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HISTORY OF MALTA.

spread throughout Christendom, and occasioned universal joy. Itwas announced at Rome by a general discharge of cannon from thecastle of St. Angelo, and celebrated by bonfires and illuminations.The same rejoicings took place all over Italy, Sicily, and Spain ; andthe different sovereigns of Europe hastened to congratulate LaVa-lette on so brilliant a victory. The king of Spain presented himwith a sword and a poniard, the hilt of which was of gold enrichedwith diamonds. When Philip II. sent him this present, he gaveorders to his envoy to address the grand-master in full council, andto assure him that the king his master regarded him as one of thegreatest captains of the age, entreating him to make use of thosearms in defence of the whole Christian world.

Pope Pius IV. made him an offer of a cardinal’s hat, as the mostdistinguished favour he could possibly bestow. D’Aubusson, theglorious defender of Rhodes, had formerly accepted it. But eventhis example had no weight with La Valette, who refused the prof-fered dignity; alleging, as a reason, that he feared confounding to-gether the grand-mastership and the cardinalship. “ These tw'ogreat titles,” added he, “ require different functions ; which, insteadof supporting, will continually interfere with each other.”—It ap-pears that La Yalette, justly considering himself as an independentsovereign, thought it derogatory to so high a title to accept an in-ferior dignity.

These flattering marks of favour from so many sovereigns, didnot, however, prevent the grand-master from entertaining just ap-