Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/130

104 sallying out of the town and attacking the enemy’s camp. He trusted in this manner to obtain a little respite, during which he might in some manner repair the ruin. There is no doubt that this order on his part was the means of saving the lives of Villiers and those knights who accompanied him. At the moment, the service seemed one leading to certain death, and in that way it was regarded by those who nevertheless willingly undertook its performance. Hastily assembling a troop of white cross knights, and pointing out to them that the moment had arrived to sacrifice themselves for their religion, he sallied forth by a side gate, and made a circuit so as if possible to fall upon the flank of the enemy unperceived. Khaled was, however, too wary a general to allow himself to be thus taken by surprise. Villiera found, on arrival at the intended point, that a strong force of cavalry was drawn up to receive him. All efforts to penetrate the serried mass in his front proved unavailing, and eventually he was driven back with the slender relics of his force, and compelled to try and re-enter the town. Meanwhile, the breach of St. Anthony had been carried, Beaujeu had been slain, and the town had fallen into the possession of the enemy.

All was therefore lost, and nothing left but to endeavour to rescue such of his knights as had hitherto escaped the scimitar of the foe from the massacre, which was even now flooding the streets with blood. Retreating warily, he formed a rallying point for all those able to join him, and gradually reached the shore. Here he succeeded in embarking them on board the galleys which were lying at anchor in the roadstead. This was a very difficult operation, and was not carried out without severe loss. The enemy was held in check by the archers who, posted on the vessels’ decks, kept up an incessant discharge of arrows upon the advancing squadrons. Under cover of these missiles the embarkation was at length completed, and thus the sad and slender relics of that proud fraternity, which had during so many years raised the white cross as a barrier impassable to the Moslem, were compelled to abandon the sacred soil of their adoption.

Broken in spirit, and overpowered by an adverse destiny, they now, after two centuries of incessant warfare, found themselves