<572 Mr. Ra 
Albergh^ the Walls being fcarcely reared up. This 
Ground we are told, fome of the Citizens would have 
bought and built upon, but the Grand Mafier and Coun- 
cil refufed to fell it, not defpairing it feems, that one 
Day our Nation may be reduced again to the Obedience 
of the Romijh Church. 
5. The Armory [^Sala di Arma"] within the Palace of 
the Great Majier^ confifting of two Rooms ; the 
one (which they call the Hall) the faireft and largeft 
Room, employed for fuch an Ule that we have any 
where feen ; the other much lefler. In both together 
are kept Arms for 30,000 Men, fo intire, clean, bright, 
and fit for Ufe, that we were very much taken with the 
Sight of them. Here are fome of thofe little Drakes, 
that may be charged behind a Leather Gun, and other 
Curiofities, the like whereto we have feen in feveral 
Armories. 
6. The Hofpital [Infirmaria‘\ a fair Building, which 
they are now enlarging. The Sick Perfons are ferved 
by the Knights, viz. Such a Number of Knights are 
appointed to carry them their Meat daily with Cap in 
Hand, which Thing we law them do in this Manner. 
The Meat was all brought into the middle of a great 
Room, where many of the Sick lay. Then one of the 
Knights (the Steward I fuppofe he was) read the Names 
of the Sick, one by one, out of the Phyfician’s Bill, 
wherein was prefcribed each Sick Perfons Diet. As he 
read a Name, the Cook took his Part whofe Name 
was read, and Dilhing it up, delivered it to one of the 
Knights, who carried it to his Bedfide, where flood a 
Stool covered with a Napkin, having Bread and Salt 
upon it. This Duty their very Name intimates to be- 
long to them, viz. Knights, i. e. Servants of the Hof- 
pital, and therefore we may be excufed, if we have 
been more particular and circumflantial in delcribing 
the Manner of it. If any of the Order falls Sick, he 
is not to flay in a private Houle, but prelently repair 
hither, where he is moll carefully tended, one or two 
Knights being appointed to be always by him. 
The Palace of the Great Majier, where he hath fe- 
veral Apartments for Winter and Summer. There is 
alfo a Stable of good Horfes, in which befides Coach- 
horfes and ordinary Saddle- horfes, are kept forty or 
fifty great Horfes. A Thing worth the Noting in this 
Ifland, where there is a great Scarcity of Horfes, that 
Knights and Perfons of Quality, ride upon no better 
than Affes. The Slaves-Prifon, a fair fquare Buildino-, 
where all the Slaves in the City lodge every Night, S 
long as the Gallies are Abroad in Corfo. At the ring- 
ing of the Ave-Mary-Belk which is juft at Sun-fet, they 
are to repair thither ; when the Gallies are at Home, 
thofe that belong to private Perfons are permitted to 
lodge in their Mailers Houfes. The Number of Slaves 
now in Town, was about 2000 belonging to the Or- 
der, and 300 to private Perfons, befides thofe that were 
Abroad in the Gallies. 
Befides this new City, there are three confiderable 
Towns diflant from it, only by the Breadth of the 
Haven, i. The Ifola (as they commonly call it) or 
Jo'Nn o^ Senglea, with the Fort of Si. Michael, feated 
in a Peninfula, made by two Creeks, running out of 
the principal Haven. It contains 994 Houfes, and 4050 
Souls. For the flout Refiflance it made to the Turks, 
in 1565, it obtained the Name of Citta invitta. 2, The 
Bargo (as they call it) i. e. Burgo del Cafiello d Mare, 
built likewife on a little Lingua or Neck of Land, be- 
tween two Creeks of the fame Haven, on the utmofl 
Cape whereof Hands the Caftle of Si. Angelo, divided, 
for greater Strength, from the Town by a Ditch of 
Water cut crofs the Lingua. This Burgh contains 782 
Houfes, and 3065 Souls. For its Valour and Fidelity 
in holding out fo refolutely againfl the Ottoman Army 
befieging it. Anno 1^6^, it is defervedly honoured with 
the Title of Citta vittoriofa. Between thefe two Burghs 
is a fecure Harbour, where the Gallies and mofl of the 
other Veffels of the City lie, which in Time of Dan- 
ger is fhut up with a great Iron Chain. 3. Birmula 
rather a Suburb of Senglea then a diflincl Town, it 
contains 642 Fires, and 2778 Souls, 
ds Travels Book II. 
