HISTORY OR MALTA.

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prehensions for the future. Intelligence received from the East,announced, that the grand-seignor, incensed at the failure of histroops under the command of his generals, had declared, that hewould place himself at the head of a formidable army, and attackMalta the following spring. Those who reflect on the deplorablesituation of that island when abandoned by the Turks, will easilyconceive it in almost as great danger as during the siege. Addedto the misfortunes already enumerated, the country was nearly de-populated, most of the casals or villages burned, the cisternsdrained, and no money left either to buy provisions or repair theravages occasioned by the siege. But what rendered the case mostdesperate was, that very few soldiers, and still fewer knights, remained:indeed their number was insufficient to defend the island against theattack of the most inconsiderable army.

In this cruel situation, many of the members of the councilwere of opinion that the most prudent measure would be to eva-cuate Malta. But La Valette, elated by the glory he had ob-tained in its defence, declared he would sooner be buried in theruins than consent to abandon it.. In this dreadful dilemma he hadbut one resource left, which indeed nothing but such desperate cir-cumstances could justify, and which many generals would havescrupled to employ. Solyman, he well knew, would never attemptto attack Malta without a most formidable fleet: he thereforecaused the arsenal at Constantinople to be burned to the ground,and thus destroyed a great number of vessels intended for this expe-dition. The person charged with this enterprise remained long in-