156

HISTORY OF MALTA.

out vessels to transport the French troops to their own coun-try. Every thing was ready in two days, and the greatest partof the o-arrison embarked ; those who were not in a conditionto be removed were placed in fort Manuel. Their immediatedeparture was the more necessary, because it was with thegreatest difficulty the English could prevent the Maltese fromrevenging themselves on the traitors who had occasioned thefirst surrender of the island. The French, indeed, were soperfectly convinced of the implacable hatred they bore to thefavourers of their cause, that they particularly stipulated, in thetwelfth article of the capitulation, that neither the soldiers in thebesiegers troops nor the inhabitants of the country should be per-mitted to enter the city till such time as the French troops shoiddbe embarked, and out of sight of the port. The English mightundoubtedly have insisted upon terms much less advantage-ous to the conquered, but their conduct proved that theyknew how to esteem and reward as they ought to do socourageous a resistance.