PREFACE.

ii

with the different monuments of the arts still remaining, thegovernment, administration, natural history, trade, and finances;the second will contain the history of the knights of Maltafrom the time of their departure from Rhodes to the begin-ning of the nineteenth century.

The authors who have supplied the most curious informa-tion on the subjects contained in the first part of this History,are Abelci, Ciantar, Houel, La Borde , and Boccone: but theirworks are now become extremely scarce. I have comprised ina single volume the most interesting particulars (independ-ent of the history of the knights) given by those authors, andhave added several others which have either escaped theirnotice or did not enter into the plans of their respectiveworks.

The second part contains a brief account of the knightsfor the first two centuries after the institution of the order; inwhich I merely take notice of some of the most striking fea-tures in their history, in order to describe with accuracy theinteresting circumstances which preceded and accompaniedthe surrender of Malta to the French. This appears to me still