck to us, and that weshall meet with foes worth contending with. The corsairs have been veryactive of late, and have captured many prizes, while, on the other hand,our galleys have been unfortunate, and have but seldom come upon themiscreants."
"How many knights will there be on board?"
"Forty. Aragon, like us, furnishes five, Germany ten, Portugal five,Auvergne ten, and Provence five. We shall be commanded by Sir LouisRicord, a knight of Auvergne, and we could wish no better, for he hasproved himself a good seaman and a brave captain. Two other galleys areto start with us. We are to cruise separately unless one gets news of aforce so superior that he will need aid to attack it, when he will meetthe others at a rendezvous agreed upon, and we shall work together."
"Who are the other three Englishmen?"
"John Boswell, Marmaduke Lumley, and Adam Tedbond--all, as you know,brave knights and good companions."
That evening Gervaise received a message from D'Aubusson, requesting himto call at his auberge.
"So you are going to sea, Sir Gervaise? I hear from your bailiff thatyou have been working to his satisfaction in the town."
"Yes, sir. I shall indeed be glad to change it for a life at sea. Intruth, it is grievous to me to witness the sufferings of the slaves, andI would rather do any other work."
"They are far better off than the Christians who fall into the handsof the Turks," the bailiff said; "and, moreover, it is because theircountrymen are preparing to attack us that we are forced to use theirlabour in strengthening our fortifications. They have naught to complainof in the way of food. Still, I would myself gladly see their lotalleviated; but we could not afford to keep so great a number ofcaptives in idleness; they must work for their living. Had it not beenfor their labour we could never have built and fortified the city. Afterall, they are little worse off than our serfs at home; they build ourcastles and till our land."
"It may be so, sir; but with us in England men are free, and it was,when I first came, strange to me to see them working under the fear ofthe whip. It is necessary, I know, that such work should be done, but Iown that I shall be glad to be away from the sight of the poor wretches,pirates and enemies of the faith though they be."
"I can understand your feelings, and I too felt somewhat the same whenI first came here. Nevertheless, there is work that must be done if theOrder is not to be crushed by the infidels. Here are captives, for themost part malefactors, who have to be fed; and there is no injustice intheir having, like all men, to give work for food. I have learnt to seethis and recognise the necessity, though I would that the work couldbe obtained without the use of harshness and severity. We ourselves areprepared at any moment to sacrifice our lives for the good of the Orderand for the great cause, and it would be wrong, nay, sinful, not to usethe means that have been placed ready to our hand. Now, Sir Gervaise, Iwish you a pleasant voyage. You will find the life somewhat hard, afteryour three years' residence at the palace, but this I know you willnot mind. I have specially commended you to Ricord as one in whom I ampersonally interested, and from whom I hope great things in the future.Be brave; be resolute. From what you have said I need not say--bemerciful. Fulfill all orders promptly and without question; bearyourself courteously to all; above all things, remember that you are asoldier, not only of the Order, but of the Cross."
The next day Gervaise embarked with his companions on board the galley.It was a long, low boat, similar to those in use by the Venetians andGenoese. It was rowed by fifty slaves, who slept at night on or beneaththe benches they sat on by day. The knights occupied the great cabinsin the poop. There were two tiers of these; the upper one contained thelittle cabin of the commander, while the rest of the space on this deck,and that below it, was used by the knights in common. In the upper cabinthey took their meals, and a third of their number slept there, theremainder in the cabin below. A fourth of their number were, however,always on guard, lest any attempt at a rising or escape should be madeby the galley slaves.
On leaving the harbour the galley, with its two consorts, rowed north,and Gervaise learnt that they were to cruise between the mainland andthe islands. Some of these were in the hands of the Turks, while otherswere still occupied by Greeks.
Except when there was a formal and actual state of war, the Moslem andChristian islands remained in a state of neutrality, trading witheach other and avoiding all unfriendly proceedings that would leadto struggles which would be fatal to the prosperity of both. TheArchipelago, and indeed the whole of the eastern portion of theMediterranean, was infested by pirates, fitted out, for the most part,on the mainland. These, when in force, openly kept the sea, attackingthe Christian merchant ships, but when cruising alone they hid inunfrequented bays, or behind uninhabited islets, until they could pounceupon a passing ship whose size promised an easy capture. The Order ofSt. John furnished a maritime police, earning thereby the deep gratitudeof Spain, France, and Italy. They were aided occasionally by theVenetians, but these, being frequently engaged in quarrels with theirneighbours, did but a small share of this work, only sending theirfleets to sea when danger threatened some of their possessions in theLevant.
