Five galleys of the order sailed for Sicily carrying the troops of Lombardy… The only troops left in Malta were the Florentines. Not half of them returned home because they died of hardship. It must be understood that the troops of Florence and Urbino are so described because they were recruited in those territories but they were paid by His Catholic Majesty Don Philip, King of Spain and were enrolled under the flag.
On the twelfth, after the Turks had departed the principals of the relief force went to the Birgu to see the effects of the bombardment, and so battered were the defences that the oldest and most experienced of them were astonished.
I do not believe that this music ever sounded so sweet to human ears as the peal of our bells did to ours on the eigth of September – the day of the Nativity of Our Lady. For the last three months they had only been struck to give the alarm signal but now the Grand Master ordered them to be rung at the hour when the reveille was usually sounded. During the morning they rang for the pontifical high mass at San Lorenzo which was celebrated with great solemnity in thanksgiving to Our Lord God and to His Holy Mother, for the mercy they had shown us.
