130

HISTORY OP MALTA.

clow. This done, these headstrong youths, being favoured in theirretreat by their friends and some other unknown accomplices, pre-cipitately quitted the hall, reached the sea-shore, embarked inlight feluccas, and escaped into Sicily. La Valette, irritated atsuch a scandalous act of rebellion, deprived them of the habit of theorder, and ordained, that, in case they should be apprehended, theyshould suffer perpetual imprisonment. He likewise sent to Sicily toreclaim them as deserters and rebels. But they were too well ac-quainted with the firm and inflexible character of the grand-masterto remain in that island; they therefore contrived to return as fastas possible to their own country.

The effects of this disagreeable affair, w’hich afforded so dan-gerous an example to the knights, were not entirely suppressed whenLa Valette had fresh cause for affliction. * A Florentine, settled inMalta, having married a most beautiful young woman, a descen-dant of one of the faithful Rhodians who had followed LTsle Adamfrom that island, instigated by the daemon of jealousy, assassinatedhis wife; and, notwithstanding the greatest precautions were taken,made his escape from the hand of justice into Italy; that is to say,into a country where murders of that nature w r ere more frequentlywinked at than punished.

The pope, who had so lately offered the cardinal’s hat to LaValette, and who had also by different briefs promised never to in-terfere with the order in the enjoyment of their rights, when thegrand-priory of Rome became vacant, made no scruple of bestowingit on his nephew. The grand-master complained with reason of