chap. I.] ST. JOHN OB' JERUSALEM. 305

was done which human efforts and the’ rarestvalour could do.

A few weeks later the wicked corsair, Dragut,with whom the Turk was not ashamed to be inleague, attacking Malta, and reputed a van of thewhole Paynim army, on which supposition all thefortifications of Borgo were partitioned out betweenthe several Languages, with great care, Sir NicholasUpton was elected Turcopolier, with the commandof all the Christian cavalry, heavy as well as light;and the English property being alb gone, it is clearit was only his character for signal ability andbravery that merited him that post. And soeffectual was his energy, that with a very smallforce he won a complete victory over the somewhatnumerous Mahometan horse; but Upton expiredthat very evening, of his fatigues, and he who hadbeen Russell’s, and afterwards his successor’s lieu-tenant, now represented a vacancy. For Uptonwas last of the Turcopoliers, and died as becamehis illustrious rank, just after having gloriouslyand successfully done his duty; for intimidated byhis loss, Dragut hastened to re-embark the remainderof his troops, and sailed off. Sir Oswald Massing-bert soon left his insignificancy for what seemedhigher rank, but was quite as nominal, and much

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