Sicily and Italy; and if the government occafionally fuftain a loss by the tranfaction, it is compenfated by a correspondent gain in plentiful years, though, upon the whole, a fmall profit is derived, whilst the people are certain of being fupplied at a moderate price.

M. de Boifgelin argues in favour of the mildness of the government of the Knights, from the great increase of population fince the period of their arrival in 1530, to that of their departure in 1798. According to his ftatement, the number at the former period did not exceed 15,000, whereas at the latter it exceeded 100,000. The increafe, we admit, is immenfe, but other caufes may be affigned, befides the mildness and generosity of the government. A conftant fucceffion of upwards of 500 rich individuals, from almost every Roman Catholic country in Europe, must neceffarily have attracted a vast number of retainers and followers; and adventurers from different parts of the Mediterranean were, no doubt, induced, by the hope of plunder, to embark on board the gallies of the Order. But the author himself, in a former part of the work, affigns a better reafon than mere conjecture. The Maltefe,' fays he, are remarkably fober; a clove of gar lic, or an onion, anchovies dipped in oil, and falt fish, being their ufual diet.' If, as the author afferts, the Knights of Malta expended large fums gratuitoufly in fupport of this overgrown population, we cannot help thinking, that their generofity would have been much more ufefully employed in encouraging commerce and manufactures, and in improving the face of a country where much remains to be done. If we were to argue, from the proportion of population alone, we muft infer, that the government of Naples is greatly milder than that of Great Britain, and that the Chinese enjoy the mildeft government in the world. But if the Maltese really enjoyed more happiness under the Order than they can poffibly expect under any other government, they have proved themfelves either blind to their own intereft, or the most ungrateful people upon earth; for it is well known, that at a period when active measures were taken for the reftitution of the island to the Knights of St John, the great bulk of the people, fo far from teftifying their joy, deprecated the return of the Order as the greatest of poffible calamities.

The following obfervations relative to the climate of Malta are the refult of experiments made by the celebrated naturalift Dolomieu, whom the author defcribes as a very learned man, much more remarkable for his great knowledge, than for his attachment to the Order.

Reaumur's thermometer in Malta during the fummer is generally below 25 degrees, and scarcely ever above 28. In winter it is very

feldom

feldom lower than 8 degrees below the freezing point. Heat and cold are not moft felt when the thermometer is at either of the two extreme points of our temperature; for there is an almost constant contraft between our fenfations and the inftruments which measure the true temperature of the air, between fenfible and real heat.

The different directions of the wind produce an inftantaneous change from cold to heat and from heat to cold. North or north-west winds always occafion cold; and a fouth wind conftantly brings heat. The violence with, which they blow modifies the fenfations they cause, and thofe produced by thefe winds become ftill ftronger, because the atmosphere they put in motion is analogous to what we feel from real heat and extreme cold.

A north-weft wind purifies the air in the greatest degree; a northeast wind is not quite fo pure; and it becomes infinitely lefs fo when it changes to the fouth-eaft or the fouth; but it grows rather better when it veers to the fouth-weft, particularly if the fea be much agitated. The north-weft wind is purified by the vast expanfe of fea which it pafles over; but the north wind would fuffer fome degree of alteration from Italy and Sicily, if the great vegetation in thofe fine coun tries did not tend to purify the atmosphere.

When the wind changes to the fouth, it becomes dangerous, owing to its having paffed over the barren burning continent of Africa, where there is fcarcely any vegetation, and where the heat is fo intense, that every thing fufceptible of rarefication in the earth produces exhalations, which enter into the atmosphere. It is not purified by paffing over the fea, becaufe the channel is narrow, and being fheltered by the land, the water is not fufficiently agitated to abforb by its motion the mephitic miafmata with which the air is impregnated.

The extreme cold during winter is produced by the pure air which blows from the north. The winds act upon us by their great violence, which continually renews the volume of air that furrounds us. The cold thus produced is eafily avoided, by not expofing ourfelves to the conftant currents of air and violence of the wind.

