Note 41 — Chapter VIII
Reading edition
Taaffe puts the number at 474 knights and 67 servants-at-arms, giving Bosio as his authority; but it does not appear that Bosio considered his list to be complete. His division according to countries is as follows:
Knights. Servants-at-arms.
Provence 61 15
Auvergne 25 14
France 57 24
Italy 164 5
England 1 0
Germany 13 1
Castile 68 6
Arragon 85 2
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474 67
Prescott says that “the whole force which La Valette could muster in defence of the island amounted to about 9000 men. This included 700 knights, of whom about 600 had already arrived. The remainder were on their way, and joined him at a later period of the siege. Between 3000 and 4000 were Maltese, irregularly trained, but who had already gained some experience of war in their contests with the Barbary coasts. The rest of the army, with the exception of 500 galley-slaves and the personal followers of the knights, was made up of levies from Spain and Italy.” History of the Reign of Philip II., book iv. chap. 3.
These volumes, which have appeared since the present sketch was written, contain a detailed and very animated description of this memorable siege.