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debated among themselves what should be done. Opinions were divided. One of them stoutly insisted that " they onght to die with their arms in their hands, to make one great sally by night, to fall on the Turks linawares and, dying, to avenge their own death by the blood of the foe. Death in any ease, so slippery was the enemy's faith, would be equally certain, but not equally glorious. No argument would persuade him that the Turks would keep the faith they plighted. To some understanding they were driven by need, not by their will. Yet it might befall that in making one they might in a measure tarnish or impair the fame and glory won by such heroic toil." On the other side there were those who said that it was unbefitting officers who had been appointed to guard the city, and to govern its inhabitants for their safety and welfare, to show themselves more ruthless than their very enemies. It was perfectly clear that the Turkish commanders were moved at this juncture to propose a truce solely by a desire to save tlie city from rapine, and the citizens from slaughter, fearing that if they took it by violence, they would be impotent to restrain the fury of their troops. Again, it was the duty of brave men not to allow themselves to be forced to acts of cowardice, or failure of duty, by the fear of death ; but to wish uselessly to throw away their lives was to show mad obstinacy rather than true valour. What they had done in the defence of the fortress was so notable, so plain, that none but those who envied them would dare to reflect on their courage. Where glory is greatest, its spur is most sharply felt: but virtue has this privilege, to be its own reward. The soldiers had satisfied every call of duty, for up to the very last they had preserved to their Prince his stronghold. Now what could their chiefs do more for them than to save for other emergencies men, every one of whom his suffering and experience had made a brave and capable leader. They must not in this case fear so much for the observance of the truce, for they had often seen, in the capture of Rhodes, and in varions engagements in Hungary, that the Turks, barbarians though they were, were used to honour even in their enemies valour in war. These arguments prevailed at last, and after long debate it was resolved to capitulate upon honourable conditions. On the first of Angnst, after much parleying, in which an Italian standard-bearer, a prisoner in the Tnrkish camp, was the intermediary, it was decided that, after we had first sent our hostages, two leading officers from the camp should enter the city to treat about the details of the truce, and of the surrender. Meanwhile hostilities were to be suspended on both sides. Sundry white flags were hoisted both within and without the city in sign of truce, and on the following day two Kiaya (a kind of master of the house-hold among the Turks), the one of Mnstafa Pasha, the other of the Agha of the Janissaries, entered the city on horseback, and with them six Janissaries only on foot, all splendidly armed and clothed. Freni onr side there went out. Ercole Martinengo, and Matteo Colti, a citizen of Famagnsta, attended by foni* soldiers. Immediately outside the city they were met by a son of Mustafa, with a large escort of soldiers mounted and on foot, who conducted them into his father's presence. Mustafa Pasha welcomed them with ceremonious speeches, presented -to them two robes of gold brocade, and sent them to lodge in the pavilion of the Agha of the Janissaries. Bnt it is worthy of remark that these men, who had borne so many hardships, and despaired, as it were, of safety, and who should now have been consoled by seeing the end of so gieat troubles, showed in their looks and words only the deepest sadness, as though their minds pictured to them calamities yet to come. The officers who came to discuss the conditions showed themselves most readj' to concede all our proposals. These were, shortly, that the soldiers shonld be transported safely on Tnrkish vessels to the island of Candia, with permission tu carry with them their arms, and 116 EXCERPTA CYPRIA.

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