"This is delightful, Ralph," Gervaise said, as they stood together onthe poop, looking back at the receding city.
"What a pleasant change it is from standing in the broiling sun watchingthose poor wretches toiling at the fortifications! There is only onedrawback to my pleasure. I wish that we carried sails, and were movedalong by the breeze, instead of by the exertions of the slaves."
"Much chance we should have of catching a pirate under suchcircumstances!" Ralph said, laughing. "You might as well set a tortoiseto catch a hare."
"I don't say that we should not be obliged to carry rowers, Ralph; butall the prizes that have been brought in since I have been at Rhodescarry masts and sails, as well as oars, and, as I understand, for
themost part cruise about under sail, and only use the oars when chasing orfleeing."
"That is so; because, you see, in most cases the crew themselves haveto row, and I have no doubt if we had no slaves to do the work we shouldsoon take to masts and sails also; but for speed the rowing galleys arethe best, for unless a brisk wind were blowing, the mast and sails wouldbut check her progress when the oars were out, and at any rate constrainher to travel only before the wind. I know your weakness about theslaves, Gervaise; but as we could neither build our fortificationsnor row our galleys without them, I cannot go as far as you do in thematter, though I own that I am sometimes sorry for them. But you mustremember that it is the fault of their people, and not of ours, thatthey are here."
"All that is true enough, Ralph, and I cannot gainsay you. Still I wouldrather that we were gliding along with sails instead of being rowed byslaves."
"At any rate, Gervaise, you will not see them ill treated, for I myselfheard Ricord, just before we were starting, tell the slave overseersthat so long as the rowers did fair work they were not to use theirwhips, and that only if we were in chase of a pirate were they to beurged to their utmost exertions."
"I am right glad to hear it, Ralph, and shall be able to enjoy thevoyage all the more, now you have told me that such orders have beenissued."
For a fortnight they cruised about among the islands. Several timesboats rowed out from the shore to the galley with complaints of outragesby pirates under a notorious corsair named Hassan Ali, who had landed,burnt villages, killed many of the inhabitants, and carried off the restas slaves; but no one could give any clue to aid them in their searchfor the corsairs. The time passed very pleasantly. There was no occasionfor speed; often they lay all day in some bay, where they could approachnear enough to the shore to lie in the shade of trees, while two orthree of the knights ascended a hill and kept watch there for theappearance of any vessels of a suspicious character. One morning, afterpassing the night at anchor, Harcourt and Gervaise were despatched justbefore sunrise to take a look round before the galley got under way.From the top of the hill they had an uninterrupted view of the sea,studded with islands on all sides of them. Beyond a few fishing boats,looking like black specks on the glassy surface, no craft were in sight.They were about to return to the galley when, taking a last look round,Gervaise suddenly exclaimed, "Look, Ralph! There is smoke ascending fromthat island to the southwest. There was none just now."
"You mean from that bay, Gervaise? Yes, I see it; it is not more than alight mist."
"It is growing thicker," Gervaise said, "and spreading. Maybe it is buta hut that has accidentally caught fire, but it seems to me that thesmoke is rising from several points."
"I think you are right, Gervaise. Let us hurry down with the news. Itmay be that it is a village which has been attacked by pirates who havelanded on the other side of the island during the night, for I can seeno ships in the bay."
A few minutes' run and they stood on the shore.
"Quick, men!" Ralph said to the rowers of the boat that had brought themashore. "Row your hardest."
The slaves bent to their oars, and they were soon alongside the galley,which lay two or three hundred yards from the shore. Those on board hadnoticed the young knights running down the hill, and, marking the speedat which the boat was rowing, concluded at once that they must haveobserved one of the pirate's ships.
"Do you see anything of them, Sir Ralph?" the commander shouted, as theycame close.
