Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1856-01-02
VOL. 8 NO.s71,
From the Metropolitan for December.
The Last Grand Master of Malta

ao Jos szsls pre- pour roas The beate, fare
badly, is my motto.
Bat what viii Elirope say when II reads AN
absolute renuncaton of all claims on Malta Goa
and Ocniino, uads By our Order, nimost without
resistance ~, fl
And what, pray. has your Order done for
France, that should seek to guard its honor and
its'interests You are the secret allies Of Eng
land, and the open friends of Russia. and zou
have denied water to our feet, when we had no
other port at hand that could relieve our wsnts.a
But, General''-the rest of therepIy was cut
short by deep sigh.
" Come. como, my good friend. p said the Cen
sral, . Malta is nov IN the hands Of the Frsuch
Republic, and nO5osy can wrest n From tlenl.---
You, at all events, have no reason to consider
yourself ill-treated. Look at article I'd. "A pen
sion Of three hundred thousand francs a year, not
to cease unless it be replaced by duchy in Ger
many"
The speaker at these words placed the point Of
his fore finger on parchment that lay before him,
and raised his eyes to those of his interIocutor.
The conversation was carried on in the Parisio
Palace at yaletto, the capitol Of the Island of
Malta, on the 10th of June, 1898. The speakers.
two military personages Of high rank, were seated
at a table covered with papers and Documents
One was dressed in the uniform Of General of
the Republic Of France. The other was a tall
German knight, with blue eyes, fair skin, and
rosy cheeks He wore the robe of ST. John, and
his breast was adorned with the Grand Cross of
the Order.
Their colloquy was now ended bE the siguil9I
of two copies of a written agTeernent to which
they affixed their names as follows Signed,
90 Br. Ferdinand de Honpesch, G. NJ. Of the Order
of st. john" Signed, I" Bonaparte'' The Grand
Master now rose, and was courteously esccTted by
the General TO the door, where he took bis leave.
The Grand Masterwended his way slowly slorg
the strada reale, and having reached the espIan-
ade in front Of the great Church of ST. John, hst
dismissed his attendants, who retired TO the Hos
telry or Palace Of the Grand Master, while Hon
pesch assembled the steps leading to the Church.
Twilight was now spreading its grey wings over
the city. his troubled soul needed the quietness
and solitude of the hour. Leaning against pi-
laster Of the facade, he cast his eyes upon the
city.
This fair and famous city, this whole island,
with the neighboring islands Of Coo and Comino.
all these naughty knights of every nation-aH
these fortifcations, down to curtain and fosse,
scarp and ravelin, had been subject to his com
mand up to the present day. Sill all is not
lost; three hundred thousand france year, or q
dukedom in Germany is something to DO consid-
cred: :" quoth the Grand Master. 'sBut will not
all Europe spurn me as traitor, or at best a
coward 2"
The Grand Master could find no satisfactory
answer to this serious question. He shut his eyes
convulsively TO baI.ish the hateful thought, and
buried his face in his hands. How long his sad
and painful reverie lasted the Knight was unable
to explain, nor could he account for his manner
of entering tho church He found himself, how
ever, kneeling not far from the door Of the sub
terraneau chapel which contains the tombs ( the
Grand Masters of the Order AS he gazed down
the gloomy stairway leading from the church to
the vault, he perceived dim spark of light, which
gradually quickened into life, and grew larger
and brighter, shedding around blue and i'll
omened gIeam. By this light he saw confused
sparkling of helmets aud shields, swords and
spurs, and then group of Knights of st. John.
who moved up one after the other from the vault,
and marched towards the wicket Of the railing
before the grand altar He observed that every
Knight wore the insignia of a Grand Master. and
as they passed into the sanctuary he recognized
distinctly the features Of Nicholas Cottoner, Man
oel de Vilhena, Lisle Adam, Pinto, Zondadari,
and tho great Lavallette, whose appearance was
identical with the statues or painted portraits on
the monuments in the aisles of the church.
Suddenly a report of all the cannon in the hun
dred and one forts of the island burst upon bis
ear with deadening crash. Each slab now
trembled, flashed and blew open, and from each
started up warrior. The whole space was filed
with the sparkling arrnor, and the ncdding plunes
Of the dead came to life again. A Knight in the
armor of Auvergne marched up the middle aisle
aud unfolded the grand gonfalor of the Order in
front of the altar, and at his side stood pages bear
ing the well known "sword of Religion" that
which Philip II. had bestowed upon the great
IaTailette.
At the foot of the altar stood bishop, arrayed
in full poniifcals, supported by Geacons, sub-dea-
cons and the ranks of the minor clergy. Every
one kieIt as the venerable prelate made the sign
of the cross, and began to recite the ' introt. ~"
The Gloria in excelsisD and " Credo in unum
Deun,'' Were intoned. High Mass went on, and
when the Bishop chanted s' lie missa est" he was
conducted to his throne, disrobed of the brilliant
vestments he had worn while officiating at mass,
and clothed with e plain white ene without orna-
men.s
Ths deacon, who was q priest Of the Order ct
ST. John, now stood before the bishop and said
Most Illustrious and Reverend lord. the Knights
of the Order of St. John here present ask you.
whether it is pleasing TO you that the chair Of
4 honor of this chapter BE flied 90