In fummer, when the wind blows from the fouth-eaft, the usual purity of the air is fo greatly altered, that were it to change a few degrees more, it would be impoffible to breathe; and the infenfible perfpiration of the body would form fo thick an atmosphere, that fuffocation muft infallibly enfue. The fouth winds never blow long at a time, feldom lafting more than three or four days. They are frequently fucceeded by a calm, during which the heat is alfo very great, but much lefs oppreffive and fuffocating, though the thermometer frequently shows a much higher degree of real heat. The air is then infinitely more pure; and the fea-breezes during the night, and indeed fome part of the day, greatly refresh the atmosphere. This air is purified by paffing over the water, which it gently agitates. There is

alío

The tranflator of this paffage is certainly egregioully wrong. The words of Dolomieu are, L'hiver, il eft très rarement au deffous de 8 degrés fur la point de congelation.'

alfo a morning land-breeze, which, though lefs pure, cools the air in fome degree.

When the wind changes fuddenly from the fouth to the north, we feel an aftonishing lightness, our fenfations are inexpreffibly pleafant, and we breathe with the greatest freedom. It is a certain fact, that on these occafions the air becomes 20 or 25 degrees more pure though there is no variation in the thermometer.

Nothing is more falutary during the Sirocco than iced beverages : they revive the spirits, ftrengthen the body, and affift digeftion. Snow is therefore confidered at Malta as one of the firft neceffaries of life. It is brought from Sicily, and administered to the fick. When ever there is a scarcity of this article, all that remains in the ice-houses is entirely referved for the ufe of the hospitals.

There is another method much in vogue among the young Maltefe, who, in order to guard against the ill effects of the Sirocco, plunge into water, and come out by degrees, without drying themselves, that the humidity on the fkin may evaporate, by which means the vapour carries off not only fome part of the heat of the body, (it being at excellent conductor), but at the fame time the miasmata of our infenfible perfpiration.'

The first part of the work concludes with the natural history of the island, a catalogue of the plants, and a long differtation on the propagation of the fig-tree.

The fecond, and by much the larger divifion of this work, relates chiefly to the conftitution and hiftory of the Order of St. John.

It is certainly a most extraordinary fact, that, at the end of the eighteenth century, there fhould ftill exift a fociety of men, whofe members, uniting the most difcordant characters, profeffed at once to adopt the aufterities of a religious order, and to wage perpetual war with the enemies of the Chriftian faith. Yet fuch was the Order of St John of Jerufalem, which, of all the inftitutions to which the Crufades have given rife, exhibited the moft heterogeneous mixture of Chriftian humility and temporal pride;-the moft fingular attempt, to reconcile the poffeffion of rich benefices and luxurious indulgences, with vows of poverty and profeffions of felf-denial.

As the eloquent Vertot had fo ably preceded M. de Boisgelin in the history of this pious fraternity, we cannot help thinking that the latter would have performed a more effential fervice to his Order, as well as to the public, had he referred the reader to a work infinitely better calculated than the prefent to imprefs the mind with exalted ideas of the piety and valour of the Knights of Malta. It is true that Vertot does not bring down the hiftory of the Order to the present day; he concludes in good time; but, had he been now alive, we scarcely think he would have rivalled our author in

his attempt to rescue the Knights of the 18th century from the imputation of degeneracy; at leaft we may venture to say, that, with all his ingenuity, he would not have been more fuccessful. But a description of the fiege of St Elmo is an excellent item in the compofition of a book; and the chevalier will pardon us for fufpecting, that fome motive, lefs difinterefted than his concern for the glory of the Order, may have induced him to extend a work to three quarto volumes, the whole information of which might have been comprised in a moderate octavo. To fuch of our readers as have not had occafion to confider the conftitution of the Order of Malta, the following fummary abftract may not be unacceptable.

