Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/469

Rh however, an immense advantage to the besiegers, and though the success was purchased at the cost of 2,000 men, Mustapha had cause for congratulation. The loss of the garrison did not exceed 100 men, but of these twenty were knights, whose scanty numbers could ill afford such a diminution. A touching incident is recorded in connection with this day’s struggle. A French knight being mortally wounded, one of the brethren turned to assist him in leaving the spot, but the dying man refused the proffered aid, saying that he was no longer to be counted amongst the living, and crawled unaided away. At the close of the fight his body was discovered in front of the chapel of St. Elmo, whither he had dragged himself to breathe his last before the altar of the Virgin.

As soon as the darkness permitted, La Valette sent boats from the Bourg to remove the wounded and to replace them by a second reinforcement, commanded by a knight named Miranda, who had recently arrived from Sicily. On one of the first days of the siege, whilst the batteries and trenches were being constructed, the Turkish admiral, Piali, had been struck by a splinter of rock. The wound was severe enough to spread consternation, and La Valette took advantage of the confusion to despatch an envoy to Sicily, urging the viceroy to forward instant succour. The messenger returned with a pledge from Don Garcia that he would arrive in Malta by the middle of June if La Valette would send him the fleet of galleys then cooped up in compulsory idleness in the port. It was in company with the bearer of this message that Miranda arrived at Malta. He instantly volunteered his services to join the defenders of St. Elmo. As he had already achieved a high reputation for military genius and courage, La Valette gladly acceded to a request which added to the occupants of that post so experienced a soldier.

The Grand-Master was grievously disappointed at the condition with which the viceroy had hampered his proffer of aid. To despatch the galleys thus demanded he would be obliged to man them with their crews, whose services within the fortress were urgently required. Moreover, although the bulk of these men had been released from slavery on condition of faithful service during the siege, it would have been dangerous to trust them on