ae 
priefis, the ceremony of throwing incénfe 
upon all the Knights of the Great Crofs, 
ae neglecting the poorer knights, witha 
ariety and multiplicity of other articles, 
sae appear highly ridiculous to a pro- 
tefiant, and are certainly very remote 
from the effential purity and ey of 
primitive Chriftian worthip* 
The land force at Malta was equal to 
fhe whole number of men in the iland, 
<apable of bearing arms. They had a 

* The anniverfary of the raifing of the 
Gege in 1566 was always celebrated at Malta 
as 2 public feftival. It began with a mer- 
fuary fervice at St. John’s church for the 
waliant knights who loft their lives at the 
&eze, and whofe names were commemorated 
oie an evlogium on the heroic exploits by 
rchey had immortalized themfelves. This 
pete aaea on the eve of the anniverfary. 
he following day, all the troops being 
under arms, the Ginae Mater was faluted 
gccording to the military forms; the polpe el 
= read aloud under the great dee of the 
r, which (after this) was difplayed under 
canopy by his feat, and a page prefented 
2 with a {word and Bengal which Phi- 
res Sar: had fenton the occafion to the Grand 
pia fier, Waletta. The whole ceremony 
néed with along proceffion, durlng which 
ae of cannon were fired off from ail the 
batteries of the forts. , 
The 6th of June was likewife obferved as a 
{slemn day of thank/giving for their deliver- 
ance from a terrible confpiracy that wasformed 
about thirty-nine years ago by the Mahome- 
tan flaves, at one ftroke to exterminate the 
whole order of Malta. All the fountains of 
the place were to be poifoned, and every 
flave had taken a folemn oath to put his 
matter to death. It was difcovered by a Jew 
who kept a coffee-houfe. He underftood the 
‘Turkihh language, and over-hearing fome 
difcourfe which he thought fufpicious, he 
went immediately and communicated the in- 
Zormation to the Grand Mafter. The fuf- 
pecied perfons were immediately appre- 
ended, and being put to the torture, foon 
confefled the whole plot. The executions 
that Followed were very terrible. Some were 
borned alive, fome were’ broken on the 
wheel, and fome were torn to pieces by the 
four galleys rowing in different directions, 
and each bringing off its limb. Since that 
fime the conduét of the flaves has been much 
more ftri@tly watched, and they have been al- 
Jowed lefs liberty than formerly. Notwith- 
fading, however, the fuppofed bigotry of the 
Maltele, the fpirit of toleration had become 
io predominant, that about thirty years ago 
they built a mofque for their profeffed ene- 
mies, the Mahometans; and here the poor 
a ih were allowed to enjoy their religion 
im. peace. 
g 2 
Q me 
var, koe fis 
Hifiory and Defeription of Malta. 
[ Jen. 
regiment of about five hundred regulars, 
who ferved on board their fhips ef war ; 
and one hundred and fifty y_compoled the 
guard of the fovereign. ‘Their fea force 
commonly confifted of four galleys, three 
galliots, tour ihips of fixty guns, anda 
frigate of thirty-isx, befides a number of 
quick-failing little ‘veflels, called fcam- 
pavids, frora their exceeding fwiitnefs; 
iterally TURLWOYs. The Maitefe failors 
are remarkably robuft and hardy; many. 
of them will row for ten or twelve hours 
fuccefiively, without even the appearance 
oi being fatigued*. 
Next in aapenPaPE to the city of Va- 
letta (oftén called Malta) 1s Civita-’ 
Vecchia, or Cite Notabile called Metia 
by the ancients; this is moft prebably 
the olde& town in the ijland, and was its 
capital before the arrival of the Knights 
inz530. it is fiill the refidence of the 
bifhop. This city is fituated near the 
centre of the ifland, and in clear weather 
commands a magnificent view of the 
whole. It is very firongly fortified with 
large ditches and fine walls, and is nearly 
5 ; 
as well’built as Valetta, though far irom 

* AnEnglifh gentleman, who vifited the 
ifland in 1770, thus defcribes the circum- 
ftances attending the departure of ‘a Maltefe 
{quadron frem the Port. 
‘¢ Eleven at Night.—-The fhew is now 
finifhed, it has afforded us great entertain- 
ment. The Bey of Tunis, it feems, has 
fallen under the difpleafure of the Grand 
Monargue, becaufe he refufed to deliver up 
without ranfom the Corfiean flaves that were 
taken before the Freach were in pofieifion of 
the ifland. The fquadron confifted of three 
gaileys, the largeft with nine hundred men, 
each of the others with feven hundred, three 
galliots, and feven fcampavias. These im- 
menfe bodies were all worked by oars, and 
moved with great regularity. The Admiral 
went firft; the reft in order, according te 
their dignity. The fea was crowded with 
{mall boats and feluccas, and the ramparts 
and fortifications were filled with company. 
The port refounded on all fides with the dif- 
charge of heavy artillery, which was an- 
fwered by the gallies and galliots as they left 
the ce As the echo here is furprifingly 
great it produced a very noble effect. 
<¢ There were about thirty knights in each 
galley, making fignals all the way fo their 
miftrefles, who were weeping for their de- 
parture upon the baftions ; for thefe gentle- 
men pay as little regard to their vews of 
chaftity as the priefts and confeffors do. 
After viewing the fhew Boe the ramparts, 
we took a boat and followed the fquadron for 
fome time, and did act retura till lowg after 
fun-fet.” 
. 
being _ 
_—— ee 
