HISTORY OT MALTA.

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flight of the infidels; and, during their stay in that place, the prin-cipal chiefs, together with all the knights belonging to that army,proceeded to the Burgh, to pay their compliments to La Valette,who, with the knights and all the inhabitants, gratefully receivedthem as their deliverers from the most imminent danger. The knightsembraced each other with marks of the greatest friendship and ten-derness ; but, when they reflected on the cruel loss they had su-stained in the most illustrious and bravest members of the order ;when they considered the deplorable state of the besieged fortresses,the ruined walls and fortifications—the artillery mostly dismounted—the houses either thrown down or shaken in their foundations—themagazines emptied of powder, provisions, and ammunition—the in-habitants pale and disfigured by fatigue—the knights and the grand-master himself unshaved, dishevelled, their dress dirty and disor-dered ; the greatest part having never taken off their clothes formonths ; many indeed of these brave warriors still appearing withbandages on wounds so honourably obtained ;—when, 1 say, all theseaffecting images presented themselves to their imagination, they re-ciprocally shed tears, and not only wept at the remembrance oftheir misfortunes, but for joy that at last Malta w r as saved. In or-der to commemorate the great actions so lately performed, theBurgh, which had been the principal theatre of the war, was calledCitta Vittoriosa , or the Victorious City, which name it has ever sincepreserved.

The intelligence of the siege of Malta being raised, was quickly