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CHAP. IV.] ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM. Ill

and it was now in 1566, the 5th of January, as is thedate of the instructions Yaletta gave to his ambas-sador at the Court of Spain: “ That he should askhis majesty for a garrison for Malta, that other-wise the order would be obliged to give it back tohim; of which, if he approve, then to beg him toassign a spot to which we might remove. Tofortify Malta would be absolutely necessary, in casewe are to remain there. The knights are quiteready to spend their lives, and all their worldlymeans, but if the whole be not enough, what morecan they do. Others must do the rest, if done itshould be. And, in returning through France,repeat to its monarch all that you will have said tohim of Spain; and, besides, that if his CatholicMajesty do not, then it will be for all the Christianprinces in Europe to resolve. That, to keep Maltawill require an established force of fifteen or twentythousand men; which the order makes known inthis perplexity and confusion, that if the Moslemfleets come back, it may not be imputed to us, ifthe island be lost. That, with three thousand ofour most excellent hired troops, and our body ofknights, we will undertake to keep and fortify St.Angelo, St. Elmo, andCitta Yecchia, which is morethan can reasonably be expected from so small acommonwealth. That, much above its force, is