HISTORY OF MALTA.

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from the resentment of the public, he was sent to fort St. Elmo,where he remained till the arrival of a frigate from Toulon, inwhich he sailed for Constantinople.

Nearly sixty of the most criminal among the conspiratorsexpiated their crimes on the scaffold. Several of those whoperished by the hand of the executioner were converted tothe Christian religion before their deaths, and shewed signs ofthe deepest remorse ; some of those who remained firm in thefaith of their ancestors displayed the most uncommon forti-tude, and died with almost incredible stoicism. The negroindeed, was of all others the least courageous ; but the secre-tary of the bashaw in his last moments was distinguishedby firmness truly Christian, and at the same time by rathera singular circumstance. Having been particularly acquaintedwith the chevalier de Turgot, who acted as godfather at hisconversion, he intreated him, through the intervention of theFrench minister, to recommend the children he had left atConstantinople to the protection of the king of France; butthe instant before his execution he reflected that such an actwould be a want of confidence in the divine goodness of theSaviour of the world : he therefore requested that the French mi-nister might not write in favour of his family; adding, thatthe same Cod who had so lately saved him from perdition wassufficiently powerful to protect those whom he left behindhim in the world below.