326 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book III.

from his declaring he would be contented if hisbanners were set on the hissar, or citadel, which isindeed the upper Smyrna. But the knight com-mandino - there, could of course assent to no suchthing . 1 So, subsequent to various attempts, Tirnourgot on horseback, though it was the very depth ofwinter, and undertook the direction of the siegehimself; he being a great captain, according tothe Arabian Ali, and indeed an incomparable hero—at least equal to Cyrus, Alexander, or Cresar,according to his French biographers ; 2 and afterdivers mines had been ineffectual, a breach waseffected in the ramparts, communication with thesea cut off, and the town taken by storm, and thehissar as well, with a tremendous slaughter of everjihuman creature within its walls—many in the heat,more in cold blood—murdered, man, woman, child.Even razed the place itself, in a considerable degree.That those of the order who were there were slain,is not surprising, though mournful. To theirdevotions at daybreak, and ere noon corpses. Theycaptivated their will to obedience unto the death,doubly their duty, both as soldiers and as knights.Most valiant to the last. They fell for their ownhonour, and the protection of Christendom. A

1 Sob. Paoli: Osservazioni, ii. 539.

2 Sainctyon : Hist, du Grand Tamerlan, ed. 1679.