After the conquest of Rhodes by Soliman II., its knights retired to
the island of Malta, which asylum was granted to them by the emperor
Charles V. In the hands of this military order, Malta soon became the
strong bulwark of Christendom. The Mahometans were deeply interested in
taking this island, but more particularly in subduing its defenders.
Dragut laid siege to it in 1565, with an army of more than thirty
thousand men. Several assaults were given, which the knights sustained
with their usual bravery, and the Ottoman general met with his death.
Mustapha Pacha, who succeeded him, attacked Fort St. Elmo, the smallest
of the city, with great impetuosity. One of the knights, Abel de
Bridiers de la Gardampe, received a shot which struck him to the
earth. He said to some of his comrades, who offered to carry him to a
place of safety to have his wound dressed, “Do not consider me among
the living; your cares will be much better bestowed in defending our
brethren.” He then dragged himself as far as the chapel, and having
recommended himself to God, expired at the foot of the altar. The
knights who defended St. Elmo having made an heroic defence, proposed
to abandon it, and were more intent on that purpose than pleased the
governor De la Valette. Such a determination damaged all his plans,
and he, somewhat ostentatiously, made some fresh levies to take the
place of those who thought of abandoning their post. The enthusiasm
became general, and all the Maltese were desirous of enrolling
themselves. The knights in the fort were much chagrined at this; the
embarrassment of their situation was increased by a letter from De la
Valette, who wrote to them with much sternness and hauteur, that he
willingly gave them their dismissal; that for one knight who appeared
discouraged by the greatness of the danger, ten intrepid soldiers
presented themselves, who earnestly asked to brave it; and that he was
about to send this fresh garrison to take their post. “_Return to the
convent, my brethren_,” added he, “_you will be more in safety there;
and, on our part, we shall be more at ease concerning the preservation
of an important place, upon which depends the salvation of the isle
and of our whole order._” The knights felt very sensibly the contempt
with which they were treated. They could not conceal from themselves
that by giving up the place to recruits they should be covered with
shame. “How,” said they to each other, “shall we support the sight
of the grand master, and the reproaches of our brethren, if the new
garrison should be fortunate enough to maintain itself in its post?
What spot on the earth could we then find to conceal our shame and
our grief?” The natural result of this reflection was to meet death
rather than be replaced by this militia, or to abandon the fort to
the Turks. Although the grand master foresaw, and even prepared for
this repentance, he at first would not be softened by it. The knights,
terrified at seeing their supplications rejected, asked pardon in the
most submissive terms, and caused their prayers to be seconded by
worthy men in full possession of his confidence. He at last affected
to be appeased, and consented that these brave knights should perish
on the breach. It is probable that to the address of De la Valette on
this occasion the preservation of Malta was due. This fort held out so
long, that the pacha could not refrain from saying, as he entered it,
“What will the father do, if the son, who is so small, has cost us so
many brave soldiers?” From that time he saw that the conquest of Malta
was impossible, and turned his thoughts to retreating with credit. To
intimidate the knights, he hung the bodies of all of the order whom
he found among the dead, and more particularly those who had a faint
breath of life left. He ordered them to be opened, their hearts to
be taken out, their bodies to be cut into quarters, to be clothed in
their _soubrevestes_, and, after being fastened to planks, to be cast
into the sea. These mutilated bodies were carried into the city by
the waves. The grand master, Jean de la Valette, could not restrain
his tears. Animated by a just but useless indignation, he employed
reprisals, and cut the throats of all his Turkish prisoners, commanding
their bloody heads to be thrown into the camp of their compatriots. The
preservation of Malta covered the knights with glory.