HISTORY OF MALTA.

15

Malta and Goza to be attached to the Sicilian monarchy withoutpower of alienation; they having been twice since that timemortgaged for sums lent to their princes.

These islanders, weary of complaining, though too loyal torevolt, determined, at their own expence, to free themselves atonce from the shame they felt at seeing their sovereign con-stantly making a traffic of his territories; and likewise from theunjust and frequent claims made upon them by the differentgovernors so continually placed over them. They thereforemade a generous effort, and offered king Alphonso to dischargethemselves the 30,000 florins for which the island was pawned :this the king accepted, in 1428; and promised in return, thatthe islands of Malta and Goza should never, in future, be se-parated from the kingdom of Sicily : he even permitted the in-habitants, in case of a breach of promise, to oppose him by forceof arms, without such conduct being deemed either disobe-dience or rebellion ; but this permission did not extend to theliberty of choosing another sovereign.

The government of Malta, after it w~as united to Sicily,consisted of a council termed popular; which appointed to allplaces in the administration, and chose the members of the tri-bunal. This council was composed of all the nobles, and theheads of the villages or casals*: the members were approvedby the sovereign, who was always regarded as supreme chief inmatters of justice. In other branches of the administration,

* Hamlets.