CHAP. VI.] ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM. 217

The Turks never destroyed so much at Rhodes, asFrench during their first days at Malta; pullingdown all the statues of renowned heroes, andchiselling out the coats -of-arms everywhere, andeven over the palace—ITompesch himself present.The French have been distinguished lovers of thefine arts since; and even at that very time theirarmy contained a deputation of scientific men, andable artists, who should have prevented such bar-barous profanation, but did not—perhaps could not.That he had not the power, is possibly the bestexcuse for Buonaparte himself, whose wishes musthave been quite the contrary to similar mischief.Denon, whose rich mind must have been alreadyprepared for the splendid book he was so shortly tocompose, could not but have been opposed to suchYandalism. It were a grievous injustice to himnot to be certain of it. Whatever be your opinionas to his artistical prominence, and qualifications tobe the historian of Egyptian antiquities, still is itincredible that any one should take him for so utterlydenuded of all respect for works of art ; which,whether of the lowest class, or any class, merit at leastsome degree of consideration. Deliberately with achisel! If they were however bad, they became worse.

The fronts of the houses in Malta are stillthere defaced, and will perhaps for many years bearevidence to the truth of what I am sorry I cannot