HISTORY OF MALTA.

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waves; and when Charles V. was told that some vessels appearedstill to live at sea, he exclaimed, “ They must, indeed, be Maltesegalleys which can outride such a tempest! ” The high opinion hehad formed of this fleet was fully justified ; for the standard of theorder was soon in sight.

The sailors belonging to a very old galley endeavoured tosink it, which the commander opposed with the greatest firmness;and on their representing to him, that the vessel having beenemployed twenty years, the loss would be very trifling, he drew hissword, and told them: “ This galley was entrusted to me by theorder, and the first person who attempts to destroy it shall re-ceive his death from my hands; for I will either save the vessel orperish upon the spot.” The heroism and firmness of the com-mander inspired the crew with courage—every one assisted at thepumps—and their attempts to save the galley were at last crownedwith success. The order had nearly lost another galley by a mis-fortune which could only have been remedied by an act of thegreatest intrepidity. The rudder being carried away, the vesseldrifted with the waves, and w as nearly thrown upon a rock, w hereit infallibly must have gone to pieces, had not two hardy sailors,stripped, and lashed together with ropes, suffered themselves to belowered down; where, without tools, employing their hands alone,they succeeded in shipping a fresh one, winch fortunately had beenprovided in case of such accident.

In this disastrous retreat made by the Christian army, theknights of Malta, though most of them had been wounded in the

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