be in effect," faid he, " to deliver the whole island into the hands of the infidels, Fort St. Michael, which has been fo gallantly defended, and which is preferved by its communication with the town, would thus be foon reduced to the neceffity of furrendering. There is no room in the caftle of St. Angelo for the inhabitants and troops, nor, if there were room, is there water in that fort for fo great a number." It was then propofed that at least the relics of the faints and the ornaments of the churches fhould be carried into the caftle; and the knights earnestly intreated the grand-mafter to retire into it himself, affuring him that they would conduct the defence with the utmost vigour and vigilance. "No, my brethren," he replied, "what you propofe as to the facred things would ferve only to intimidate the foldiers. We muft conceal our apprehenfions. It is here we muft either die or conquer. And is it poffible that I, at the age of feventy-one, can end my life fo honourably, as in fighting, to gether with my friends and brethren, against the implacable enemies of our holy faith?" He then told them what he thought proper to be done, and proceeded inflantly to put it into execution. Having called all the foldiers from fort St. Angelo, except a few who were neceflary for managing the artillery, he employed them and the inhabitants all night, in throwing up intrenchments within the breach; after which he fent out fome of the braveft knights, with a felect body of troops, to make an attempt on the cavalier. Thefe men ftole foftly along the foot of the wall till they arrived at the

place appointed; when they fet up a loud fhout, and attacked the guards whom Piali had left there with fo much fury, that the Turks, believing the whole garrifon had fallen upon them, abandoned their poft, and fled precipitately to their camp.

"The cavalier was immediately fortified, a battery of cannon planted on it, and a parapet raifed on the fide towards the enemy. And thus the breach was rendered impracticable; the town put in greater fecurity than before; and a work, which had been devifed for its deftruction, converted into a bulwark for its defence.

"The grand mafter had now greater confidence than ever of being able to hold out till the Spaniards fhould come to his relief. In confequence of the affurances given by Philip and the Sicilian viceroy, he had, long before this time, entertained the hopes of their arrival; and had often earneftly folicited the viceroy to haften his departure from Meffina. The conduct of this nobleman was long exceedingly myfterious. The patience of the knights was worn out by his delays; and they, and many others, fufpected that the real motive of his conduct was the dread of encountering with an admiral of fo confiderable reputation as Piali. But it afterwards appeared that the viceroy had acted agreeably to his inftructions from the court of Spain. For although Philip was, for the reafons above mentioned, fincerely interefted in the prefervation of the knights; and had amufed them with the moft flattering promifes of affiftance, yet he feems from the firft to have

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refolved not to expofe himself to danger on that account, and to avoid, if poffible, a general engagement.

"A generous and grateful prince would have acted very differently towards an ally fo deferving of his fupport; and if either generofity or gratitude had been the leading principle of Philip's conduct, it is probable he would, on this occafion, have regarded the knights as his own fubjects; and have thought it no lefs incumbent on him to exert himself in their defence, than if they had acknowledged him as their fovereign.

"But Philip was affected by their danger only fo far as it threatened the tranquillity of his own dominions. He had refolved to interpofe in their behalf, rather than to fuffer them to be overpowered; but he appears to have been very little touched with their calamities; and to have intended to leave them to themfelves, as long as there was any profpect of their being able to make refiftance; by doing which he confidered, that he would not only preferve his own ftrength entire, but might af terwards engage with the Turks, when they were exhaufted by the operations of the fiege.

Philip adhered inflexibly to this plan, notwithstanding the grand-mafter's repeated importunities, much longer than was confiftent with his own felfish views. For, without a degree of fortitude and prowefs on the part of the garrifon, and a degree of wisdom, vigilance, and magnanimity, on that of the grand-mafter, infinitely higher than there could be reafon to expect, it must have been imVOL. XIX. 1776.

poffible for fuch a handful of men to have withstood, for fo long a time, fo great a force, and fuch mighty efforts as were employed to reduce them. Even the death of the grand-mafter alone, whofe perfon was expofed to perpetual danger, would have proved fatal to the knights, long before Philip fent orders to his viceroy to give them any effectual fupport; and in this cafe, as his own dominions or his fleet would have been immediately attacked, he would probably have had little reason to be fatisfied with the timid, ungeneroes counfels which he pursued.

"Whatever judgment may be formed on this head, the viceroy did not think himself at liberty to yield to the repeated applications of the grand-mafter, till the operations of the fiege began to relax, and the Turkish forces were reduced from forty-five thousand to fifteen or fixteen thoufand; of whom many were worn out with the fatigues which they had undergone, and others rendered unfit for action by a bloody flux, which for feveral weeks had raged amongst them.

"In this fituation of affairs, when it was probable that the knights would, without affiftance, have compelled the Turks to raise the fiege, the viceroy let the grandmafter know that he had now received fuch inftructions from the king, as put it in his power to fhew his attachment to the order; that he was not indeed permitted to attack the Turkish fleet; but that he would immediately bring him a ftrong body of troops whofe commanders (as he himself mult return to Sicily) were to be entirely

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fubje&

to employ threats with fome, and force with others. At length the number intended was put on fhore, and Mustapha fet out at their head in search of the enemy.

"The grand-mafter had not neglected to give early notice of their march to the Spanish commanders, who had intrenched their little army on a steep hill, which the Turks would have found almoft inacceffible; and it was the opinion of fome of the principal officers, that they should avail themfelves of the advantage of their fituation, and stand on their defence. But this propofal was rejected with difdain by the bold adventurous De Sandé, and the greatest part of the Spanish officers; and the troops were led out of their encampment, to meet the enemy in the open field. This conduct, more fortunate perhaps than prudent, contributed to increase the dejection of the Turkish foldiers, and to facilitate their defeat. Having been dragged against their inclination to the field of battle; and being attacked by the Spaniards with great fury, both in front and flank, they fcarcely fought; but, being ftruck with a fudden panic, they fled with the utmoft precipitation.

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Muftapha, confounded and enraged by this pufillanimous behaviour of his troops, was hurried along by the violent tide of the

fugitives. He fell twice from his horse, and would have been taken prifoner, if his officers had not refcued him. The Spaniards purfued brifkly till they came to the fea-fhore. There Piali had his boats ready to receive the Turks, and a number of shallops filled with musketeers drawn up to favour their efcape. Without this precaution, they muft all have perifhed; and even notwithstanding the protection which it afforded them, the number of their killed amounted to two thousand men, while the victors loft only thirteen or fourteen at most.

"Such, after four months continuance, was the conclufion of the fiege of Malta, which will be for ever memorable on account of that extraordinary difplay of the moft generous and heroic valour by which the knights, fo few in number, were enabled to baffle the moft vigorous efforts which could be made to fubdue them by the maft powerful monarch in the world. The news of their deliverance gave univerfal joy to the christian powers; and the name of the grand-mafter excited every where the highest admiration and applaufe. Congratulations were fent him from every quarter; and in many ftates public rejoicings were celebrated on account of his fuccefs."

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