THE LOSS OF RHODES ad. 



1522. 



Venice. Howbeit the great master not willing to bee 

 taken unwarily, but the meane while as carefull and 

 diligent for the wealth of his towne, & his people, under- 

 standing these tidings of the Turkes armie, did all his 

 diligence to repaire and strengthen the towne. Amongst 

 all other things to build up, and raise the bulwarke of 

 Auvergne, and to cleanse and make deeper the ditches. 

 And the more to cause the workemen to haste them in 

 their businesse, the sayd lord oversawe them twise or 

 thrise every day. 



How the lord great master counselled with the 

 lordes for provision for the towne. 



THen the sayd reverend lord thought to furnish and 

 store the towne with more vitailes for the sustenance 

 thereof, and for the same many times hee spake with the 

 lordes that had the handling and rule of the treasurie, and 

 of the expenses thereof in his absence, and since his com- 

 ming : That is to wit, with the great Commander Gabriel 

 de pommeroUes, lieutenant of the sayd lord : The Tur- Sir Joh. 

 coplier Sir John Bourgh of the English nation : and the |^^"^|^ ^^^^^ 

 Chanceller Sir Andrew de Meral, of whom is spoken ^J|^^ 

 afore, and of his untruth agaynst his religion. The 

 which three lordes sayd, that hee should take no thought 

 for it, for the towne was well stored with vitailes for a 

 great while, and that there was wheate ynough till new 

 came in : Notwithstanding it were good to have more, or 

 the siege were laied afore the towne, and therefore it were 

 behoovefull to send for wheate and other necessaries into 

 the West for succours of the towne, and at that time to 

 purvey for every thing. 



Of the provision for vitailes and ordinance [ii. ii. 75.] 

 of warre. 



AS touching the store and ordinance of warre, the sayd 

 lordes affirmed that there was ynough for a yeere 

 and more, whereof the contrary was found, for it failed a 

 moneth or the citie was yeelded. It is of trueth that 



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