CHAP. II.] ST. JOHN OP JERUSALEM. off)

proposed attacking “ Gozo first, and Citta Vecchia,which should not be left in the enemy’s hands, todisturb our rear, but either quite our own or utterlydestroyed.” Yet he finally assented to what theAga of the Janissaries argued for, and nearly allthe other officers. “ St. Elmo, not for any otherreason,” exclaimed Dragut, “ than that it becomesthe reputation of the Turkish army not to retireever from Avhat it has once begun! ” And recon-noitring St Elmo, he assured Mustapha that, tosave time, he ought to take the ravelin, at whatcost soever of his bravest troops.

Various gallant actions daily fought by our ca-valry proved the wicked policy of the corsair’s pro-posal. Not an hour of idleness did those who heldthe country about Citta Vecchia indulge in cer-tainty; and among them some Maltese of conspi-cuous valour.

Nor did the Turks not exert themselves to finishtheir general battery, and proceed to assail St.Elmo. Thus (as they had brought from Constanti-nople the pieces of timber all prepared to be joinedtogether and formed on the spot) that immensemachinery was erected early before sunrise on thelast of May; after labouring on it for fourteen days,from their landing at Marsa Sirocco. Placid wasthe weather and quiet the waves that morning,