This Order was inftituted about the end of the eleventh century, and was originally compofed of a few charitable individuals, who eftablished a houfe at Jerufalem for the reception of the fick and wounded crufaders. This fociety having expreffed a defire to adopt a regular habit, the Pope invefted them with that of St Auguftin; and from that time their fucceffors have been required to take the vows of chastity, obedience, and poverty. At this period the members of the fociety were ftyled Hofpitallers Brothers of St John the Baptift of Jerufalem.' Extending their cares beyond the mere recovery of their diftreffed guests, they foon obtained permiffion to take up arms, in order to defend them from the infidels, in their journey to the neareft port, whence they might embark for Europe. Upon this occafion they took an oath before the Patriarch of Conftantinople, to defend the holy fe pulchre to the last drop of their blood, and to combat the infidels wherever they should meet them.' The Order having thus become military, increased both in numbers and importance; and received large donations and bequests from almost every country in Christendom. In procefs of time, the Knights agreed to divide themselves into seven different languages, of which the three first were French, viz. thofe of Provence, Auvergne, and France; the four others were thofe of Italy, Arragon, England, and Germany. The language of Caftile was afterwards added; and that of England, abolished at the Reformation, was afterwards replaced by the Anglo-Bavarian.

The first confifted

The Order was divided into three claffes. folely of fuch perfons as could bring indubitable proofs of their defcent from noble ancestors. The Knights of this clafs, called Chevaliers de Juftice,' enjoyed the rich commanderies, and other valuable pieces of preferment: from amongst their number the Grand Mafters were neceffarily elected; and in them, indeed, was vefted the whole authority of the Order.-The fecond clafs comprehended the Priests of the Order, fome of whom were re

quired

quired to officiate in the conventual church, whilst others were called upon to attend as chaplains in the galleys, or to refide on the benefices in the different priories fcattered over the Continent. From this clafs were elected the Bishop of Malta and the Prior of the Conventual Church of St John, who were next in rank to the Grand Mafter or his Vicegerent.The members of the third clafs were styled Servans d'armes,' and feem to have come under the defcription of Squires.' They were required to attend the Knights both in the hofpital and in their caravans, or expedition against the infidels. The two laft-mentioned claffes, though not required to be noble, were obliged to prove that they were born of refpectable parents, who had never been in fervitude, or followed any low art or trade. They enjoyed certain commanderies of smaller value, and had equally the privilege of voting at the election of a Grand Mafter with the Knights of the first clafs.

For fome time after the inftitution of the Order, no formal. proof was required to establish the pretenfions of candidates to the claim of nobility: nothing further was, in general, deemed neceffary than the names of their father and mother, the purity of whofe blood was feldom called in queftion. But when the intermarriages of nobles with plebeians became more frequent, the Knights of St John, jealous of the purity of their Order, inftituted certain forms to ascertain the legitimacy and descent of their candidates. These confifted of oral teftimony, the examination of charters and title-deeds, and other modes of investigation.

Different degrees of proof were required by the feveral languages, as well as different degrees of antiquity. For example, a Knight of the Italian language was required to eftablish the nobility of his father and mother, grandfather and grandmother, or, (to use the technical phrafe), to prove four quarters; but for each of thefe quarters two hundred years of nobility were neceffary.The candidate for admiffion to the language of Germany was required to prove fixteen quarters! When the different proofs of nobility were established, the candidate might be admitted at different ages. His refidence at Malta was feldom required before the age of twenty, and was frequently difpenfed with for a year or two more. During his novitiate, the candidate was required to ferve in the galleys during four expeditions or caravans against the infidels; and at the expiry of that term of probation his profeffion took place; a ceremony which was attended with great parade and folemnity. The form of admiflion is detailed with great precision at p. 222. of the fecond volume.

The author concludes his work with an account of the manner in which the island was delivered up to the French army in 1798; examines