Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/593

Rh elaborate illuminations which invariably form their greatest attraction, is now defrayed by collections and offerings from the public in the vicinity. In the time of the knights the money was to a large extent provided from the public treasury.

The most entertaining of these festivals was the carnival, always observed in Malta with much splendour and variety of costume. The privilege of holding a carnival was granted by the Grand-Master not only on the three days immediately preceding the commencement of Lent, but at any other time when the Order desired to celebrate an event of unusual importance. These extra carnivals were called Babarro. On Shrove Tuesday a Cocagna was given to the people. This was a vast wooden structure reared in St. George’s Square, in front of the Grand-Master’s palace, and decorated with flowers, ribbons, and flags. The Cocagna was hung with provisions and fruits of all kinds. Live poultry, ham, eggs, sausages, joints of meat, etc., were mixed with wreaths of flowers and clusters of fruit, the whole presenting a most tempting display to the assembled multitude. At a given signal there was a general scramble, and the good things became the property of those sufficiently active and fortunate to seize upon and carry them off. A master of the ceremonies was appointed to superintend on this occasion, and to give the signal for onslaught. He was termed Il Gran Visconti, and for the day the administration of the police was intrusted to his care.

The great festival of the Order, St. John’s day, was naturally observed with much rejoicing. In the afternoon horse races were held for prizes presented by the Grand-Master. The singularity of these races consisted in the course selected for the purpose. The main street of Valetta, the Strada Reale, extends in a straight line from Fort St. Elmo to the Porta Reale, a distance of upwards of half a mile. This was the course over which the races were run, and as it was in the heart of the town all traffic had to be stopped during their continuance. They differed from those run in the Corso at Rome and in other cities, inasmuch as the horses were not riderless. On the 1st of May the old custom of the greasy pole was introduced, which the Maltese were very expert in mounting. This was erected in the square in front of the Grand-Master’s palace.