Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-10-28
MALTA CATHEDRAL.
A Venerable Edifice in Which Thousands
of Pious Knights Worshiped God.

A Venerable Edifice i'll Which Thousands
of Pious knights worshiped God.
Of course one of the chief attractions
in Malta is the grand old Cathedral of
st. John the Baptist, and 1 must con-
fe:s that, as with other things of which
we have heard high praise before seeing
them, the first impression was disap-
pointing. I entered ST. Johns at the
hour of vespers and felt chilled. There
was very small, inattentive congre-
CATION. Two men who sat close in
front of me (poor tradesmen) were dis
cussng their worldly affairs SO audibly
that an acolyte was sent down from the
altar steps to silence them. The archi-
| lecture seemed to me stiff and cold. 1t
was not till | returned to Malta, on my
| homeward route, and had spent delight
| full weeks under the stone roof of the
! old Grand Masters, that, overshadowed
by their spirit, could realize some
| thing of the poetic beauty of their old
cathedral and learn to tread with more
reverence on that sacred pavement, be-
cause each stone is emblazoned with
heraldic devices, or other memorial,
of some brave warrior who knelt
here at his devotions and now
sleeps in the crypt below. But
for this association, the pavement of
Petra Dura, in oblong compartments
Tin memory of divers knights), is very
like great piece of patchwork, and
the effect of those inlaid marbles lacks
repose All round the great churcn are
side chapels. where the knights of each
nation worshiped together. These, like
their eight palaces, or rather aubergs.
were set apart for the knights of France,
Provence, Auvergne, Arragon, CASTLE,
Italy, Germany and Anglo-Bavaria.
Each chapel, of course, has its great
altar and crucifix, before which some
worshipers are always kneeling, heed
less of passers-by There are second
rate pictures and heavy monuments
without number Of these last by far
the most attractive to me is the beauti-
full statue of Comte Beaujolais, a name
endeared to me by old family ties. The
cathedral is said to have been formerly
very wealthy, but the French stole great
quantities of gold and silver plate and
jewels from its treasury. Among other
thefts was that of most precious
relic, namely, the right hand of st.
John, which had been presented to
the Grand Master by the Church
of Santa Sophia, at Constantinople. A
magnificent diamond ring was trans
ferred bv Napoleon from the skeleton
hand to his own, and the relic was then
restored to the Grand Master, who,
being no longer able to give it honor
due. sent it to Paul. Emperor of Russia,
who built church over it at st. Peters
burg. Nothing escaped the rapaclous
invaders. All the precious stones were
picked out of the reliquaries, and the
twelve silver statues of the Apostles
were among the treasures seized. In
vain did the Maltese pray to be allowed
to redeem them for their full value in
money. Napoleon is reported to have
| replied that, as the Apostolic mission
was to '.go forth into all the world, y
and these had lain in one spot for two
hundred years, he would see that they
did now go forth as good coin of the
realm. However, as the same impious
reply is attributed to lilly. with refer
ence to twelve similar statues which he
plundered from Padderborn, in West
phalia, perhaps Napoleon may have the
/ benefit of the doubt, the more so as the
| priests at Citta Vecchia show twelve
silver statues in their cathedral, which
are said to have been ransomed for their
full weight in silver by Maltese pre-
late.-Nationat ReviesO.