HISTORY OF MALTA.

143

C H A P. II.

Insurrection of the Knights against the Grand-Master. The SpanishKnights discovered to he the Promoters of the Rebellion. Romegasat the Head of the Insurgents—Ilis Character. Atrocious Conductof the Prior of the Church. The Viceroy of Sicily interferes in theintestine Divisions of the Convent. The*Knights assemble, depose theGrand-Master , and appoint Romegas Lieutenant of the Master-ship. Imprisonment of the Grand-Master—Charges brought againsthim—He refuses the friendly Offers made him by the General of theGalleys. The Rebels send Ambassadors to Rome; whither theGrand-Master contrives to transmit a Letter. The King of Franceinsists that the Affair shall be brought before the Pope. La Cassiererefuses to accept his Liberty till he shall be made acquainted with thePope's Decision.

These repeated disturbances (1581)*, far from appeasing theminds of the public, served only to add to the general discontent,and were indeed only a prelude to more serious troubles. The Spa-

* There is a very interesting note by Mr. Sauserre of this affair, which maybe seen in the thirteenth volume of “ Literary Memoirs of the Academy of Belles-Lettres.” The principal facts are taken from dispatches sent by Mons. de Foix,archbishop of Toulouse, at that time ambassador from Henry III. to the court ofRome. This was printed in quarto, at Paris, in 1628 . All the histories of Malta,before that published by Vertot, are silent on the subject; for none of them treatof facts posterior to that memorable epoch when the siege was raised in 1565 .The abbe Vertot concluded his at the death of La Valette, in 1569 , and onlyadded a summary account of the annals of the order from that time to 1725 . Hehas, however, related the revolt against La Cassiere in a more particular manner.