"We have seen no ships, Sir Louis, but there is smoke coming up from abay in an island four or five miles away to the southwest. It seems tous that it is far too extensive a fire to be the result of an accident,for there was no smoke until within two or three minutes of the time weleft, and before we started it was rising from several points, and weboth think that it must come from a village that has been attacked bypirates."
The commander rapidly issued his orders, and in two or three minutes theanchor was weighed, the boat hoisted on deck, and the oars in motion.
"Stretch to your oars!" Ricord shouted to the slaves. "Hitherto we haveexacted no toil from you, but you have to work now, and woe be to himwho does not put out his full strength."
Grateful for the unusual leniency with which they had been treated,the slaves bent to their oars, and the galley sped rapidly through thewater. On rounding the end of the island there was an exclamation ofsatisfaction from the knights as they saw wreaths of white smoke risingfrom the distant island.
"There can be no doubt that it is a village in flames," Sir Louis said;"and from the suddenness with which it broke out, it is clear that itmust have been fired at several points. You say you saw no craft near?"he asked, turning to Harcourt.
"There were none there, or from the top of the hill we should assuredlyhave made them out, Sir Louis."
"Then the pirates--if this be, as I hope, their work--must have landedat some other point on the island, and if they catch sight of us theymay make for their ship and slip away, unobserved by us. Instead ofrowing direct, therefore, we will make for that islet to the right, androw round behind it. There are two others almost adjoining it. Once pastthese, 'tis not more than half a mile to that island stretching awaysouth. Once round that, we shall be beyond the one from which we see thesmoke rising, and can come down on its southern side. The course willbe double the distance that it would be if we took a straight line, butexcept when we cross from island to island we shall not be exposed totheir view, and may fall upon their ships before the crews have returnedfrom their work of plunder."
The knights fully agreed, and orders were given to the helmsmanaccordingly.
"We must not over fatigue the rowers," the commander said. "We may havea long chase if they have started before we get round."
He therefore gave orders to the slaves that, while they were to exertthemselves to the utmost when crossing the open sea, they were to relaxtheir efforts and to row within their strength while coasting alongbehind the islands. On board, everything was made in readiness for afight: the knights buckled on their armour, the cooks set cauldrons ofpitch over the fire, the cannoneers loaded her eight guns. It was anhour and a half after their start before they rounded the end of thelast island. It extended a little farther to the south than did that towhich they were making, and as they rounded the point, eager looks werecast in search of the pirate ships. No craft were, however, to be seen.
"They must be in some bay or inlet," the commander said; "they canhardly have left, for it would have taken them half an hour at least tocross the island with their booty and captives, and even if they madestraight away after having fired the village, their ship could have goneno great distance, for we must have seen her if she put to sea--unlessindeed they were anchored on the east of the island, and have sailed inthat direction."
"Keep them rowing along steadily," he said to the overseers of theslaves; "but do not press them too hard. We may have a chase yet, andneed all their strength, for most of these pirates are fast craft, andif they should get a start of three or four miles, it will be a long rowbefore we catch them."
They made straight for the island, and on nearing it coasted along itssouthern side. It was some three miles long, the shore being for themost part steep, but here and there falling gradually to the water'sedge. Two or three little clusters of houses could be seen as they rowedalong; one of these was on fire.
"That is good," Sir Louis exclaimed, as, on turning a point, they sawthe flames. "That cannot have been lighted long, and we are prettycertain to come upon the vessels before the marauders have set sail."
Several inlets and small bays were passed, but all were empty. A fewfishing boats lay on the shore, but there were no signs of life, as nodoubt the people would, long since, have taken alarm and sought shelterin the woods. There was a sharp point just before they reached thesoutheastern extremity of the island, and as the galley shot past this,a shout of exultation rose from the knights, for, near the mouth of aninlet that now opened to their view, the
re lay four long, low vessels,above each of which floated the Moslem flag. A number of men weregathered on the shore near the ships, and heavily laden boats werepassing to and fro.
A yell of rage and alarm rose from the ships as the galley came intoview. There was a stir and movement on the shore, and numbers of menleapt into the boats there, and started for the ships. These were somequarter of a mile away when first seen, and half that distance had beentraversed when a puff of smoke shot out from the side of one of them,followed almost immediately by a general discharge of their cannon. Oneball tore along the waist of the galley, killing six of the rowers, andseveral oars on both sides were broken. Two balls passed through thecabins in the poop. But there was no pause in the advance of the galley.The whips of the slave masters cracked, and the rowers whose oars wereintact strained at them. There was no reply from the guns, but theknights raised loud the war cry of the Order, a war cry that was neverheard without striking a thrill of apprehension among their Moslem foes.
