Uniting the privileges of a religious order with great military power, and always prepared for service by sea and land, it could use its possessions to more advantage than other corporations, and also make conquests on its own account; in addition to which it received rich dona-tions and bequests from the superstition of the age. The principal part of the possessions of the order were in France : most of the knights were also French, and the grand-master was usually of that nation. In 1244, the or-der possessed nine thousand considerable bailiwicks, com-manderies, priories.and preceptories, independent of the jurisdiction of the countries in which they were situated. The order was destroyed in France by Philip the Fair, about the beginning of the fourteenth century.—Encyclo-pedia. NOTE ZZ.—PAGE 144. "Hospitallers."—The Knights of St. John, or Hospitallers of St. John, afterwards called Knights of Rhodes, and final-ly Knights of Malta, were a celebrated order of military religious, established at the commencement of the crusades to the Holy Land. It was the duty of the monks, who were called brothers of St. John or hospitallers, to take care of the poor and sick, and in general, to assist pilgrims. This order obtained important possessions, and maintained itself against the arms of the Turks and Saracens by union and courage. In 1309 the knights established themselves on the island " of Rhodes, where they remained upwards of two hundred years. In 1530, Charles Fifth granted them the island of Malta, on conditions of perpetual war against the infidels and pirates. From this period, they were commonly called Knights of Malta.—Encyclopedia. NOTE AAA.—PAGE 146. " On her way Southward."—Eleanora stayed some time at Blois, the count of which province was Thibaut, elder brother to King Stephen, one of the handsomest and bravest 476 NOTES.