Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/717

Rh pleasure. Fears were therefore entertained lest a counterrevolution might break out, with the object of bringing about such a consummation. The following letter, addressed to Ball by one of the lieutenants of his ship, who was stationed on shore at St. Antonio, shews the state of public feeling at the time:—

“For several days the minds of the inhabitants have been worked up to a degree of alarm that foreboded something very unpleasant, and a number of reports have been in circulation of the probability of a counter-revolution, which it was hinted would most likely take place on the 29th (June), the day of the celebration of the feast of St. Paul, when all the chiefs would be assembled at Città Vielle, assisting at the religious ceremonies. On the evening of the 28th the captain of the port of St. Paul’s came up to report to me the arrival of three knights of Malta, two of them Grand-Croix, in a speronaro. They were from Trieste, but last from Messina. He had allowed them to land, but immediately lodged them in the tower of St. Paul until he had received orders how to proceed. One of them, the bailli Nevens, was almost the only knight who had been popular with the Maltese; he had commanded the regiment of chasseurs in the country, most of whom are now acting as soldiers with us. From the existing circumstances, and a knowledge of the late Grand-Master having a strong party in the island who were ready to act in any way that could tend to restore him to his former government, I did not hesitate one moment in determining to send them out of the island without any loss of time, and in doing which I had not a doubt but I should meet your wishes. I therefore immediately sent the officer to St. Paul’s bay again, with orders to take any papers the knights might have brought, and to send an armed speronaro to see them some leagues from the island. In the course of a very few hours I found that the arrival of these persons had already caused a general movement and confusion in the island, and the captain of the port the next morning reported that during the few moments they were between the boat and the tower they had contrived to distribute upwards of fifty crowns among the crowd who assembled there, telling them at the same time that they had brought plenty of money, and that