HISTORY OF MALTA.

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usual, without revealing-the crime he was on the point ofcommitting. That he had not been impeached was the onlyremaining hope left this monster; but that was destroyed thefollowing day, when being accused by his accomplices, andsent from the palace, he immediately confessed the truthof the charge. Pinto could scarcely be induced to believethe villany of his valet-de-chambre; and such was the at-tachment of this excellent prince, that he even went so faras to express a sentiment of regret at being deprived of theservices of this most criminal of men.

The bashaw still remained behind the scenes: not oneof the criminals had as yet mentioned his name; but heAvas at last accused, and all the subsequent depositions suffi-ciently proved, that, if he were not the original planner ofthe conspiracy, he was at least perfectly acquainted withthe whole affair;—that it had been submitted to his opinion;that he entirely approved of it; and that the conspiratorslooked up to him, as to their chief. His secretary, beingapprehended, proved his guilt still more clearly, by confess-ing the contents of the letters he had written to Constanti-

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nople, Tunis, Algiers, and Tripoly. This last avowal furiouslyincensed the Maltese people against the bashaw, and theyclamoured loudly to have him given up to justice: he washowever saved, though with great difficulty, out of respectto his most Christain majesty; and in order to preserve him

VOL. II.

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