Page 350 - A Knight of the White Cross

two pretended deserters, believing that Filelfo, who had also fallen under
the displeasure of the grand master, would be ready to join in the

conspiracy against his life, approached him. Filelfo, who was greatly
attached to D'Aubusson, saw by their manner that they wished to engage

him in some intrigue, and, feigning great resentment and anger at his
disgrace, led them on until they divulged the entire plot for D'Aubusson's
assassination, and made brilliant offers to him if he would afford them

facilities for carrying it out, producing, in proof of their power to do so, a
letter of the pasha, authorising them to make such promises in his name.

Filelfo at once divulged the whole plot to D'Aubusson. The two men were
immediately arrested, tried by the council, and sentenced to death. They

were not, however, formally executed, for the populace, obtaining news of
their treachery, broke in upon their guards, and tore them to pieces. Foiled

in his attempt on the life of the grand master, the pasha prepared for a
renewal of the attack, and it was not long before the knights on the lookout
at the church of St. John perceived that the fort of St. Nicholas was again to

be the scene of the attack. It was ere long discovered that a large number of
men were busy some distance along the shore in building a long structure,

that could only be intended for a floating bridge. Among the sailors who
had aided in the attack with the fire ships were several men belonging to an
English trader in the port. All who had done so had been handsomely

rewarded for their conduct, and five of the Englishmen had afterwards gone
to the English auberge and had asked to be enrolled for service against the

Turks, as they were weary of remaining on board in idleness when there
was work to be done. Their offer had been accepted, and they had, in
common with all the sailors in the port, laboured at the construction of the

inner wall. When that was completed, Sir John Boswell, under whose
special charge they had been placed, said to Gervaise, "I think that I cannot

do better than send these men down to St. Nicholas. It is probable that now
the Turks see that they can do nothing at the new breach, they may try
again there. Sailors are accustomed to night watches, and there are many of

our knights who are not used to such work, and can be better trusted to
defend a breach than to keep a vigilant watch at night. Will you take these

men down to Caretto, and tell him that he can sleep soundly if he has a
couple of them on watch? One of them, Roger Jervis, who is the mate of