Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/420

390 locality which did not afford them facilities for pursuing their favourite calling. This, and this alone, was the motive which induced them to accept the island of Malta, and to establish on it their convent. Nature had done everything, both in the central position of the island and in the configuration of its eastern coast, to render it suitable for naval enterprise, and L’Isle Adam determined to strain every nerve to remedy the numerous disadvantages under which it otherwise laboured.

It would have seemed a sufficiently desolate outlook for the Order had it received these islands without conditions, but the emperor, who well knew how to make the best of a bargain, had insisted on the occupation of the city of Tripoli as an absolute condition of their transfer. The report of the oemmissioners despatched to inspect this new acquisition was eminently discouraging. Situated at a distance of more than 200 miles from Malta and surrounded by piratical enemies, it was not only scantily fortified at the time, but what was far worse, seemed incapable of receiving much accession to its strength. The sandy nature of the soil, presenting a very treacherous foundation, rendered the erection of ramparts and the sinking of ditches a matter of extreme difficulty, if not absolutely impracticable. It was to be feared, therefore, that any garrison which the knights might despatch for the protection of the place would run great risk of being overwhelmed before succour could reach them. They felt, however, that in this matter they had no choice. The only course for them to pursue, was to endeavour, by the utmost exercise of skill and energy, to counterbalance the natural disadvantages of this most unwelcome addition to their responsibilities.

The day on which L’Isle Adam landed in Malta was the 26th October, 1530, and he at once assumed sovereign power over the islands. At the entrance to the Città Notabile, an insignificant collection of small houses, surrounded by a feeble fortification on the summit of a hill, but which ranked, nevertheless, as the chief town, he was arrested by the authorities until he had sworn upon the holy cross, the symbol of his religion, that he would preserve the privileges of the inhabitants, and govern them in accordance with their ancient