HISTORY OP MALTA.

3 7

whose unfortunate situation they were but too well acquainted;and they could not but regret that the prelate had, thoughfrom the best of motives, deprived his dock of part of theassistance intended for their relief.

But who can describe the astonishment of the Maltese,when they landed to visit the commandant, and passed roundthe walls of the city, which no one was permitted to enterwithout a guard of soldiers, to find themselves surrounded byan immense crowd of the most miserable objects, who eagerlycaught at the smallest alms bestowed on them! This affectingspectacle induced the knights to make all possible haste to ac-quit themselves of a duty imposed on them by mere polite-ness, in order to return the sooner to the performance of oneinfinitely more important, and which they plainly foresawwould be required of them. They were received in an ex-tremely large barrack built of wood, divided into differentapartments, richly furnished, and were presented with refresh-ments of the most delicate kind: their ears were likewise regaledwith military music; plenty appeared to reign throughoutevery part of the dwelling, and all the surrounding objectsseemed calculated to inspire pleasure. The commandant put anend to the audience, by advising the general of the galleys, whohad communicated to him his intentions, to return to Reggio,there to await the answer to the dispatches sent to Palermo.

Nothing could possibly be more striking than the contrastbetween this kind of palace and the miserable habitations

VOL. III.

D