KNIG H 
of the Benedifline order in Palefline, and fome of the rule 
of St. Auguftine from Italy, alTociated with them in the 
pious undertaking. They built two houfes of entertain¬ 
ment for the reception of pilgrims of both fexes, whether 
in health or ficknefs, which was the chief view of this 
mod chriflian and benevolent foundation. Each of thefe 
houfes had afterwards a chapel, the one dedicated to St. 
John the Almoner, the other to St. Magdalen ; the fil'd 
for men, the fecond for women ; but not long after, about 
the year 104.8, finding themfelves fufiiciently edablilhed 
and thriving in their charitable enterprise, the merchants 
and monks redored the church of the holy fepulchre, 
which was the object of devotional vilits with Chriltians 
of all nations. Thisof courfe increafed the number of pil¬ 
grims and pious travellers, who were induced to take the 
journey, not only out of devotion, but alfo becaufe they 
were fecure again It the perfecution of the infidels, and 
were lure to find good accommodation in the new eda- 
blilhment. But the number of vifitors foon became fo 
great, that the monks were obliged to erect a larger hof- 
pital, which was built (it is faid) on the very fpot where 
our Saviour celebrated the lad -fupper with his apoftles ; 
and at length, for their great charity and attention towards 
the poor and fick, and their friendly hofpitality to all 
drangers, they obtained the title of Brothers Hofpitalers 
of St. John of Jerulalem. 
Some are of opinion, and indeed it appears more proba¬ 
ble,- that this hofpital was not, as it was reported, dedi¬ 
cated to St. John the Baptilf, but to St. John of Cyprus, 
who, in the reign of the emperor Phocas, was bilhop of 
Alexandria, and fo charitable and liberal in bedowing 
alms, that he obtained the name of Elcemojynarius, or the 
Almoner. 
After the conqued of Paledine by the crufaders under 
the command of Godfrey of Bouillon, king Baldwin I. 
conferred upon that pious adociation of Chridians large 
privileges and franchifes ; and, in the year 1104, inlfituted 
the members to be knights. Now their duties began to 
confid in fighting perfonally againd the Saracens and in¬ 
fidels in defence of the Chridian faith. 
Thele knights acknowledged their obedience to the 
patriarch of jenifalem, who firft approved their order; but 
afterwards, when their revenues increafed, their pride 
keeping pace with them, they obtained of the pope to 
be abfolved from that obedience, though the patriarch hirn- 
fielf, and feveral bifliops of Paledine, repaired to Rome for 
the purpefe of oppofing the mealure. The knights took 
then the black habit of the hermits of St. Augultine, and 
lived under that rule by the grant of Honorius II. in the 
year 1135, making folemn vow's of obedience, poverty, 
and chadity ; and, on the bread of the habit, wore at fird 
a plain crofs of white cloth, lince changed to one of eight 
points; but, in time of war, they uled a red caflock, with 
a white crofs upon it. This period may be properly call¬ 
ed the beginning of the order. 
Gerard Didier was the fird founder of the hofpital. 
After his death, the affociatiorj having increafed much in 
men as well as in wealth, they elefled out of their own 
body a new fuperior, who ad’umed the title of mader. 
Raimond di Poggio, or Dupuy, a Florentine, was the wor¬ 
thy object of their choice; and, by the authority he had 
received, framed laws and infiitutes which were confirmed 
by pope Calixtus II. and divided thereby the inftitution 
into three parts, viz. the knights, the ecclefialtics, and the 
fervants, or ferving brothers, “jreres fervants." Finding, 
in courfe of time, that the revenue of the hofpital, fup- 
ported by voluntary donations and other contributions, 
exceeded greatly the exigencies of the fick and poor pil¬ 
grims, he thought that the furplus could not be better 
.employed than in carrying on a defenfive and offenfive war 
againd the enemies of the Chridian faith. In this view 
he offered his fervices to the king of Jerufalem, who ac¬ 
cepted the generous adidance of the knights. At the 
fame time he regulated the ceremony for indalling the 
knights, which was approved and confirmed in 1130 by 
Vox. XI. No. 796. 
