The Sun.
London, England, 1802-04-02 00:00:00

MAL,TA

THEFT E Llas Deett some difficulty amorg the Rei
nerality of persoiii, in tdrming a clear cpocelitiun
of several Articles, in the Dednitive Mary 'ree
Wive to Malb: '

1 ,
In the loth Article of .the Treaty, it is stated,
that " there shall nor be in future either a French
-or English 'Language." The word '4aUguage is
extremely obsaire, •unless the-reader is th(iroughly
apprized cf the history of the Maltese Constitu-
tion. - During the times peculiarly characterized
Linder the name of Crusades,` several religious Co-
nfraternities. were filcorporaeci. for the purpose of
assisting the various bodies of trolys of pious
Christ ions who direCled their rnaroli either tt, the
Holy Land,'or to the shores of- Utica "f: he richest
. among these orders, weresthe Knights Templars, a.'..
....Society which was- abolished under many circum,
stances of cruelty anii 'proscription in all the king.,.'
doilis'of Europe. Alia the Kniglit.s",Oi. St.' John of
J;,..rris:4-e,,ii, oil 'account of their insular sieua,tion, and
indz'pentleri.t_ '‘Stivereignty,-.. weir -ieft"-liilmolested
liy the' Laid 'of opreSsion of the "suggestions of
...
avarice. ' :filet!. Island which 'was'contiguous to
the. parts 'that .'Were: wont to be itle-:,":1:11e;stres -of'
misglild-Ni 7...--:31 .'-and' piety, . ,ey...s always respeeted,
by contending.- PO4ers =and their maghanimous..-
defel.ce. against' th'e whole farce of the Ottoman
Army, :led on by-One.of tht:' greatest Generals
Willi ever .allufned the-page 'of Turkish story; yro-
cured them a rentitilii, which e.'as' nele.r t,arnish..
• ed till the late surrender Of their LlArd to the Artm.
of the French. Republic. 'M. dJ. VOLtAIItE, ili
his ESsayfon ''',Universal- HiStory,' has ;tsrcitteri a
. very interesting detail-:of this•celebrated Siege; and'
the .Alibe- Vctur4t •has published fiv.: volumes, on
11, '-History and Prowess Of the Order,' . On 'the
authenticity'of thZ...latter,- however, -little' 4.lepencl-
' mice can be pltieedi-'"He wrote to the-Grand Master
for certain Booles,..wthich.werc:...absolutely. necessary
to elucidate- the- various incidents that occurted
during the Siege -; and its some tithe elapsed before
he received 'them, he c-Aciposed the History. from
•his own' itniigination, and returned the Volumes -
with-*Letter to theGrind' Master, stating, that.:
the Siege had
.taken place, and' been raifed long be..
lot'e the receipt of the 800k,5,._
W the
e have arready.mentioned the objeei of 1.n.4
stitution.; we shall nts.7 briefry:state the Coristiina.
don of; thetjraer:..-Tbe Knights were chosFo from
• .
among the di erenti bodtes of tropps,,,who.:marched.
air various.: times under the, banner of'. the -Cross..
And as Europe, according to the elegant expression
of the Princess..2'esNA Cow; E NA, seemed .to PreCi-
Vitate itself on Asia, it became. necessary; that the.
• Knights who were - thus incorporated, should be
s.ieffed from the different Rakiogs, who were. thus
..
. engaged, in order that their assistance might be
more readily afforded to their own. Countrymen.. -
Hence a certain number were elected, who spoke
the common language. of .each nation;; arid . thus,.
in process of':
tithe, the term language.wics sphsti,
toted for cot/fail ; and according to ita ancient sig-.,
nification, it w.iit_ be fiio, that the cxpressjon is.
perfealy acciipt. _ .
those nations: Which. 11ati.embr4ceci the Reformed .1.
.
Religion were afterwards excloded from admission,
into the Order. The .remaining totgues or -nations.,.,
out of .'Whict tile Knight's. were chosen, were Arra.,
gen, Italy .Castile, ,Germany and France. The,
lattee,'by the ine.nporation.of the kingdom of Arles
and'ProVenceilsand, of .Ace Province of: Auvergne,
~.
-Obtained a decided influence in the deliberations of
the Order, to which 1611tftnee," perhaps, the tame ,
defence of the islatzel ..is.txf be ascribed.
It was therefore, a measure•of the highest policy
in the .British Aliprrii,stration CoThm.re thus placed
an efFeClual barrier ag4inSi the future interference
of Prance,.inthe.inteiesti of the Order, -by ex..
eluding her
.not .only from the • three. tongues she
'formerly exercised, but altogether- (top any, right
`Or claim as a constituent body, of the Society. No_•
thing therefore, but the levity, corruption; or cow.-
ardicdof the :Knights can henceforward endanger
the independence, of this celebrated island..