part L Travels into L e v a n t. r? 
two months before MJta, I may be bold to fay it is impregnable. The Forti- ^uiu im- 
fications of it are no iefs goodly than good, and yield a moft pleafant Prof- P^'^g'^able, 
ped. Thofe that arrive at Multa, take great delight to fee the B.rr-acjHc^ > 
covered with lovely Trees, planted in rows : There is a very pretty and high 
Oarden, which looks into the Port, below the Baflion of Icaly^ it is full of - 
Orange an Lemon-Trees, planted in rows ; and a great many Fountains, where 
the Water-works, playing very high, render the place altogether delighful ; 
and this Garden was macie by the Great Mafter Lafcaris. There is a Fountain -j-j^^^ q^^^^ 
upon the Port, which is very ornamental ; it is juft by the Sea-lide, and there Matter i^/- 
a Dolphin, under the feet of a Neptme, throws water up to a great height : caris. 
This Fountain is fo commodioufly placed, that VefTels may Water there, with- A lovelv anc! 
out carrying their Casks a ftiore. Near to this, there is a very thick Rock, 
through which the Great Mailer L^tfcaris caufed a PalTage to be cut, fo that ^fX.''' " 
one can very eafiiy walk from one end of the Port to the other j which before 
could not be done, becaufethat Rock reaches to the Sea. You mull mount 
up hill from the Port to the Town, which is fmall, for one may go rouî.d it 
in half an hours time, but it is very pretty ; it hath two Gates, one that 
leads to the Port, and the other to the Countrey. There are feveral Churches 
in it, of which that of St. John is the chief it hath no Pia2za,indeed,bcfore the The Church 
Porch,biit a very lovely one before one of the Gates,at thefide of it^ and at each o^st. Jote, in 
angle there is a Fountain, on the out- fide : This is a great and wide Church, 
pretty high and well built -, it is all paved with lovely Marble, and adorned 
• on high with a great many Colours taken from the Infidels. There arc eight 
Chapels for the Inns, and the feveral Knights place themfelves in thediftind 
Chapels of their Inns. Near to the great Portal, there is another Chapel, 
where all the Great Matters are buried : In that Church, many fine Reliques are 
kept ; amongft others, the Right-hand of St. John Bapnfi, which only wants The Right- 
the two lafl: and leaft Fingers : This Hand was given to the Knights, by Ba-^^^^^ of St. 
jaz.et^SQCor\d Emperour of the Turks ; who fearing that his Brother Z/^:2«,who 1/ y/"^^""^' 
fled to Rhodes, in the Year 1482, to avoid the cruelty of his Brotherf who would Brothc/of 
have put him to death Jmight rife againll him,ftipulated the fame year with the Bapxet, at 
Great Mailer D' yÎHbstJfonyto pay him yearly 40000. Duckets,to the end he fhould RMcs, 
not fufFer himto make his Efcape ; to wit,3oooo.for the Entertainment o{Ziz.tm, The Great 
and 1 0000. for the repairing the Damages that Mahomet his Father had done at ^ 
the Siege of Rhodes jthzt fumm was punctually payed fo long as Ziz^im lived. The 
fame Bajaz.et^knowing that the Knights of Rhodes had a great veneration for the 
Reliques of St. John, their Patron, made them a prefent of this Hand ^ which 
he found in the Treafury of Mahomet, his Father, having been brought from 
Antioch to Con ft antinomie, as it is marked in Gothich^ Charaders upon the foot of 
the Reliquary of MalTive Gold, where that Relique is kept. There is there 
alfq, a Hand of St. Anna, which only wants the Finger they prefented to the 
Queen-Mother of Louis XIV. the prefent King of France, when (he was brought 
to bed of that Monarch : They have befides, many other Reliques, and flore 
of very rich Ornaments. There are feveral lovely Buildings in that Town, 
and, amongft others, the ftately Palace of the Great Mafter j In it there is a a fair Maga- 
confiderable Magazine of Arms, not only for the quantity, which is fo great, zine of Arms, 
that I was alFured it was enough to arm thirty five or forty Thoufand Men, 
but alfo for the good order the Arms are kept in ; all the feveral Pieces being by 
themfelvesi in diftindt places, and kept clean by Slaves, who are continually 
at work there : The Arms of the Great Mailers, who have been wounded in ' 
Adion, are to be feen there, with marks upon them. Near to the Gate, there 
is a Canon made of bars of Iron, fattened together by Wire, with a very thin 
cafe of Wood over it, and the whole covered with thick and hard Leather, ^ canon co. 
well fewed : That fort of Canon was invented for the convenience of Tranf- vered with 
portation, becaufe they may eafilybe carried over Mountains, and other rough Leather, 
and difficult places -, but after they have been twice or thrice fired, they are 
no more fit for fervice. This Palace of the Great Mafter, looks into a large 
Square that is before it : in the middle whereof there is a lovely Fountain, 
that throws up water in great quantity, and to a great height : The Great 
Mafter Lafcaris, was at the charge of above fourfcore thoufand Crowns in ma- 
king of it, the Water being brought to it above fix Leagues off, upon high 
C Arches 
