Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/523

Rh case amongst the younger members, who seemed to consider that the heroic deeds so lately performed at the siege absolved them from all the other obligations of their profession. The wildest debauchery and the most reckless libertinism prevailed, and the orgies which constantly took place were a public scandal. In some of these, ribald songs were sung reflecting not only on the character of virtuous ladies in the island, but on the Grand-Master himself. Pasquinades and libels circulated freely, and nothing was too high or too sacred to be made a subject of ridicule. In one of these, which is still extant in Malta, La Valette is accused of cowardice during the siege, and of hiding himself behind a beam during one of the assaults on the post of Castile. Matters were at length brought to such a pitch that it became necessary to resort to strong measures of repression. A prosecution was instituted against the most notorious of the offenders, and they were summoned before the council. The insubordinate knights treated the entire affair with ridicule; they rushed into the council chamber in tumultuous array, the pen was plucked from the hand of the chancellor who was recording their sentence, and the inkstand thrown out of window. Then, feeling that they had compromised themselves so thoroughly that they were certain of the severest punishment, they hurried off to the harbour, and seizing upon one of the galleys, set sail for Sicily. Deprivation of habit was, of course, the natural consequence of this gross act of rebellion.

Meanwhile a dispute which threatened the most grave consequences sprang up between the fraternity and the court of Rome. For many years the pontiffs had arrogated to themselves the power of nomination to most of the vacant dignities in the langue of Italy. In his first outburst of gratitude after the successful defence of Malta the Pope had pledged himself to interfere no more in the giving of these appointments. Before long, however, this pledge was again broken, and he became as anxious as ever to claim the privilege he had so expressly renounced. La Valette, in consequence, addressed to his Holiness a letter of urgent remonstrance upon the subject, and at the same time despatched an envoy to Rome to seek reparation for the wrong which was