86 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book IV.

sure earnest of what would happen; and thereforeit was that the grand master wrote to express hisgratitude to Toledo, in a letter dated July 8th,adding, that he feared it would be impossible forany other little succour to enter Borgo, so closelyhad the enemy blockaded it now; but that withtwelve thousand he might easily beat the Turkscompletely, and perhaps the half would suffice, sobroken are they and divided; but that he wasvery eager for a victorious exit as quickly as pos-sible, from fearing want of water, with such aquantity of helpless people pent up in no vasttown.

Andrea Doria at length coming to Sicily withhis squadron, and the Duke of Savoy’s admiralwith his galleys, and those from the Duke of Flo-rence and Piombino, who had received at Terra-cina, and landed at Messina, six hundred soldiersfrom the Pope, as a temporary succour, underColonna, that the grand master might be able tohold out until the arrival of the effectual one,united ardently, requesting to be forwarded toMalta; Doria subjoining that at all events he him-self would go. Toledo at first assented, but after-wards considering he should want Doria for thegreat succour, resolved to transmit immediately,not him, but those of the Papacy, and the adven-