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HISTORY OF MALTA.

niards were principally concerned m fomenting the sedition. They hadgained over to their party the Italian knights, who seduced the Ger-mans; and had even contrived to sow division among the French, andengage a part of them in their cause.

Mathurin Lescat de Piomegas, a French knight, was in highestimation with the order, not only on account of his great personalvalour, but because he occupied many very important posts : he wasprior of Toulouse and Ir#land, and made general of the galleys in1575 . He was a very able seaman, and his name inspired terror asfar as the Levant; but his ambition was unbounded ; and, thoughbrave and fortunate in his expeditions, he was fierce and cruel to-wards his enemies. The Spaniards found it an easy task to corrupta man of this character, by flattering him with the hopes of becom-ing grand-master, though it was far from their intention to raisehim to that dignity; for what advantage could they reap by de-posing one Frenchman to place another at the head of the order ?The Spaniards were strongly united among themselves; and theirsole desire was to sow discord among the French, that they mightprofit from the general confusion. Romegas, therefore, blinded byambition, contributed to forward the secret designs of the wary Spa-niards, without having the smallest suspicion of their real intentions :he, however, though certainly at the head of the conspiracy, did not

and in a more elegant style, than is requisite in “ Summary Annals,” which titlehe gave to this part of his history; yet of the consequences of this affair he saysnothing. M. De Thou may also be blamed for the same neglect—(see his History,book xiv.); his relation of these facts being concise and inaccurate.