SIEGE OF JAFFA. 



125 



This forcible passage of the manuscript of Mains is 

 the faithful picture of what happens in every town taken 

 by storm, even when the assailants belong to the most 

 humane civilized army in the world. AVhen historians 

 know how to place themselves in a more elevated sphere, 

 to free themselves from routine, and to follow in the 

 opinions they express the eternal rules of justice and 

 humanity, while they praise the indomitable courage of 

 soldiers who will brave death in obedience to discipline, 

 they will accord a deeper sympathy to the men who to 

 preserve their nationality consent to expose themselves 

 to scenes of massacre and bloodshed such as those which 

 the narrative of Malus has revealed in all their horrors ; 

 their condemnation will be reserved for those who pro- 

 voke these impious wars, which have no other motive 

 than personal ambition, and the desire for a vain and 

 false glory. 



When the army set out for the attack on the town of 

 St. John d'Acre, Malus received an order to remain at 

 Jaffa with General Grezieux. There were left with 

 him only 150 efficient men ; the town contained more 

 than 300 wounded and 400 infected with the plague. 

 Malus was charged with the arrangements necessary to 

 be made in the Greek Convent, in order to establish 

 there those suffering with the plague. For ten days 

 successively he passed all liis mornings in the infected 

 air of this receptacle of corruption. Thus our celebrated 

 painter Gros might have legitimately placed the portrait 

 of Malus among the figures in tliat admirable picture for 

 which modern art is indebted to him, in the place of 

 some of those conventionally introduced there, who never 

 really penetrated into the halls then choked up with the 

 dying and dead. 



