CHAP. V.J

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

159

post of Malta at St. Andrew’s Gate, and had thegrief to see that valiant corps reduced to few indeed ;corps which he too held dear above all other soldiers,and also because he knew they were in such highrepute above all other armies in the world, thattheir name alone was a defence; on this account hecalled them away into the middle of the city, to hesent anywhere in the most desperate case.

The captain general, since all was in vain, andthat the Turks had penetrated into the city (whichwould have been the case days before, butfor the incre-dible valour of that heroic hand of Malta), had a minefired which blew up St. Andrew’s Gate, and theredoubt beside it, with terrible carnage of the midti-tude of infidels, who had taken possession of it,which drove the enemy back for some moments; northough them officers kept menacing them with theirscimitars, was it possible to make their soldieryadvance a step. The city, with the whole island ofCanclia, was at the mercy of the foe, who for aninstant might stop, but was already within theirwalls, and no defence remained. It was now the29 th of August, when the residue of the order ofMalta had the summons from their supreme com-mander to embark; who gave what they had still ofbiscuit and other food, to the friar, who undertookto divide it between the famishing poor creatures of