160 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book IV.

the town; and General Grimaldi, with deep sorrow,exclaimed, u They are the bravest men I have everknown.” What few were still alive of the knightswere miserably disabled, and of their hired soldierythe same. A large portion of each had been killedalready. 1

The fall of Candia appears to have made Cotoner1670 more ^udabiy intent than ever on adding tothe fortifications of Malta. 2 Neither didCandia appear very tenable to the Moslem, from themufti not permitting the erection of mosques(churches) in it, but only of simple (meschites)chapels. 3 And the order surveying its own walls,found them very insufficient, and called Count Mau-ritius Yalperga, of Savoy, the greatest engineer thenin Christendom, to undertake fortifying the Florianaof Yaletta; so four galleys being sent to takehim, he came on the 9th of February, 1670.His drawings were presented to the council, andaccepted on April 2nd, after which he visitedGozzo, and decided on new works to strengthenthose already there. It was no vain flourish, butthe real truth, when a great authority still atthat time called them “ those most distinguished

1 Pozzo: ii. 382.

3 Cod. Dipl. Geros., ii., Num. ccclviii.

3 Villa: 114.