Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-12
WAKEMAN'S TRAVELS.
The Growth, Power, Heroism and
Decay Of the Knights of Malta.
FORIIFICATIONS OF yALETTA.
4 Cit y as Massive as the Pyramids, Yet
Filmy as Fine Lace,
CAItVED OUT OF THE SOLID STONE
rcoRRrspoypENcE OF THE DISPATCH,

rCORRESPONDENCE OF THE DISPArCH1
NALETTA, MALTA, Feb. 22-The scholas
tic, that superior being who moves forward
in the world with his shabby back toward
progress, sneering at the paucity of dead
age lore on the part of those who are oc
cupied in making the glorious present
glow, has no patience with us common folB
Tho wish TO know, when we read or write
Jt ancient places, a bit about what gave
them their olden fame and present interest.
Being all the way through commoner
myself, and rather liking to be disliked by
the self-appointed bashaws of didactic
knowledge, L often find and perhaps give
some profit and pleasure in beginning a
theme, as it were, at sthe 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 to be considered or be
described in that comprehensive way which
Eili leave it all a distinct and compact
nifty N the recollection. That is at least
ny own habits of enjoying travel and OBJ
rvation; and / have abundant reason to
elieve that those who follow my wander
lgs lind genial enjoyment in travelling in
ust that sort of ruminative, lettering and
ltogether pleasant way.
Malta's Peculiar History.
Malta is such very little place that some
thing like personal explanation is pardon
able when one refers to its history. And
vet in that history lies nearly all that makes
it worth talking about at all Over !, 500
wears before the birth of Christ Malta was
taken possession of by the Phenicians, and
they held it for nearly 800 years. The
Greeks, who had founded the important
colony at Syracuse, then made themselves
masters of the island and gave it the name
of Meiita, on account of the delicious
honey obtained there; and Maltese honey is
noted delicacy at this very time. During
the Punic wars the Carthagenians took
Malta and the two contiguous islets of Coco
and Comino from the Greeks During the
domination of the Carthagenians the islands
were so thoroughly colonized by the Berber
and Arab races that to them can undoubt-
edlv be traced the ancestors of the Maltese
of our own time.
The Romans now 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 bar
barrie and semi-barbaric conquest there is
nothing of greater interest than dreary
tales of pillage, rapine, slavery and blood
Then suddenly, shortly after the beginning
of the Christian era, one shipwreck makes
Malta eternallv famous. If you will read
the last two chapters of the Acts of the
Apostles, YOU Will know the whole story:
How Paul, after his defence before Agrip-
pa, when in charge of the centurion, Julius,
was proceeding by sea to the court of
Cesar at Rome, was shipwrecked upon
Malta, where he was kindly entertained
by the barbarians, 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 to Rome.
Arabian Rule in Malta.
The Arab races gained dominion of Malta
in S33 About 200 years later the Sicilians
drove out the Saracen rulers and annexed
the islands of Sicily, under the government
of Roger, the youngest son of Tancred, hero
of the Crusades Then, in 1894, France
took both Malta and Sicily from the Nor
mans: when, at the massacre of the Sicilian
Vespers in 1888, French supremacy in all
these islands was at an end. They were
seized by Pedro of Arragon and made
dependency of Spain for nearly $50 years.
The only career of real glory and inde-
pendence which ever came to the Maltese
island opened in 1880.
After the famous siege of Rhodes by
Sulieman the Magnificent, in 1922, when
the knights Hopitallers were expelled from
their shattered towers, though within fade
less honor and glory, they retired first to
Crete, and to Sicily. The Emperor Charles
V, moved by their renown and homeless
ness, as well as by stragetic considerations,
finally ceded to them Malta with Gozo and
Comino. the only conditions of the same be-
ing that the Knights should repress the
audacitv of the African corsairs, and, in
token of homage, every year present a sim
gle falcon to the viceroy of Sicily.
Wonderful Wealth and Influence.
Twenty-eight Grand Masters exercised the
chiet authority during the 267 years in
which the now knights of Malta held sway
over the island and the various brances of
the order which acquired riches and power
in every portion Of Christian Europe. No
order on earth ever attained the same
wealth and influence The latter was
secretly courted by monarchs 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 distinc-
tion by the demi-cross 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 commanderfes of its eight |
Languages" the very cream of the men |
and means of the entire Christian world. |
The chivalrous spirit of the age everywhere |
lent wealth, luster and power to the order |
Kings and eniperors sent splendid embassies /
TO its courts. The properties of its COM |
manderies in various countries became |
enormous. The votive offerings at Malta |
were of incalculable value. And the grand |
master of the order possessed not only mill |
tary and absolute authority over all its |
members, but sovereign power and regal |
rights over all his subjects
From 1551 to 1886, period of barely two |
and half centuries after the first settlement |
of Malta bv the Knights of St John, nearly |
all the majestic monuments of their wealth |
and power which may be found here to-day, |
were resultant from their military and &C. |
clesiastic handiwork; while during the same |
brief period were marshaled the events |
which have crowned their memory with i'm |
perishable glory and renown.
vaIetta's Mighty Fortifcations.
Most impressive of all remains of their |
tremendous power are the colossal fortifca- |
tious of Valetta- When the handiwork of |
man is considered, Gibraltar pales into in
significance in comparison with Malta.
''God made Gibraltar; Gods Wears,
Maltar' once exclaimed an enthusiastic ad- |
miral as his eyes first rested upon impreg-
nable Valetta. The conformation of the |
port, or double port, is in shape something
like a gigantic mouth with protruding
tongue The latter would represent Valetta
ha opd 1ouar fba |