Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/674

638 the same situation as our friends, and I promise you I will make matters smooth with them when we meet.”

Francois Ximenes, grand-prior of Navarre and seneschal to Pinto, was elected to succeed him. He did not long survive his elevation, but he nevertheless in that short period contrived to render himself universally hated. He was a man of haughty demeanour and uncourteous address, and rapidly alienated the affections of all classes; he irritated the clergy by passing a law forbidding them to indulge in field sports and other worldly amusements, whilst the lower orders complained bitterly of a tax which he levied on bread to raise funds for the liquidation of the debts contracted by his predecessor.

General discontent having been thus excited, a plot was laid and carried into execution, principally by the priests. Availing themselves of a moment when the galleys were absent, blockading the port of Algiers, the conspirators, on the 1st September, 1775, succeeded in surprising the guard at St. Elmo and capturing that fort, making prisoners of the garrison, which consisted of 200 of the Grand-Master’s guard. They also seized the cavalier within the bastion of St. James, and then called upon the inhabitants to join them in expelling the Order. Great as most undoubtedly was the influence of the priesthood over the minds of the population, and widely spread as was the general discontent, no movement was made to second the violent measures which had been adopted, and the conspirators soon discovered that they would have to fight their battle unaided. Under these circumstances the issue could not long remain doubtful. In spite of threats to blow up the magazine which formed the basement of the cavalier, they were at once attacked by a force under the bailiff do Rohan, and made little or no resistance. Four hundred of the disaffected were captured, and tranquillity was speedily restored. A few of the ringleaders were executed, and several others condemned to imprisonment for life. When the French army entered the city in 1798 several of these captives were still living, and regained their freedom after a confinement of twenty-three years.

Various rumours were set afloat as to the origin of the plot and its ultimate design. Many persons thought that Russian