of the high official positions in the Order, it was only kept in
check by the other langues acting together to demand their fair
share of dignities. The grand master's authority was considerable,
but it was checked by the council, which was composed of the
bailiffs and knights of the highest order, known as Grand Crosses.
Each langue had its bailiff elected by itself: these resided
constantly at Rhodes. Each of these bailiffs held a high office;
thus the Bailiff of Provence was always the grand commander of the
Order. He controlled the expenditure, superintended the stores,
and was governor of the arsenal. The Bailiff of Auvergne was the
commander-in-chief of all the forces, army and navy. The Bailiff
of France was the grand hospitaller, with the supreme direction of
the hospitals and infirmaries of the Order, a hospital in those
days signifying a guest house. The Bailiff of Italy was the grand
admiral, and the Bailiff of England was chief of the light cavalry.
Thus the difficulties and jealousies that would have arisen at
every vacancy were avoided.

In the early days of the Order, when Jerusalem was in the hands of
the Christians, the care of the hospitals was its chief and most
important function. Innumerable pilgrims visited Jerusalem, and
these were entertained at the immense guest house of the Order.
But with the loss of Jerusalem and the expulsion of the Christians
from Palestine, that function had become of very secondary importance
although there was still a guest house and infirmary at Rhodes,
where strangers and the sick were carefully attended by the knights.
No longer did these ride out to battle on their war horses. It was
on the sea that the foe was to be met, and the knights were now
sailors rather than soldiers. They dwelt at the houses of their
respective langues; here they ate at a common table, which was