Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/392

362 midday the number of the dead had become so great that it was necessary to suspend the attack, the corpses of the Mussulmans were so numerous that they were huddled into trenches without counting them, but God certainly kept a pitying record of the number of the faithful whom He that day received into Paradise.” And again, on another occasion—”In obedience to the orders given, the victorious of Islam rushed to the assault full of ardour; the fight was bloody; the dead of the Mussulman army fell like rams destined to the sacrifice, under the terrible fire of the enemy’s guns; the number of the victims was untold; still the fortress resisted the heroic efforts which were made against the infidels, so that exhausted at length the victorious of Islam were compelled to retire.” Once more—” The division of Mustapha pasha having completed a mine, fired it; the damage done was considerable; all the infidels who defended this post were hurled up into the third heaven, and their souls were plunged into hell; a large piece of wall having fallen, the road was open for the victorious, they threw themselves into the ditches, strove bravely to mount the breach, and fought like heroes; vain effort; they were compelled to retire, leaving the ditch choked with the dead, and inundated with their generous blood.”

It was thus that on the 13th, the 17th, and the 24th of September the most furious attempts were made to carry the town. Upon the 13th the attack was on the Italian quarter; on the 17th the English bastion of St. Mary withstood the violence of the assault, the Turcopolier, John Buck, falling gloriously at the head of his langue. Upon the 24th, in accordance with the proposals of Pir Mehmed, the attack was made simultaneously on all sides. Even this gigantic effort of superior numbers failed utterly in its purpose. Although several temporary advantages enabled the besiegers to gain a footing upon the rampant and to plant their standard on its summit, still the success was in every instance but momentary, and the impetuous onset of the defenders ended by restoring the fortunes of the day. In order to encourage his troops by his own immediate presence, the sultan had caused a scaffold to be erected, from the height of which he might witness the assault, he had fired his soldiery with the prospect of booty, having given