The travels of Monsieur de Thevenot into the Levant in three parts, viz. into I. Turkey, II. Persia, III. the East-Indies / newly done out of French.

CHAP. VI. Of the Castles St. Angelo and St. Erme.

AS soon as the King of Spain had given the Island of Malta to the Knights of St. John, Philip de Villiers, l' Isle-Adam, who at that time was Great Master of the Order, came and took possession of it, and lodged in the Castle of St. Angelo, as the rest of the Order did in the Bourg: But Sultan Soliman not sa∣tisfied with the Isle of Rhodes, out of which he had driven that illustrious Order, having a design utterly to extirpate those men, who though but few in number, had put him to so much trouble, and from whom he was still apprehensive of more mischief, sent in the year 1565, a powerful Army to take the Isle of Malta: It arrived there in the month of July, Friar John of Valetta being then great Master, and landed towards Mount Pelegrino. The Turks presently attacked the Castle St. Erme, which wholly defends the Entries into the great Port and Marsamouchet; they raised their Batteries in the place where the Town of Valetta stands, which was not then begun to be built, and battered that Castle so furiously, that having killed all that defended it, they made themselves Masters of the same: Then they turned against the Bourg and the Isle De la Sangle. The Country is defended by the Castle St. Angelo, which stands at the end of it on the side of the Port, upon a ve∣ry high Rock, and difficult to climb up; so that it is almost inaccessible: The Isle De la Sangle is defended by a Bastion on the point of it: They gave several Assaults to both these places, where they landed many thousand Men, but all in vain; for they were still repulsed with great loss. In the mean time, though the Castle St. Angelo did so continually annoy them, that they durst not shew them∣selvs, yet they battered the Isle so furiously, that they ruined the Works, and

resolved to make a general assault, because, being Master of that Isle, they could break the Chain that secured the Port, which was stretched from the Castle St. Angelo to the Spur of the said Isle. The Great Master having notice of their re∣solution, caused Port-holes to be made in the Castle St. Angelo level with the water, without opening them on the outside, yet so contrived and made, that a knock of a Hammer might give them an opening wide enough for his design: He there caused Guns to be planted with all expedition: When it was day, the Turks sent off a great many Boats manned with Soldiers, to give the assault to the Spur of the Isle, and at the same time the Canon of the Castle St. Angelo appearing le∣vel with the water, fired with so good success, that the Boats being sunk, all the Men were drowned: They made afterwards many vain attempts, but finding succours come from Christendom, and despairing of the Enterprise, they drew off. They parted from the Island about the end of September, 1565. ha∣ving for the space of three Months, in vain, employed a vast Army against a hand∣ful of men, but very valiant, as those at present are, who so molest the Turks with seven Galleys only, that they look upon no Enemy to be so formidable; and commonly, how many soever these Infidels be, when they percieve any of the Galleys of Malta, they fail not to run for it, and, asmuch as they can, avoid any Engagement: Since that time the breaches of the Castle St. Angelo have never been repaired, Nature of it self making it strong enough.

Notes

• Castles. St. Angelo. St. Erme. The Great Master Vil∣liers.
• Soliman sent and Besieged Malta.

  La Vallet, Great Ma∣ster.

  Mount Pele∣grino.

  The Siege of Malta.
• The Port of Malta secured by a Chain.
• The Knights of Malta ter∣rible to the Turks.