a 
SUPPLEMENTARY NUMBER 
TO THE EIGHTEENTH VOLUME of Tue 
MONTHLY MAGAZINE. 
HALF-.YEARLY RETROSPECT 
HISTORY- 
** ANCIENT and Medern Malta: centain- 
ing a Defcription of the Pofis and Cities 
of the I/laxd of Malta and Goxa ; together 
with the Monuments of Antiquity fill re- 
maining, the different Governments to 
which they have been fubjected, their Trade 
and Finances; as aifo the lie) of the 
Knights of St. Fob of Ferufalem, srom their 
fir E Yiablijbment in Malta tall the Begin. 
ning of the Nineteenth Century ; with a 
particular Account of the Events which 
preceded and attended its Capture by as 
French awd Conqueft by the Englifd ; 
Louis pE BorisGELin, Knight of ae, ; 
with an Appendix containing a Number of 
authentic State Papers and other Docu- 
ments, a Chart of the Iflands, Views, Por- 
traits, Antiques,” Oc. Se. 
An authentic Hifory of the Knights 
of Malta is as rtch in chivalrous at- 
chievement as the wildeft fictions of ro- 
mance. During a period of feven hun- 
died years have thefe military monks been 
the terror of the Crefcent and the guar- 
dian cf the Cro’s. How are the mighty 
fallen! Sulyman II. loft thirty thoufand 
Turks in befeging the ifland, and his 
Aga was at length compelled to fice pre- 
cipuately, baflled and di'gracei. fhe 
renegade defcendanis ct theie valiant war- 
riors yi-lded, almolt without a fhet, tothe 
arms of Bonapacte | 
M. Boifgelin, «ho acknowledges the 
timidity and irrefulution of the Grand 
Matter Hompeich, and the detection of 
fome individual Knights, is-yet fo attach- 
ed to his O:der, and has made himéelf fo 
enirely its apologit, as tearcely to give 
credit to the extent of its treachery and 
the greffnefs of its corruption. It is per- 
feétly well known that the conqueit of 
Malta was projected at Paris by the 
Knights of the Oider 5; which, if we can 
give eny credit to the eloquent and pathe- 
tic Remontirance of :he Maltcie Deputies 
to Lord Hobart, has, from its wanionnefs 
andtyranny, Jong been an object of utter 
hatred and execration tothe Maltele people, 
who have been compelled to bend under 
its detefted yoke. This Renionttrance, it 
is remarkable, is not once alludcd io by 
Montazy Maa. No, 124. 
of tyranny. 
Vou. 18, No. 124.] _ JANUARY 28, 1805. [Perce Is. 6d. 
OF DOMESTIC LITERATURE 
M. Boifgelin, who has every where endea-- 
voured to impre!s a belief that the Maltefe 
were the happieft people in the world ; 
that the utmoft harmony prevailed between 
them and the Order, whole government. is 
reprefentcd as having been fo mild, benig- 
nant, and humare, that the people of Mal- 
ta would be reduced to the molt deplor- 
able and piteous fiate if deprived of its 
paternal guardianfhip ! 
Indeed a principal part of our author’s , 
defign is avowedly to prove that the Order of 
Malta hasfor yeirs pa{t diftingu thed itfelf= 
for piety and military exploits in as illu 
trious a manner as during the mot re- 
nowned ages of ancient chivaly, and that 
it has of courle a right to refume a pot, 
hitherto fo honourably filled, but of which 
it has been deprived, fays he, by the reign 
The work is divided into 
two parts. The fiftincluces a geogra- 
phical defcription of the ifland, together 
with the different monuments of the arts 
till remaining, the government, adminif- 
trs'ion, natuial hitery, trade, and Anances. 
The fecond ccntains the hifory of the 
Knights of Malta, from the ‘ime of their 
departure from Rhod s_to the conqueft of 
the ifland by the Englith in September 
1800. What concerns the Kaights, at 
leatt from the per.od of ther inftitation to 
the celebraced fiege of Solyman, under the 
Grand Materthip of La ONS is more 
elegantly and fully given. by the Abbé 
Vertut, trom whom, inde<d, a very great 
portion of thefe pages 1s banda: ed, Ver- 
tot. conciuded his hifery from that pe-_ 
riod, under the nime of Annals, which are 
com; paratively meagre, vuly neverthelefs, 
contain ma.ciials tor a latustactery ie 
toy : 
A Map of Malta and Goza, on ayery 
large fcale, and very ucatly exectited, is 
prefixed to thefe velumes. 
Mr. WILKinson has publified, in one 
neat duodecimo, &¢ An Ej ttome af the HHif- 
tory of Malta and Gexa,’ which in almall 
compa(s contains much information. 
We refer our readers to the feventh vo- 
lume of our Magazine (Index ver. Malta) 
for a concife and well-written account of 
the ifland. We cannot, however, refer to 
