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HISTORY OF MALTA.

The first consisted of custom-house duties, amounting tonearly a hundred thousand Maltese crowns, of assizes, dutieson salt, title deeds of demesnes, farms, houses, gardens, andfines for alienation, making altogether another hundred thou-sand crowns; duties paid by the admiralty at the rate of tenper cent on all prizes, mulcts, and confiscations; the wholeamounting to about two hundred thousand crowns.

The second consisted of six thousand crowns annually paidby the treasury for the support of the grand-master’s table,with two hundred for keeping his palace and country-housein proper repair: a very moderate sum in proportion to thedignity of his office, but it serves to shew the economy andsobriety of the time when such regulations were made.

The grand-master received an annat for all the command-eries by favour, which the different princes bestowed once infive years. He had also the perpetual enjoyment of a com-mandery in every priory. This was called the magisterialchamber, from being annexed to the mastership, and he hadthe privilege of appointing a person to govern it in his name.The choice of the governor being left entirely to the prince,it sometimes happened that it was bestowed on a novice.

AVhenever the grand-master appointed a knight to one ofthese commanderies, he not only received two annates, butwas likewise at liberty to reserve a pension for himself; theknight, however, was dispensed from paying either the mor-tuary or vacancy fees,.