4

HISTORY OF MALTA.

the Ottoman general himself, more than eighty thousand Turks hadbeen killed by the knights, and as many more had perished fromsickness.

Four thousand Janissaries entered the city, to take possessionof it; and many of their comrades, under pretence of visiting them,pillaged it, profaned the churches, even ransacked the monumentsof the grand-masters, and entered into the hospitals, and carried off’the silver plate belonging to them. When Solyman was madeacquainted with the disorders which had been committed, he wasjustly irritated, and immediately sent word to the aga of theJanissaries, that, were they continued, his head should be the for-feit. From that moment all depredations ceased, and there existedno longer any cause of complaint. It is but justice to say, that thetroops belonging to a nation of all others the most adverse to thefine arts; which had destroyed so many celebrated monuments ofantiquity; and whose generals, from a principle of religion, likewisedestroyed the famous library of Alexandria;—these very troops, Isay, would have thought it sullying the splendor of their victory,had they possessed themselves of the arms and escutcheons of theknights, which they permitted to remain entire and uninjured, andwhich all travellers have ever since contemplated with respect andveneration.

Sultan Solyman* being desirous of visiting himself his newconquests, and showing proper respect to the vanquished, went to

* December 25, 1522.