Sole Survivors

Last week the Knights and Ladies of the famed British Order of St. John of Jerusalem twittered and chattered.

One hundred Knights and Ladies decided to charter a special steam yacht and cruise to the Mediterranean--there to visit the ancient strongholds of the order at Corfu, Cyprus, Rhodes, Malta and of course, Jerusalem. Those in the know excitedly let fall that among the announced female pilgrims are the Countess of Cromer, the Dowager Countess of Airlie, the Countess Haig and Lady Nunburnholme. Stout Knights who promised their escort included the Earl of Scarborough, Viscount Galway, Lord Lamington and Lord Treowen.

Meanwhile numerous crass Britishers blatantly proclaimed their entire ignorance concerning the Order of St. John. Promptly they were informed that it is the sole survivor of the many knightly orders established during the Crusades. A well supported legend ascribes its foundation to Pope Gregory the Great (540-604), who established numerous hospices in the Holy Land. After the capture of Jerusalem in 1099, the Order of St. John the Baptist at that place became the cradle of the numerous orders of St. John of Jerusalem, of which a still surviving offshoot exists in England, Germany, Italy, Silesia.

The chief British branch preserved the tradition of knightly succor to fighting men by maintaining the St. John's Ambulance Association. For the rest, the order is now chiefly honorary. Queen Victoria graciously presented the Knights and Ladies with a royal charter, and Edward VII and George V have served successively as Sovereign Head and Patron of this Victorian revival. In consequence of such royal patronage, British warships will be required to fire an official salute upon the approach of the knightly-cruise ship, which is scheduled to leave for the Mediterranean in March.