The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-04-03
WAKEMANS WANDERlNCS
MALTA AND THE MALTESE--Il.

Lace Carved Ont of Stone.
tCopyrieht, 1870, by Edgar l.. wakeman.l
VALRTTA. Malta, Feb. 1.-THE scholas-
fic. that superior being who moves forward
IN the world with bis shabby back toward
nrogress, sneering az the paucity Of dead
age lore on the part Of those who are occu-
MED in making tho glorious present glow,
has no patience with US common folk who
wish TO know, when we read or write Of
aucisnt places, a bit about what gave them
their oldcn fame and present interest.
Being all the way through a commoner
myself and rather liking to be disliked by
the self appointed bashaws Of didactic
knowledge, ] often end, and perhaps give,
some profit and pleasure In beginning n
theme, as it were at THE beginning of the
world" as did dear old Knickerbocker in
his wonderful history of New York, and by
pleasant and by no means dreary stages
reaching the thing 10 be considered or de-
scribcd in that comprehensive way which
Will leave it all distinct and compact
entity in the recollection. That is at least
my own habit of enjoying travel and obser-
walton, and l have abundant reason 70 be-
lcve that those who follow my wanderings
find a genial enjoyment in travelling with
me in just that sort of ruminatiye, loiter-
ing and altogether pleasant way.
Malta IS such a very little place that
something like personal explanation is
pardonable when one refers to its history.
And yet in that history lies nearly all THAT
makes it worth talking about at all. over
] 800 years before the birth of Christ Malta
was taken possession Of by the Phpnicians,
and they held it for nearly 500 years. The
Greeks who had founded the important
colony at Syracuse, then made themselves
masters of the island and gave it the name
MClit0, on account of the delicious honey
obtained there, and Maltese honey is a
noted delicacy at this very time.
The Romans secured dominion Of the
islands, lost it for time, but about 200
years before the Christian era they re
gained possession, which lasted upward of
six centuries. In all this record Of barbaric
and semibarbaric conquest there is moth
ing of greater interest than dreary tale Of
pillage. rapine, slavery and blood. Then
suddenly. shortly after the beginning of the
Christian era, one shipwreck makes Malta
eternally famous If you viii read the last
two chapters of the Acts of the Apostles
YOU viii know the whole story: how Paul,
after his defense before Agrippa, when in
charge OF the centurion, julius, was pro-
ceeding by sea 10 the court of Caesar at
Rome, was shipwrecked upon Malta, where
be was kindly entertained by the barba-
rians. among whom he healed Paulus,
"the chief man of the island" and many
Others that were sick, and finally proceeded
In a "ship Of Alexandria," via Syracuse,
on his way 20 Rome.
The Arab races regained dominion of
Malta in o33. About 200 years later the
Sicilians drove out the Saracen rulers and
annexed the islands to Sicily, under the
government of Roger, the youngest son of
Tancred, hero of the Crusades Then in
1l94. France took both Malta and Sicily
from the Nor1nans; when, at the massacre
Of the Siciiian Vespsrs in 1852 French SUI
prcmacy in all these islands was at an end.
They were seized by Pedro of Arragon,
and made a dependency of Spain for nearly
80 years The only career Of real glory
and independence which ever came 10 the
Maltese islands opened in 1880.
After the famous siege of Rhodes by Sulie-
man the Magnificent in 1922. when the
Knights II Ospitallers were expelled, though
with fadeless honor and glory, from their
shattered towers, they retired first TO Crete,
and then 10 Sicily. The Emperor Charles
V, moved by their renOwn and homeless
ness, as well as strategic considerations,
finally coded TO them Malta with Coco and
Comino. the only conditions of the same
being that the knights should repress the
audacity of the African corsairs, and in
token Of homage every year present sin
Gle falcon 70 the viceroy Of Sicily.
Twenty-eight grand masters exercised
the chief authority daring the POI years in
which the now Knights of Malta held
sway over the island and the various
branches of the order which acquired
riches and power in every portion OF Chris
tian Europe. No order on earth ever at
tanned the same wealth and influence.
The latter was secretly courted by mon
archs. and their aid in all crusades against
MOslem countries was invoked The order
was divided into three claSses-the knights
Of Justice, the Chaplains and the Serving
Brothers of Arms There were besides
persons called Brothers de Stage or DOnats,
given distinction by the demicross for
having served well in subaltern positions.
Conceived in the purest and most intense
emulation OF Christian chivalry, the order,
admitting only those of noble blood, and at
a period when nobility meant something
more than title and inherited possessions,
drew into the Communicates of its eight
languages" the very cream of the men
snd means Of the entire Christian world.
From 1851 to 1885, period Of barely two
and a half centuries after the first settle
ment Of Malta by the Knights of st. John,
nearly all the majestic monuments Of their
wealth and power which may be found
here today were resultant from their mill
tarv and ecclesiastic handiwOrk, while dur
ing the same brief period were marshaled
the events which have crowned their mem
orv with imperishable glory and renown.
Most impressive Of all remains Of their
tremendous power are the colossal fortif-
cations OF Valetta. When the handiwork
Of man Is considered, Gibraltar pales into
insignifcance in comparison with Malta
God made Gibraltar; Gods Wears,
Maltap once exclaimed an enthusiastic
admiral as his eyes first rested upon i'm
nreornable Valetta. The conformation of
the port. or double port, IS IN shape some
thing ike a gigantic mouth with protrud-
ing tongue. The latter would represent
Valetta proper, the upper ana lower
spaces The grand and quarantine ports and
the curvature of the upper and lower lips
the upper and neither harbor sides, the
whole water front sweeping away past
euourban promontOries in either direction
-.-.. ..f,,Ifxf rnacc Of fOFtIilcd-