CERTAIN AND true good news, from the siege ●f the Isle Malta, with the goodly victory, which the Christenmen, by the favour of God, have there latlye obtained, against the Turks, before the forteres of saint Elmo.  
Translat out of French in to English.   printer's or publisher's device 
And nuli prented in Gaunt, the 27. of August.  
M. ccccc. Lxv.   

The copy of a letter written, by the right honoroble lord, brother iohn valet, great master and Commander of the Rhodes, now Malta, to the right noble & worthke capitain, done Garcia of Toledo captain general to the king of spain. Containing the late news last come from Malta, with the horrible & pitiful assaults made by the Turks upon the said fortressis, and the fair victori, who the Christians had before saint Elmo, the xv. & xuj. day of june last passed.  
sins I sent unto your honour the vertuus knight savage, I wrat twice, & sent the letters to Gozzo, God grant they may surely pass, and afterward we sent fourth alight boot with owers, called a fregat, who making all diligence to go & con, were brought to such necesiti, being about two leagues out in the sea, that they were fain to take flight to save themself, for asmuch as they were chased by thenemies, & they cast their letters in to the sea, & so returning recovered again the land of Malta, by the grace of God. After the siege of Marzo Sirocco was removed, & I forcing to be right necessari to advertise your honour, that the haven is not year so near enclosed with thenemy, I caused to be brought from the land a brigantin, or small ship, to Marzo scala, because the siege of our enemies lieth on the other side, I hoop the same shall come without any stop (which God grant) and that to advertise your honour that the xu day of june, toward evening, the hwole army or siege with all their ships passed by here, that they were easili perceived of owrs from the haven, so that the night hindered us nothyhg, for the great noise who the ships & galleys made, which were all disarmed, & ill appointed, having left their hole, & good ships at Marzo muscheto, & one part of them at saint Giorgis. Why the siege of Marzo Musche to is raised, the cause thereof is lack of fresh water, and it may be for the great fear they have of the army of your lordship, for as we understand they be advertised how there are in a readiness at Messina 150. galleys & other ships, therefore they dare not con so far as saint Paul's stairs, but lie as near to their army (who is a land) as they possible may, nevertheless albeit that this place lieth so nigh, year is it not so sure, if they were yn haste, they might hardli con to their ships, as although they were further of, on the side of Marzo Sirocco is not one man to be seen, for they have left it up, & set fire on the howsis of saint Catherine's, & saint Ihons', now they begun from the said Marzo toward their siege, who is always before saint Elmo, we see playnli that almighty God purposeth to defend the said place of saint Elmo, for asmuch as yesterday in the morning our men resisted more by miracle, than other wise, one assault during four hours long, which thenemies did make in divers placis, speciali at a bridge that was bwylt by them, with the masts & decks of four galeis, on the side of Marzo muscheto, which assault they made four times, & so furiusli that at every time they brought fresh men, & at every time were repulsed, & bet back with great loss of their men, and not without loss of owrs, for of our side remained did two hundred, and. 150. hurt and Capitan mirande was stain who was great grief unto us, and of turks were slain about 2000 and as many hurt, and they were left the most part in the dyches of saint Elmo, with this victori our men be so encorraged & made hardy, that I trust to keep this place until the coming of your lordship's excellence, not withstanding our enemies be much refreshed, & more fierce & desperate, than before, as I have not seen the like, for they have shot within xu days xiij M shot of artilarie, nevertheless if I may flynd soccours (as I hoop to do) by means of our galleys I doubt not a whit, but to keep this place, for the saff guarding of the who, I have almost spent all that I have, goods & men, and we are resolved & utterly determined upon this point, to die toguyther, hooping and looking after aid, & soccours from your excellence. Considering & seeing in what danger we may con in, thorough long tarians and delays, we beseek your excellence, not to fail to give us some asystance, at lest with some number of valiant men, which is easy to be done, by that good means I have certified you, saying the siege is retired from Marzo syrocco they may land in the same side called pietra nigra, all our comfort & hoop, next God, is in your excellence, to the which I commend & submit myself hwolye, praying the God almighty for good adventure, & prosperiti. From Malta the xviij. day of june 1565.  
Subscribed By me I. Vallet.   

Relation made by ORLANDO MAGRO pilot to the chyff galley of the great master commander of the Rhodes, now Malta the which arrived at Messina the xxvij day of june 1565. And saith:  
HOW THAT HE PARTED from Malta the sunday xvij day of the month, about half an our after son, and four companions with him with asmal fregat of iiij. ewers, having letters of the great master of Malta to don Garcia, & saith that the turks having shot against the fortress of saint Elmo. xviij days together, with xxiiij peaces of great artillari & assaulted it sundry times, at the fyrstasault got the utmost fortress without the dychiss, named saint Ruelino the second time they went with 2000 men and ladders prepared to enter, and last, who was friday xu day of this month, they having made a bridge with the masts & d●cks of iiij galleys, & so coming in to the trenchiss, right over against where they had made the barterie, hoping & thinking by this mean, easli to enter, but they found themself deceived, for they within defended them so valiantli, and the bridge who the Turks had made, burnt with gone powder & artificial fire, and beat them in such sort that there remained ded. 800. Turks, and 600. hurt, and our men took two ensigns one of the which was, of the general Capitan by land named Prali, and tother was of Dragut, in this assault were mounted up. 30. Turks an high over the bulwark and they of the castle of saint Angelo shot to stryk thes. 30 turks, and struck dead eight of our own men, and afterward charged, and shot again, & struck thes. 30. Turk's likewise did all saving one, among the which there were vj. of the house of the rays, & one was capitan general of the Rhodes, whose name was Portuch hali, & the other dragut which remained only alive.  
This assault dured five hours together, so much that the Turks were forced to retyar back against their will with great loss of theyt men. In this asault died of owrs about. 200. and 150. hurt & wounded, and of the Turks were stain about. 2000 &. 2000 hurt, of who the more part were left within the trenchiss & dychiss of saint Elmo. Item, that Dragut upon sunday the xvij day of the month set fire in the bulwark, or bastillion, who they had made. Yn the market place of Marzo mulcheto, where they had four great peaces of artilati. Iten that after the last asault, the most part of the siege, returned by night toward the galleys, and are remained a land onli about 3000. Turks, to guard the artillari, and they shot now with no more than six piecis, and that they have shot in all about. 13000. strokes or shot. Item, that two days before their last assault their siege was retyered from Marzo Sirocco, having brent the fortress who they had mad there, & retyered toward the valley of saint Paul, where this pilot left them at his departing thence. Item, that certain Christians taken by the Turks and escaped again affirm, that they said in the Turks army, that done Garcia had a hundred and fyvetie ships and galley together to recounter with them, and that the Turks had great fear, and therefore they went the most part of them by night to their ships Item, that the great master writeth how they had found a quyckspring of fresh water within the town named Burgo, who wathowght as a miracle.  
Item the master of the posts of Mes●ina wrat that the galley of portuch hali which was slain in the assault was bouged and sunk by our artilarie Item that the bassa taking the muster of his sowdyowrs and navy, found four galleys lacking, of his number.  
Item, we understand by other letters, that when our enemies came to offer to let this bridge who they had made very artificiali our men which were within were in great doubt & fear, in so much that they were on's determined to render the place, but thorough good inspiration and the grace of God, & by the hardiness of one valiant knight having a two handed sword in his hand, saying that he would die for the Christian faith, gave to all the rest such cutrage, that they obtained at last the victori. Item that the great master was veari sorrowful for the death of captain mirande.   
FINIS.