Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/702

666 pellier, and he was buried in the chapel of that community. lie died in such extreme poverty that the physicians who attended him in his last moments received no remuneration for their services, and no funds of his own were forthcoming to defray the expenses of his funeral.

The great body of the knights, who, on their expulsion from Malta, were cast homeless and destitute on the world, proceeded at once to Russia, the emperor of which country still retained the title of Protector of the Order, and was the only monarch who of late years had shown any sympathy with them. By him they were received in the most gracious manner, and with the most flattering cordiality. His desire was to become Grand-Master in lieu of von Hompesch, that he might with that title found a claim to the island of Malta. This wish soon became known to the knights assembled at St. Petersburg, and although von Hompesch had not at the time sent in his resignation, they summoned a council, and on the 27th October elected the emperor their Grand-Master. The nomination was utterly illegal, not only from the fact that the post was not yet vacant, but also because none of the elements necessary for a valid election were present. The proclamation of appointment itself specifies that the members taking part in it were only the bailiffs, grand-crosses, commanders, and knights of the Russian priory, together with such of the fugitives from Malta as had taken shelter in St. Petersburg. Invalid as the act was, Paul graciously accepted the proferred dignity in a proclamation dated on the 13th November, and on the 10th December he was publicly invested with the insignia of his new office.

The emperor, however, did not consider his appointment free from cavil as long as the election of Hompesch remained unannulled. He therefore caused such pressure to be brought to bear on that unfortunate chief, that on the 6th July, 1799, a formal act of abdication was forwarded to St. Petersburg, and Paul was henceforth left to enjoy his barren dignity undisturbed. His first step was to create a second Russian priory for such of his subjects as were members of the Greek church. The new priory consisted of ninety-eight commanderies, and its revenues amounted to 216,000 roubles, payable out of the public treasury. lie then announced to all the courts of Europe the