ILLUSTRATIONS 



before the Order by his defeat of an Egyptian fleet 

 in the Levant. On his election as Grand Master 

 he hastily collected stores and munitions of war 

 in France, and embarked at Marseilles for Rhodes, 

 already threatened by the Turks. Off Nice fire 

 broke out on his ship, and the crew were only 

 prevented from deserting her by his exertions. 

 Shortly afterwards in a storm the ship was struck 

 by lightning, which, entering the stern cabin, killed 

 nine men, and broke the Grand Master's sword by 

 his side without damaging the scabbard. After the 

 loss of Rhodes, Villiers returned to Europe, and 

 in 1525 obtained the grant of Malta, Gozo, and 

 Tripoli, from Charles V., for the Order. He died 

 on 2 1st August, 1534. The portrait is reproduced 

 from that in the British Museum copy of The History 

 of the Knights of Malta, by Monsieur V Abbe de Vcrtot, 

 published in London in 1728. 



Solyman the Magnificent, ..... 48 



Solyman the Magnificent, fourth Emperor of the Turks, 

 succeeded to the throne on the death of his father 

 Selim L in 1520, being then about twenty-eight 

 years old. During his reign the area of the Turkish 

 Empire was extended by his conquests of the greater 

 part of Hungary, large portions of Armenia and 

 Persia, and the whole of Northern Africa, except 

 Morocco. He besieged Vienna in 1529 but was 

 repulsed. He died on the 4th September, 1566, 

 while besieging Sigeth or Szigeth on the Drave. 

 Richard Knolles, in his Generall Htstorie of th.f 

 Tiirkes, describes him as * of stature tall, of feature 

 slender, long necked, his colour pale and wan, his 

 nose long and hooked, of nature ambitious and 

 bountifull, more faithfull of his word and promise 

 than were for most part the Mahometan Kings his 

 progenitors.' The portrait is taken from the rare 

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