Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/519

Rh Reverendus Prior Alverniie Dominus Frater LUDOVICUS BE LASTIC. Reverendus Prior Campanie Dominus Frater JOANNES AUDEBERT Dir LAU HUGE. Revercndus Baiulivus Caspis Dominus Frater LUDOVLCUS Ds LALZEDO. Locumtenens Reverendi Magni Commendatorii Dominus Frater JOANNES DR MONTAGU. Locumtenens Reverendi Turcopolerii Dominus Frater OJIVERIUS STARCHI. Locumtenens Reverendi Magni Baiulivil Aiemanie Dominus Frater CON RARD SCOULBACH. Locuintenens Reverendi Cancellarii Dominus Frater DON FERDINANDUS D’ALASCON. Locumtenens Reverencli Thesauranil Dominus Frater CAROLUS BE LA RAMA.

The record of the ceremony of the 28th March follows immediately after the above decree, and runs thus:—

“Inchoaflo Civilatis ad Mon tern Sancti .Elrni. Die xxviii. Mensi8 Martii MDLXVI fait incepta et inchoata Civita8 ad i}fontern Sancti Elmi, cuiquidem civitati Vallelta’ nornen unpositunfuit, faxit Deu.s iliudfaustuni et fells.”

Doubtless the pious aspiration with which it concludes found a warm response within the hearts of all present on the occasion. An amusing controversy has long raged in Malta in connection with these and other contemporaneous entries as to whether the name of La Valette should be spelt with one or with two i’s. These entries shew the letter doubled. In the few signatures by La Valette himself, not only the 1 but the I also is single. The explanation would probably be that in French the name was spelt with only one 1, whilst in Latin and Italian, in accordance with the common practice, the consonant was doubled.

The foundation of the new city was not effected without considerable opposition, and for some time after, La Valette was frequently called on to defend the prudence of the work he had undertaken. On the 3rd of April the viceroy, Don Garcia, arrived in Malta, accompanied by several engineers and other officers whose judgment on such matters might be considered valuable. The opinion which they expressed was that the step