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HISTORY OF MALTA.

that the principal motive of his precipitate attack on Maltawas the apprehensions of its becoming the property of Russia.He might have added with still greater truth, that having leftFrance without money, the gold, jewels, and great riches, ofthe island, were too attractive to escape the rapacious viewsof the French troops; and that his ill-manned fleet stood inthe utmost need of recruits to furnish to each ship its properand proportionate complement. On any other occasion, or atany other time, a general might probably have addressed him-self to the grand-master, simply telling him, that his enemies(knowing his inability to make an efficacious defence) intendedto take advantage of his situation, and to invade the island ; andthat, to prevent their designs being carried into execution, hewould place a garrison in some of the fortresses, which in theevent of a peace should be withdrawn. Such a declaration,however, could never have been made by the agents of thedirectory, who must naturally adopt the language of their su-periors. Even the commander in chief, though certain victoryseemed to attend his footsteps, at the very moment that hecommanded success, was himself bound in chains rivetted bythe hands of guilt and tyranny.

Let me here express my sincerest wishes for the happinessof the Maltese people. Ruined by the French, conquered bythe English, uncertain of their future destiny, what a cruelsituation is theirs! The question at present is, whether or not,like so many other nations, they, are to be sacrificed to what is