Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/526

492 that he should not have been named by La Valette in preference to de Toledo, and it has been suggested that there was a little jealousy in the matter, an idea which seems not improbable, as the career of de Monte had up to this point been curiously similar to that of his predecessor. Like him the grand-admiral had served at the siege of Rhodes, and after that event had also established for himself a high reputation by his naval exploits. The Pope, in consideration of his services, had appointed him governor of the castle of St. Angelo at Rome. He had subsequently been named general of the galleys by the council, and had eventually become the conventual bailiff of his bin gill’. It was whilst holding this office that he was selected by La Valette to conduct the defence of Senglea during the late siege. His services in that post were sufficiently brilliant to have ranked him in general opinion second only to La Valette himself. At the conclusion of the war he was sent as envoy to Rome, and when there, the Pope, as a mark of respect for his great services, would not permit him to kneel in his presence.

De Monte was strongly impressed with the value of the work going forward on Mount Sceberras. He had no sooner, therefore, assumed the reins of government, than he announced his intention of pushing forward to a speedy conclusion the labours of his predecessor. Towards the end of 1670, the fortifications being in a very advanced state, the Pajal engineer, Laparelli, took his final departure, leaving the completion of the works to Jerome Cassan, the engineer of the Order, under the control of the commander de la Fontaine, to whom that branch of superintendence had been specially delegated. So eager was de Monte to bring his new city into a forward condition, that although it was still in an unfinished state, even as regarded the fortifications, he determined to move the head-quarters of the convent there as soon as possible, and on the 17th March, 1571, the transfer was effected. This event was celebrated with much magnificence, and may be considered as the date when the town of Valetta was first inhabited. It was, even at that time, far from ready for permanent occupation, and the Grand-Masters residence was as yet only a wooden structure, containing a hall and two rooms. It had been originally intended to build a palace for him upon the site where the auberge de Castile now