Villaret lost no time in submitting his scheme to both Pope and king, pointing out the many advantages which the acquisition of Rhodes by the Order of St. John would confer upon Europe. Clement, with a very natural ambition that his papacy should be marked by an event so important to Christendom, entered warmly into the scheme. Not content with contributing a large sum of money from his own private resources, he used his utmost influence to obtain for Villaret such assistance, both in men and money, as his papal authority could extract from the various nations which acknowledged his supremacy.
In order to prevent the secret of the enterprise from transpiring, a new Crusade for the recovery of the Holy Land was preached, backed by the promise of plenary indulgence to those who should either join the expedition or contribute funds for its support. To the Grand-Master he gave the right of nomination to the archbishopric of Rhodes, in the event of his success warranting the creation of such a dignity. Large numbers of enthusiasts responded eagerly to the appeal, and flocked to Brundusium, which had been selected as the rendezvous at which they were to embark. Villaret found that he had not means of transport for one-third of those who proposed to accompany him, most of whom were only a disorderly throng, more likely to prove an impediment than an assistance in his projected enterprise. Selecting, therefore, only the flower of this host of volunteers, he embarked them on board the galleys which had been furnished expressly for the expedition as the joint contribution of the king of Sicily and the republic of Genoa.
Villaret was a man of very haughty and reserved character, and not one to submit with impunity to the cross-examination of his subordinates. In his control lay the chief command and direction of the expedition, and the known peculiarities of his disposition aided him materially in preserving within his own breast the secret of its destination. Passing Rhodes at some little distance, so as to avoid awakening the suspicions of its inhabitants, he proceeded to Cyprus, where he embarked such members of the Order as had remained there during his absence in Europe. He thence proceeded in a north-easterly
