n
and was hastening with a large fleet to attack the Turks. The letter was a
ruse on the part of the "Receiver," and contained not a particle of truth.
It was, however, quite enough for Sinan, who immediately called a council
of war and imparted this alarming news to its members. The council, after
the invariable fashion of such bodies, decided to take the safest and
easiest course: the name of the terrible Andrea was one of evil omen to the
Ottomans, and, as one man, they voted for prosecuting their voyage to
Tripoli before the Genoese seaman should put in an appearance. In vain was
the fury of Dragut, who had counted on a full revenge on his ancient
enemies the Knights. The armada sailed to the adjacent island of Gozo,
which was thoroughly sacked with every refinement of cruelty. Every house
on the island was burned, and six thousand of its inhabitants carried off
to slavery. One incident is deserving of record. In Gozo dwelt a certain
Sicilian with his wife and two daughters: sooner than that they should fall
into the hands of the Turks this man stabbed his wife and daughters and
then threw himself, sword in hand, into the ranks of his enemies, where he
slew two of them, wounded several others, and was then hacked to pieces.
The fleet then proceeded to Tripoli, which was taken almost without
opposition, as it was defended by a mere handful of the Knights and some
utterly unreliable Calabrian infantry, who had never before seen a shot
fired: these men very soon mutinied and refused to fight any longer. Dragut
became the autocrat of Tripoli, as his great predecessor Kheyr-ed-Din
Barbarossa had been of Algiers: from hence, in the years that were to come
before his death, he carried on his sleepless and unending warfare with his
Christian foes, on whom he was destined to inflict another terrible defeat
when they attacked this stronghold which he had made his own.

Claude de la Sangle dying on August 18th, 1557, Jean Parisot de la Valette
was chosen Grand Master of the Knights of Malta in his stead on August 21st
of the same year. He was, as we have said before, in succession, soldier,
captain, councillor, general, and Grand Cross; he was as wise in council as
he was terrible in battle; he was as much esteemed by his brethren as he
was feared by the infidel. Under his governorship "the Religion" regained
the ancient authority which it had once possessed, especially in some of
the German Provinces and in the Republic of Veni