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HISTORY OF MALTA.

and at last referred to the holy see (1579). The people thus pri-vileged by the bishop, took up arms, and so cruelly treated the citi-zens who persisted in their obedience to their legitimate sovereigns,that the order, to suppress such disorders, found it necessary to ap-point a guard consisting of fifty men.

The inquisition carried its evil designs against the grand-masterto much greater lengths ; and three of the holy brotherhood be-ing apprehended, confessed that they had formed a plan to poisonLa Cassiere, and immediately accused many of the Spanish andItalian knights as their accomplices. The latter entered the council-hall in the most tumultuous manner, and openly insulted the grand-master. Without the smallest respect for his dignified situation, theyenjoined him to state the proofs of their having conspired againsthis life, and insisted that the order should send an ambassador to thepope to demand justice. The knights, unwilling to engage in sotroublesome and difficult a business, made use of a variety of pre-tences to avoid the journey; and the wrath and animosity of themost violent being at last softened by time, all thoughts of the em-bassy were entirely relinquished.

Whilst so many intestine disputes disturbed the peace of theconvent, the republic of Venice was very near declaring war againstMalta. This was occasioned by some goods, of very little value,the property of Jews settled in the Venetian territories, havingbeen seized on board some vessels taken by the order. But thisaffair was soon accommodated, and Malta forgot the vexatious con-duct of the republic, and never failed to afford it all possible as-