HISTORY OF MALTA.

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and transitory pleasures of a court; they therefore passed theremainder of their days in an honourable exile. Many knightshaving with difficulty escaped from Henry’s pursuit, arrived inMalta without any means for their future subsistence. The grand-master received them with a parent’s affection; ensured them aproper provision, and endeavoured to comfort them under theirmisfortunes. Alas! who more than himself was in need of conso-lation ?

Thus, in the midst of such cruel afflictions, died L’lsle Adam ;upon whose tomb were engraved the following simple words, so trulyexpressive of the events of his life :

“ Ilic jacet Virtus victrix Fortune*.”c< Here reposes Virtue triumphant over Misfortune.”

Upon the death of L’lsle Adam, care was taken to make apermanent provision for the English knights in the principal placeof residence of the order. True charity never repulses the sonsof misfortune : these knights, therefore, remained amongst theirbrethren, by whom they were always pitied and relieved, belovedand respected. The first hospitallers, as they very well remem-

* The family of L’lsle Adam continued to subsist in France ; but was reducedto a state of such indigence, that, towards the end of the seventeenth century, agentleman of that name was under the necessity of driving carts loaded withstones, in the neighbourhood of Troye in Champagne, in order to support hisfather. See VArt de verifier les Dates.

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