viceroy allowed matters so to drift that, had any other
man than La Valette been in command at Malta, the fall of that island had
been inevitable.

We have seen how Juan d'Omedes had dealt with a previous crisis in the
affairs of the Order; very different was it in the opening months of the
year 1565. La Valette was well served by his spies in Constantinople, and
the Grand Master was under no illusions from the very first as to what the
destination of the army of the Sultan would be. He recognised that against
the small islands of Malta and Gozo all the strength of the mightiest
Empire in the world was about to be directed, and with serene confidence
set about the task of preparation. His first care was to send out "a
general citation" to those Knights living in their own homes in different
countries in Europe, commanding them to repair at once to Malta and take
part in the defence of that Order to which they had vowed to consecrate
their lives. The agents of the Order in Italy succeeded in raising two
thousand infantry, and the Viceroy of Sicily sent over two companies of
Spanish infantry which he had promised. All the galleys of "the Religion"
were called in from distant service and were set to work importing
ammunition, stores, provisions, and all requisites for the withstanding of
a siege. As the galleys passed backwards and forwards to Sicily, in each
returning vessel came noble gentlemen of every country in Europe, in answer
to the summons of their Grand Master. They were received with the tenderest
affection by him and by those others already assembled; never in all its
long and glorious history had the Order assembled in circumstances more
grave; never in its history, either in the past or in the future, did it
quit itself with so supreme a heroism as in those days of 1565 which were
yet to come. In Malta the orderly bustle of preparation went on
ceaselessly; the Italian and Spanish troops and the inhabitants of the
island, for the most part hardy mariners well accustomed to the ceaseless
_guerre de course_ of the Knights, were formed into companies, officered by
the members of the Order, and assigned to different posts.

Meanwhile the Grand Master caused copies of the letters which he had
received from Constantinople to be sent to all the great princes of Europe;
showing them the straits to which the Order was shortly to be reduced and
imploring of them to send timely succour. But it was not upon outside aid
th