fitted than the majority to take your place in the naval expeditions,
and to fight the Moslem pirates. I will see that you have your share of
these adventures. All young knights are, as you know, obliged to make
three voyages, but beyond that many of them do not care to share in
the rough life at sea, and prefer the bustle, and, I grieve to say,
the gaiety and pleasures of this city. For one, then, really eager
to distinguish himself, the opportunities are frequent. When danger
threatens, or heavy engagements are expected, every knight is desirous
of bearing his part in the fray; but this is not the case when the work
to be done consists of scouring the sea for weeks, without perchance
coming across a single pirate. Of course, as soon as your pageship is
over you will go to the English auberge, but I shall still keep my eye
upon you, and shall do my best to help you to achieve distinction; and
I shall take upon myself the providing of your arms and armour as a
knight."

Accordingly, on the day on which his duties as a page terminated, two
servitors of the auberge of Auvergne brought across to the palace a suit
of fine armour and a sword, a battleaxe, a lance, and a dagger; also
three complete suits of clothes, two of them for ordinary wear, and one
for state occasions. The next day Gervaise took the oaths of the Order
in the Church of St. John. The aged master himself received the vows,
and formally inducted him as a professed knight of the Order, Peter
D'Aubusson and the bailiff of the English langue acting as his sponsors,
vouching that he was of noble blood and in all ways fitted to become
a knight of Justice, this being the official title of the professed
knights of the Order. Ten newly arrived novices were inducted at the
same time, and the ceremony was a stately one, attended by a number of
the knights from each langue, all in full armour.

The ceremony over, Gervaise bore the title of Sir Gervaise Tresham;
but this was an honorary rather than a real title, as the Order did not
profess to bestow the honour of knighthood, and it was usual for its
members to receive the accolade at the hands of secular knights. At the
conclusion of the ceremony, he returned with the bailiff of the English
langue to the auberge, and took up his quarters there. By his frequent
visits he was well known to all the members, and in a day or two felt as
much at home as he had done in the pages' room in the palace. A week was
given to him