T H O O D. 793 
pope Innocent II. who commanded that their dandard 
fiiould be gules, a full crofs argent. 
The Holy Land had been polfcffed eighty-nine years by 
the Chridians, when Saladin, the fultan of Egypt, took 
poffefiion of Jerulalem. This unfortunate event was nearly 
a death-blow to the order; and the knights were obliged 
to leek dielter in the city of Acre, anciently called Pto- 
lemais, where the Englifli flag has been hoided again in 
our days by the bravery of fir Sidney Smith. New incon¬ 
veniences and perfections forced them out of that place, 
and they went to the ifland of Cyprus, where they re¬ 
mained till the year 1308. Having confiderably aug¬ 
mented their naval drength, they "book the Ifleof Rhodes, 
and made it their place of fettlement; hence they were 
called the Knights of Rhodes. 
The anecdote of the famous ferpent or crocodile killed 
by one of the knights in the ifland of Rhodes is too in- 
terefting to be omitted. It happened under the mafler- 
fliip of Helion de Villeneuve; and we take the deferip- 
tion as we find it in Vertot’s Hiflory of the Order, vol. i. 
p. 150. _ 
“ This crocodile was of a rr.ondrous fize, did a vaft 
deal of mifehief, and had even devoured feveral of the 
inhabitants. The grand mailer, out of a fpirit of indul¬ 
gence for his brethren, had forbidden all the knights, on 
pain of degradation, to offer to fight this furious animal, 
whole haunt was in a cavern feated on the edge of a marlli 
at the foot of Mount St. Stephen, two miles from the city. 
He went often out to feek his prey. He ate Iheep, cows, 
and fometimes horfes, when they came in his way. It 
was faid likewife that he had devoured lome young fliep- 
herds that were keeping their flocks in the neighbouring 
paflures. Several of the bravell knights of the convent at 
different times, and unknown to each other, went lingly 
out of the city to endeavour to kill him, but none of them 
ever came back. It was about the year 1332 ; and, as the 
ufeof fire-arms was not then invented, and the Ikin of this 
monfter was covered with feales which were proof againlfc 
the keenelt arrows and darts, the arms, if we may fo fay, 
were not equal, and the ferpent foon difpatched his affail- 
ants. This was the motive which engaged the grand maf- 
ter to forbid the knights attempting any more an enter- 
prife that feemed above all human llrength. 
At length one knight, of the language of Provence, named 
Dieu-donne de Gozon, in breach of this prohibition, and 
without being daunted at the fate of bis brother compani¬ 
ons, farmed lecretly the defign of fighting this voracious 
beall, refolving to perilh ordeliver the Ille of Rhodes. This 
refolution is generally aferibed to the intrepidity of the 
knight; though others pretend, that he was likewife pufli- 
ed on to it by the Hinging inveeflives with which his cou¬ 
rage had been infulted at Rhodes ; becaufe, having gone 
feveral times out of the city to fight the ferpent, he had 
contented himfelf with taking a view of it at a difiance, 
and had thereby exhibited his prudence rather than his 
valour. 
Whatever were the motives that determined the knight 
to try this adventure, he, to begin the execution of his 
projedfi, went into France, and retired to the caftle of Go¬ 
zon, which is Hill Handing, in the province of Languedoc. 
Having obferved that the ferpent had no feales under the 
belly, he formed the plan of his enterprile upon that ob- 
fervation. He caufed a figure of this monfirous beafi to 
be made in wood or paHeboard, according to the idea lie 
had preferved of it in his mind, and took particular care 
to imitate the colours of it. He afterwards taught two 
young bull-dogs to run when he cried out, and throw 
themlelves under the belly of that terrible creature, and 
tear it with their teeth, whilH himfelf mounted on horfe- 
back, clad in armour, with his lancein his hand, pretend¬ 
ed at the fame time to firike at it in feveral places. The 
dogs were always taken hungry into the field ; and the 
knight was careful to flore the belly of the figure with 
fuch food as they were fond of, which was chiefly raw 
flelh, fo that blood flowed during this fport as in a real 
9 Q combat. 
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