218 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [hook iv.

but relate. Tlie broken statues have disappearednaturally ; but not so with the edifices, that have thatawful accusation written ineffaceably on theirmarble foreheads. Pardon the poor Bedouin !

Three or four' days of continual insults sufficed toteach Hompesch it was not enough to have abdi-cated, but that he must quit Malta. AbdicatedITompesch was as unlike L’Isle Adam, as theDirectory (for to them, not Buonaparte, his perse-cution is to be imputed) were to Solyman. “ Someof the French Knights of Malta joined the tri-colomed flag; yet I will not blame, but pity them,”wrote the high-minded Boisgelin afterwards in Lon-don. To wound Hompesch the more, it was Bans-jat was sent to him with an ungrateful message, asto how much, or rather how little, the capitulation wasto be followed—the very he who is accused of hayingplundered much of the grand master’s effects, andsold even his cypher seal—he now came to say thatall his plate and jewels were confiscated, and thattherefore he handed him several of his reliques, fromwhich all their precious stones, and setting, and goldor silver, or other rich cases, had been subtracted—that in place of these, and all his personal property,he was to receive seven hundred thousand francs ; butthat one-half of that sum must be left in the islandfor his creditors; that of the three hundred and fiftythousand he was to receive he gave him two-thirds in