As they neared the pirate ships, the helm was put down, and the galleybrought up alongside the largest of them and a broadside poured intoher; then the knights, headed by their commander, leapt on to her deck.
Although a number of the crew had not yet come off from shore, theMoslems still outnumbered their assailants, and, knowing that theirconsorts would soon come to their aid, they threw themselves in a bodyon the Christians. But in a hand-to-hand conflict like this, the knightsof the Hospital were irresistible. Protected by their armour and longshields from the blows of their enemies' scimitars and daggers, theirlong, cross handled swords fell with irresistible force on turbaned headand coat-of-mail, and, maintaining regular order and advancing like awall of steel along the deck, they drove the Moslems before them, andthe combat would soon have terminated had not a shout been raised byone of the overseers of the slaves. One of the other ships had rowedalongside the galley, and the crew were already leaping on board it. Atthe same moment another ship came up alongside that they had boarded,while the fourth was maneuvering to bring up under her stern.
"Sir John Boswell," Sir Louis shouted, "do you and your countrymen, withthe knights of Spain, finish with these miscreants; knights of Germanyand Provence keep back the boarders; knights of Auvergne follow me," andhe leapt down into the galley.
The English and Spanish knights redoubled their exertions. The Moslemsendeavoured to rally, seeing that help was at hand, and that but a smallbody were now opposed to them, but their numbers availed little. The tenknights kept their line, and, hewing their way forward, pressed them sohotly that the Turks broke and sprang over the bulwarks into the sea.Then the knights looked round. A fierce fight was going on between thoseof Germany and Provence and the enemy, who strove desperately to boardfrom the ship alongside. The other vessel was now almost touching thestern, and her crew were swarming to her side in readiness to leap onboard as soon as the vessels touched.
"We will keep them at bay there," Sir John Boswell shouted. "Do you, DonPedro, and your comrades, aid Ricord. When his foes are finished with,you can come back to help us."
Then, with the four English knights, he ran along the deck, and reachedthe stern just in time to hurl backwards the Moslems, who had alreadyobtained a footing. For a time the five knights kept back the surgingmass of their foes. The deck was wide enough for each to have fair playfor his sword, and in vain the pirates strove to obtain a footing.
At last Sir Marmaduke Lumley fell, severely wounded by an arrow from aMoslem marksman, and before the others could close the gap a score ofpirates leapt on to the deck.
"Fall back, comrades, fall back; but keep together!" Sir John Boswellshouted, as he cleft the skull of one of the pirate officers who sprangat him. "Sir Louis will soon finish his work, and be here to our aid.Ah!" he exclaimed, looking over his shoulder, as he retired a step,"Provence and Germany are overmatched too."
This was indeed the case. Stoutly as they fought the knights were unableto guard the whole of the line of bulwark, and the Moslems had alreadyobtained a footing on the deck. The discipline of the knights stood themin good stead. Drawing closely together as they retreated, they made astand on the opposite side of the deck, and were here joined by Sir JohnBoswell and his companions. They now formed a semicircle, each flankresting on the bulwark, and the pirates in vain endeavoured to breaktheir line. Again and again they flung themselves upon the knights, onlyto be beaten off with heavy loss. At length a loud cheer arose from thegalley, and Sir Louis Ricord, with the knights of Auvergne and Spainhaving cleared the galley of their foes, and carried the pirate that hadgrappled with her, sprang on to the deck of the ship, and fell uponthe throng that were attacking the knights there, oblivious of what wasgoing on elsewhere. At once the English knights and their comrades tookthe offensive, and fell upon their assailants who, at the sight of thereinforcement, for a moment stood irresolute. For a short time there wasa fierce struggle; then the pirates sprang back to their two ships, andendeavoured to cast off the grapnels. But the knights followed hotlyupon them, and, panic stricken now, the pirates sprang overboard. Manywere drowned, but the greater part managed to swim to shore.