ITALY. 585 



•f Cape Passaro in Sicily. It is of an oval figure, 20 miles long, and 

 12 broad. The air is clear, but excessively hot: the whole island 

 seems to be a white rock, covered with a thin surface of earth, which 

 is however amazingly productive of excellent fruits and vegetables. 

 This island, or rather rock, was given to the knights of St. John of 

 Jerusalem, in 1530, by the emperor Charles V, when the Turks drove 

 them out of Rhodes, under the tender of one falcon yearly to the vice- 

 roy of Sicily, and to acknowledge the kings of Spain and Sicily for 

 their protectors. They are under vows of celibacy, chastity, and per- 

 petual war with the infidels, and are governed by a grand-master who 

 is elected for life. The knights were required to be of noble birth, 

 both in the paternal and maternal line, for four descents. They are 

 divided into what are called languages according to the countries from 

 which they come. These languages are eight in number, viz. those of 

 Provence, Auvergne, France, Italy, Arragon, Germany, Castile, and 

 England, succeeded by the Anglo-Bavarian language. The number 

 of knights is unlimited. The badge of the order is a white cross, with 

 eight points, worn on the left side. 



The principal city of Malta is Valetta ; founded by the grand-mas- 

 ter. La Valette, in 1566, after the raising of the siege of Malta by the 

 Turks. It is perhaps one of the strongest fortresses in the world, 

 and the whole island is strongly fortified wherever a landing is prac- 

 ticable. The former residence of the knights was called II Borgo, 

 the Burgh, and after its successful resistance of the Turks, Citta 

 Vittoriosa (the victorious city.) The ancient capital was Citta Vecchia^ 

 or the Old City, called likewise Citta Notabile, built on the highest 

 ground and nearly in the centre of the island. A channel about five 

 miles in width, in the middle of which is the small island of Comino, 

 separates Malta from the island of Goza or Gozza, which is about 

 twelve milts long and six broad. Malta is divided into 24 casals or 

 districts, and Goza into six. The population of these two islands is 

 greater, in proportion to their extent, than that of any country in Eu- 

 rope ; Malta, containing 75,000 inhabitants, Gozza 12,000, and Co- 

 mino 600. — Total 87,600. 



The island of Malta was surprised and seized by the French under 

 Bonaparte, in his way to Egypt, in the year 1738, and after a long; 

 blockade, taken by the English in 1800, by whom it is still retained. 

 The knights have left the island, and a number of them have esta- 

 blished the seat of the order in Calabria, under the grand-master 

 Tomasi, elected principally by the French interest. 



Arms and orders.... The pope, as sovereign prince over the terri- 

 tory of the church, bears for his escutcheon, gules, consisting of a 

 long head cape, or, surmounted with a cross, pearled and garnished 

 with three royal crowns, together with the two keys of St. Peter, 

 placed in saltier. The arms of Tuscany, or, five roundles, gules, two, 

 two, and one, and one in chief, azure, charged with three fleurs-de-lis, 

 or. Those of Venice, azure, a lion winged, sejant, or, holding under 

 one of his paws a book covered, argent. Those of Genoa, argent, a 

 cross, gules, with a crown closed for the island of Corsica ; and for 

 supporters two griffins, or. The arms of Naples are, azure, semee of 

 fleur-de-lis, or, with a label of five points, gules. 



The " order of St. Januarius" was instituted by the late king of 

 Spun when kins: of Naples, in July, 1738. The number of knights 

 is limited to thirty, and the sovereignty of the order is possessed by 



Vol. T. 4 F 



