Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/641

Rh covered among so many ships and galleys taken and consumed by fire and water. About the shore there were seen huge heaps of (lead bodies, and in the bay of a certain little valley there appeared so great a quantity of caresses that it caused horror in the beholders.

“The number of Christian slaves freed on this occasion is near upon five thousand. That of the Venetians’ men killed and wounded doth not amount to three hundered, which makes the victory memorable to all ages.

“The battel lasted from ten o’clock in the morning until night, but the burning of the greatest part of the enemies’ fleet continued for two daies and two nights, on the first whereof the Venetians were forced to maintaine the fight, to subdue some Turkish vessels which stood out upon defence.

“The Venetians having reserved some of the enemies’ skips of all sorts in memory of the suceesse, besides eleven which those of Malta had taken, it was resolved upon by the Venetian commanders to burn the rest, to free themselves from the trouble of sailing with so numerous a fleet, and to keep their owne in readiness for all attempts.

“Three Venetian ships were burnt, two in the fight, and one by some other accident which is not well known, and their fleet received no other damage.

“The onely thing to be deplored in this successe was the losse of the Captain-Generall Marcello, who was killed with a cannon shot, and four men more who were next to him, after that with his own galley he had subdued a potent sultana, and (by the grace of God) seen the Turkish fleet in confusion, dispersed, defeated, and by consequence the great victory secured, and her upon the point of surprising another sultana. His soule hath received her reward in heaven, and his name will live with perpetuall glory in the memory of the world.

“Eleazer Moecenigo, by a new musquet-shot, lost one of his eies as he at first was attempting to prevent the Turks passage, notwithstanding which hee never failed to doe great things the whole time of the conflict.

“The valour, courage, and magnanimity wherewith all the Venetians and Malteses did behave themselves on this occasion may better be understood by the action than by discourse.”