Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/528

494 stands at the head of the Strada Mercanti, and is in the hands of the Royal Engineers. The auberge of Castile stands by the side of that of Italy, and is appropriated as a joint mess establishment for the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers. This building possesses far more architectural pretensions than any of the other auberqes, its magnificent site adding materially to its grandeur. Until of late it ranked indubitably as the finest structure in Malta, but some twenty years ago a grand opera house was erected in its immediate vicinity, in a very ornate and florid style, the result of which, whatever its own merits may be, has been greatly to injure the effect of the auberge of Castile. This opera house, which was utterly destroyed by fire, so far as its interior was concerned, in 1872, and since restored, stands on the site originally set apart for the auberge of England. From the time when that langue was suppressed by Henry VIII. until the latest days of the residence of the Order in Malta, hopes were entertained of its revival. Care was therefore always taken that everything connected with it should remain intact. Thus, when the general arrangements for the new city were being mapped out, a site, and that one of the best in Valotta, was set apart and religiously preserved for the use of the langue of England. Towards the end of the eighteenth century a new langue, called Anglo- Bavarian, was created, and for its use an auberge was erected facing the Mama Muscetto, near St. Elmo. This structure, which, though extensive, is far plainer than any of the others, is now an officers’ barrack.

Under the fostering care of de Monte the navy of the Order was greatly augmented. With the object of stimulating a spirit of enterprise, he gave permission to members of the fraternity to undertake cruises on their own responsibility and for their own benefit. This permission was largely taken advantage of, and many knights returned from their privateering expeditions against the Turkish corsairs laden with booty. In the midst of these private successes, a disgraceful disaster occurred. The general of the galleys, named St. Clement, whilst in command of four vessels laden with provisions, was overtaken by the Tunisian corsair Ucciali. St. Clement by no means distinguished himself; two of his vessels having been