162 THE HISTORY OE THE ORDER OE [book iv.

In 1675 the English Admiral, Narborough, com-1675 maac ^ a § hi s country’s fleet in the Mediterra-nean, frequented the order’s island with hisships a great deal during war with the Tripolitanpirates; and indeed he received all due honours, andextreme civility from Malta. 1 But in the followingyear the plague broke out there,to the grievous misfor-tune of that people, and lasted seven months. 2 INTorindeed did they care much to see the Englishreturn victorious, though they brought them freethe Malta slaves as some acknowledgment for theirkindness to the fleet; because they thought it wasthe English shipping had introduced the contagion,and to boot that in their present woful condition tobring them additional mouths to feed, was highlydistressing. That was not England’s fault however,and Charles II.’s letter was extremely courteous. 3In that mighty plague the knights who died wereonly ten, less than in many of them battles; whichonly shows more palpably that the knights werenever numerous, so never could have been morethan superior officers of the excellent hired troopsthey led, and kept permanently in their pay.

There were then (and shall he often again, which

1 Pozzo: par. ii., 437, 439. — Cod Dipl. Geros., ii.,

Num. ceclix. Appendix, ccxxvii.

2 Pozzo: par. ii. 441. 3 Id. : par. ii. 445.