was not in danger of falling. But La Valette received them and entertained them hospitably.

The Viceroy of Sicily shortly after visited the island, and was beyond measure astonished, seeing the utterly ruined condition of the defences, that the place had held out as it had. He re-named the town Vittoriosa, "The Victorious," a title which still belongs to it.

When the danger was over, the crowned heads of Europe, who had sent La Valette no aid in the time of his dire necessity, lavished praises and presents upon him. For these he cared little; but, fearing that the Turks would return to avenge their losses and defeat, he begged for aid to rebuild his fortifications, and prepare for future attacks.

This appeal was not unsuccessful, and aid in men and money came in liberally.

La Valette, profiting by the experience the siege had given him, determined to transfer his capital to a more secure position. He selected the high ground of Mount Sceberras which commanded both harbours, and there erected the convent and other buildings, surrounding all with very strong walls and other defences.

The first stone was laid with great ceremony and state on March 28, 1566, and the new city was called in honour of its founder, Valetta, though La Valette himself selected the name or title of Umillima, "most humble."

St. Elmo was not forgotten. The castle was enlarged and much strengthened, and batteries were erected upon the peninsula and adjoining rocks.

So eager was La Valette to get these works finished, which he considered the key of the whole island, that he spent his time entirely among the workpeople, even taking his meals on the spot, in the midst of carpenters and masons, and receiving ambassadors and deputations, for two whole years.

He was, however, so short of money to meet these costly undertakings, that he was obliged to coin brass tokens of nominal value with which to pay the workmen. These pieces bore on one side the arms of the Order, and on the other the legend, non æs sed fides. As funds came in, these tokens were honourably exchanged for their full value.

A fruitful source of revenue was derived from the navy of the knights. Their ships, well armed and manned, and navigated with all the skill of the period, constantly made attacks upon the vessels and territories of the Turks and Moors, and almost always with success, returning home laden with

treasure.

Solyman died soon after the return of his fleet from the disastrous expedition against Malta. A fire, which destroyed the dockyard and ships at Constantinople, put it out of the power of the Turks to make another attack by sea, and they devoted their attention to a campaign against Hungary.

La Valette died in 1568. With his death the more striking incidents in the history of the Order end. But for more than two centuries it maintained its independence, and continued to follow its traditional rule, of making war on the enemies of

the Christian faith, "and while empires rose and crumbled around them, this little brotherhood of warlike monks, after a lapse of more than seven centuries from its foundation, still maintained a separate and independent existence."

CHAPTER XIX.

Battle of Lepanto-Capture of Cyprus-Atrocities committed by
the Turks-The Order in dispute with the Pope and the Venetians
-Plans of the Sultan against Malta-List of the officers of the
Order in 1631-Census of Malta-Charles II. of England and the
Order-Naval operations-Malta again attacked by the Turks
-The earthquake at Messina.

"He razèd towns, and threw down towers and all;
Cities he sacked, and realms that whilom flowered
In honour, glory, and rule above the rest,

He overwhelmed, and all their fame devoured,
Consumed, destroyed, wasted, and never ceased
Till he their wealth, their name, and all oppressed."
SACKVILLE.

IN 1571 the decisive battle of Lepanto was fought, in which the ships of the Order took part.

This battle has been deservedly reckoned as one of the “decisive battles " of the world's history. It put a final check upon the advance of the Turkish. power in Europe, and was a turning point in the history of that power, which from that time has been steadily losing strength, and falling into decrepitude. So much so, that those who merely know it from its present condition, and who do not read

its history, are unable to judge of the debt that it owes to Europe through the dreadful injuries done to Christianity, to liberty, civilization, and progress for centuries, by the depredations of its armies, and the ruinous policy of its government.

The awful cruelties perpetrated by the Turks on the capture of Cyprus (1570-71) stirred up all Europe, except England, to prevent the onward progress of the Moslem superstition.

The Turkish general, Mustapha, after long resistance, having gained possession of Cyprus, which was then held by the Venetians, notwithstanding his solemn promise that no one should be injured, first massacred every one of the garrison in cold blood, after they had laid down their arms, and then gave up the whole island to unrestrained pillage. The old men and women and a multitude of children were gathered into one of the public squares and burnt alive. "Women threw themselves from the house-tops to escape from their pursuers; mothers. slew their daughters rather than that they should fall into the power of the brutal foe. More than twenty thousand human beings were slaughtered on the day of the assault."

The whole history of Turkish conquests is marked by scenes such as this. To put a stop to these atrocities a league was formed, and a large fleet equipped, including galleys from Malta. The Turkish navy was met at Lepanto, and, after an obstinate and bloody battle, a decisive victory was obtained by the allies. The enemy lost most of his

thousand officers Twenty thousand

ships, and thirty thousand men. The commander was killed, his two sons, and five and men were taken prisoners. Christians, who had been made prisoners, and compelled to row the galleys of their enemies, were happily released, and Europe rejoiced to find herself freed from a deadly enemy.

For centuries the Grand Masters of the Order of St. John had urged the European sovereigns to lay aside their party quarrels, and unite in opposing the common foe of their religion and civilization, but in vain. The battle of Lepanto was a tardy proof of the wisdom of their advice, and of its practicability.

In the same year, 1571, the new city of Valetta was finished, and the Order took up its residence in it with much pomp and ceremony.

In 1574 the Sultan Selim II. threatened another siege of Malta, but finding it so strongly fortified, gave up the idea, and sent his fleet against Tunis.

The records of the Order chronicle a variety of disputes with the Pope, with the Venetians, with France, and other powers, but nothing of historical interest seems to have transpired for some years.

The Sultan appears never to have altogether abandoned the idea of capturing Malta, seeing in it the key to European conquest.

On one occasion the Sultan, while conversing with an ambassador from one of the European powers, who was a Knight of Malta, showed him a plan of the fortifications, and asked him if it were correct;