May 25. We rode out to fee fome Part of the Coun- 
try, pafling two great yUlages {Cafales they name them) 
we came to the old City, called anciently Melita, after 
me Name of the Ifland now Citta notahile, a fmall 
Place at prefent, but well fortified, containing no more 
than 565 Houfes, 2620 Souls. It hath been formerly 
much greater, and incomparably more populous. The 
new City, as being more conveniently fituate, daily 
drawing away, and withdrawing its Inhabitants. Here 
they Ihewed us the Pillar of St. (as they call it) 
where when he flood Preaching (as they fondly believe, 
or at leaf! would perfuade us) his Voice was heard di- 
fcnaiy all over the Ifland. 2. The Grot of St.PauL 
Here out of a fmall Cave is taken that white Earth, 
called, Terra di S. Paolo, and by Terra Sigillata 
Melitenfis, which they feal, and fell to Strangers, at- 
tnbming thereto, great Virtues againft all Poifon and 
infeClions. This Cavern, though there be continually 
great Quantities of Eardi taken out of it, according 
to their conceited Tradition, retains flill the fame Di- 
menfions, becoming no greater than it was at fir 11. 
That St. Paul Shipwreck on the Coafl of this 
Ifland, and wintered here, and not on that other Me- 
lita, in the Adriatick Sea, on the Coafl of Dalmatia, 
now called Meleda, I think it fufficiently proved and 
made clear by Cluverius, Abela, and others j but that 
upon Occafion of a Viper faflened on his Arm, he 
changed all the Serpents of the Ifland into Stones, and 
endued the Earth with an alexipharmical Quality, to 
re^fift and expel Poifon, is a fuperflitious and unground- 
ed Fancy. ° 
From the old City we rode to the Great Mafierh 
Bofchetto, where he hath a pretty Palace in Form of 
a Caflle, from the Top whereof we had a good Prbf- 
pefl of the Ifland. Here are a great Number of Gar- 
dens and Orchards, well furnifhed with all Sorts of 
Fniits and Flowers, good Water- Works, and a Grove 
of Trees ; indeed this Palace wants Nothing for Con- 
veniency or Delight. The Palace is fituated upon a 
little Hill, and the Gardens lie under it in a hollow 
or Bottom almofl compaffed about with Rocks. But 
to fpeak of the Ifland 1 ^dalta hath been inhabited by 
feveral Nations, and often changed Mailers. 
The mofl ancient Inhabitants are by Cluverius taken 
to have been the Phceaces mentioned by Homer, who 
were expelled by the Phoenicians . The Phoenicians were 
mofl of them driven out by the Grecians. After this 
it changed Mailers rather than Inhabitants, being firfl 
fubdued and held by the Carthaginians, then for a° long 
Time by the Romans : After that the Goths came hither, 
who were driven out by the Eqftern Emperors : Next 
the Saracens pofTeffed themfelves of it. The Normans 
expelled them, and got the Dominion. Then the 
Germans or Suevi became Lords of it ; then the French, 
then the Arragonians and Spaniards ; and now lafl of 
all, the Order of the Knights Hofpitallers. The Hiflory 
of all which Changes, if any Man defire to be fully and 
particularly acquainted with, let him confult Abela. In all 
thefe Changes, it followed for the mofl part the For- 
tune of Sicily, as having little Strength to refifl any 
foreign Power invading. It is now fo well fortified 
and manned, that it would prove a very difficult Mat- 
ter for the greatefl Prince or Potentate in the World 
to take it by Force, having, when it was in far worfe 
Condition than now it is, refifted and baffled the Arms, 
of one of the greatefl Emperors the Turks ever had:. 
It is very populous, containing between thirty and 
forty great Caffales or Villages, fome of them above 
500 Houfes, more like to great Towns than Villages, 
and twenty fix Parifh Churches, befide thofe of 
Gozo. 
The Number of Fighting Men w’as faid to be about 
2 5 000, but I believe there are fcarce fo many, for ac- 
cording to a Survey taken in the Year, 1632, the 
whole Number of Souls upon the Ifland, befides the 
Knights, was about 501,12, of which we cannot rec- 
kon much above one fifth Part to be fighting Men. 
And though fince that Time the Number of Inhabi- 
tants be much increafed, yet I think fcarce doubled. 
The 
