100 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 223. 



manner tend to the propagation of the Catholic 

 Faith and the tranquillity of the Christian Re- 

 public. But that his Imperial Majesty has granted 

 to your Order the island of Malta, Gozo, and 

 Tripoli, we cannot but rejoice ; places which, as we 

 hear, are most strongly fortified by nature, and 

 most excellently adapted for repelling the attacks 

 of the Infidels, should have now come into your 

 hands, where your Order can assemble in all 

 safety, recover its strength, and settle and con- 

 firm its position.* And we wish to convince you 



* II. M. Henry VIII. was certainly labouring under 

 an error, when supposing that the islands of Malta and 

 Gozo " were strongly fortified by nature, and excel- 

 lently adapted for repelling the attacks of the infidels ;" 

 as in truth nature had done nothing for their defence, 

 unless it be in furnishing an abundance of soft stone 

 ■with its yellow tinge, of which all their fortifications 

 are built. 



When L'lslc Adam landed at Malta in October, 

 1530, it was with the rank of a monarch ; and when, 

 in company witli the authorities of the island, "he 

 appeared before its capital, and swore to protect its 

 inhabitants, the gates of the old city were opened, and 

 lie was admitted with the knights ; the Maltese de- 

 claring to them their fealty, without prejudice to the 

 interests of Charles V., to whom they had heretofore 

 been subject." Never, since the establishment of the 

 Order, had the affairs of the Hospitallers appeared 

 more desperate than at this period. For the loss of 

 Rhodes, so famed in its history, so prized for its sin- 

 gular fertility, and rich and varied fruits ; an island 

 which, as De Lamartine so beautifully expressed it, 

 appeared to rise " like a bouquet of verdure out of the 

 bosom of the sOa," with its groves of orange trees, its 

 sycamores and palms ; what had L'Isle Adam received 

 in return, but an arid African rock, without palaces or 

 dwellings, without fortifications or inland streams, and 

 which, were it not for its harbours, would have been 

 as difficult to hold as it would have been unworthy of 

 his acceptance. (Vertot.) 



A person who has never been at Malta can, by read- 

 ing its history, hardly picture to himself the change 

 which the island underwent for the better, under the 

 long and happy rule of the Order of St. John. Look 

 whither one will, at this day, he sees some of the most 

 perfect fortresses in the world, — fortifications which it 

 took millions of money to erect ; and two hundred and 

 fifty years of continual toil and labour, before the work 

 on them was finished. As a ship of war now enters 

 the great harbour, she passes immediately under the 

 splendid castles of St. Elmo, Ricasoli, and St. Angelo. 

 Going to her anchorage, she "comes to" under some 

 one of the extensive fortifications of the Borgo, La 

 Sangle, Burmola, Cotonera, and La Valetta. In all 

 directions, and at all times, she is entirely commanded 

 by a line of walls which are bristling with cannon 

 above her. Should the more humble merchantman be 

 entering the small port of Marsamtiscetto, to perform 

 her quarantine, she also is sailing under St. Elmo and 

 Florianna on the one side, and forts Tigne and Manoel 

 on the other ; from the cannon of which there is no 



that fresh increase is daily made to the affection 

 with which we have always cherished this Order 

 of Jerusalem, inasmuch as we perceive that your 

 actions have been directed to a good and upright 

 end, both because these undertakings of your 

 Reverend Lordship, and of your venerable Bre- 

 thren, are approved by us as highly beneficial and 

 profitable ; and because we trust that your favour 

 and protection will ever be ready to assist our 

 nation, if there be any need ; nor shall we on our 

 part be ever wanting in any friendly office which 

 we can perform towards preserving and protect- 

 ing your Order, as your Reverend Lordship will 

 gather more at length of our well affected mind 

 towards you from Dominus Dentirville, the bearer 

 of these presents. 



May all happiness attend you. 



From our Palace at Hampton Court, 

 The 22nd day of November, 1530. 

 Your good friend, 



Henry Rex. 

 No. VI. 



Henry by the Grace of God, King of England and 

 France, Defender of the Faith, and Lord of 

 Ireland, to our Reverend Father in Christ,. 

 Don Pierino de Ponte, Grand Master of Jeru- 

 salem. 



Our most dear friend — Greeting : 

 We had conceived so great a hope and opinion 

 of the probity, integrity, and prudence of your 

 predecessor, that, from his care and vigilance, we 

 securely trusted that the business and affairs of 

 this your Order, which hitherto has always wont 

 to be of no slight assistance to our most Holy 

 Faith, and to the Christian name, would as far 

 as was needful have been amended and settled 

 most quietly and effectually with God and his 

 Holy Religion. From the love then and affection; 

 which we have hitherto shown in no ordinary 

 manner to your Order, for the sake of the pro- 

 pagation of the Christian Faith, we were not a 

 little grieved at the death of your predecessor, 

 because we very much feared that serious loss 

 would in consequence be entailed on that Religion. 

 But since, both from your letters and from the 

 discourse of others, we now hear that your vener- 

 able Brethren agreed by their unanimous voice 

 and consent to choose your Reverence as the 



escape. But besides these numerous fortifications, the 

 whole coast of the island is protected by forts and bat- 

 teries, towers and redoubts. We name those of the 

 Red Tower, the Melleha, St. Paul, St. Julien, Marsa 

 Sirocco, and St. Thomas ; only to show how thoroughly 

 the knights had guarded their convent, and how totally 

 different the protection of the Maltese was under their 

 rule, from what it was when they first landed ; and 

 found them with their inconsiderable fort, with one 

 cannon and two falconets, which, as Boisgelin has men- 

 tioned, was their only defence. 



