CHAP. II.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

45

with such sudden swiftness, that the guard had nottime to form, and the corporal being killed imme-diately, his soldiers shamefully fled in a panic outof the work. Then but for the valiant sergeant-major stationed in the covered way, who, with atremendous shout rushed forward, followed by hissuperb corps, and shut up the passage with theirwedged bodies, and defended it with such rareheroism with pikes and muskets, that theystopped the invaders, who were making for theinner drawbridge—but for him and his, St. Elmo’sloss had dated from that day . 1

Attempts the roost desperate to retake the rave-lin were all fruitless. A Pisan knight, Sir FrancisLanfreducci, did wonders; but nothing couldretrieve the lost.

How dreadful to us from Borgo to see thatfamous ravelin crowded with turbans and their ban-ners stuck all along its line of parapets! Whatuse our efforts? In less than an hour the ravelinwas levelled so open, that the Turks could walk intoit carrying logs of wood and fascines to coverthemselves from our musketeers above. The bul-wark of defence has ceased to exist. But can stillbe of offence! And take what it failed to protect!“ Lions of Islam” (roared a dervish, just as they1 Bosio : par. iii., lib. xv. 541.