CHAP. II.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

6 L

Charles V., to be used instead of gunpowder inbesieging or maintaining a siege—circles of fire—were much in request with the order, who almostalone had the secret. And a most infernal one itwas; but now published by Bosio as quite easy tomake, and much practised against the Turks at thesiege of Malta. Of these two, three, even five wereenveloped in the same fiery circle, the wider, andthe more victims, the better. No escape, but forall to agree instantly, and rush together into thesea. For the rest, the Turkish harquebussiers werefar superior to ours, so that twenty-five of oursentries were shot dead in one morning. Strange;but Toledo seemed to care more for what is notunfitly called the little succour, than for all in Malta.But it was seeming only, for in reality he was astanch friend to it. His precise commands to thecommander of succours were, not to land them ifSt. Elmo was taken, or Citta Yecchia; for in caseof either, neither Borgo nor St. Michael could makeany resistance. But on the 16th of June fourgalleys sailed from Messina to Malta, with eighthundred soldiers and stores. 1 Exactly that day hadthe Turks selected for their first general assault onSt. Elmo. Their galleys and Draguts having comeround from Marsa Sirocco, followed by the whole1 Bosio : par. iii., lib. xxv. 560.