in Order to reconcile himfelf to a certain great Man, whom he had highly offended during his Ministry, he, offer'd to difcover to him all the Mysteries of State, an Action which, I am fure, does not agree with the Character of an honeft Mah. The beft Advice, my Lord, I Can give you is, to keep Silence; Time and Prudence alone can appeafe this Storm, especially at your Court of Rome, where Indulgences are fo cheap.

This is, my Lord, what I thought fit to impart to you at this Time, and that will be fufficient to undeceive you; but if it should prove otherwife, I promife to fend to you in Print certain fecret Advices of curious Paffages, that are come to the Knowledge of few People, and of which I was inform'd at Madrid from a very good Hand. And because it is not reafonable to talk fincerely with People who will not be convinc'd by Truth, it comes my Mind to dedicate unto you the Hiftory of the New Don Quixote of Spain, which is printing at Lyons, in which you will fee a Parallel between the Adventures of that Cardinal, and those of that famous Knight, the Glory of La Mancha.

into

Pray excufe the Length of this Anfwer: But as to me I fhould think the Pains I have taken to write it, fufficiently rewarded, if I could flatter myself, that it will perfwade you of two material Truths, first, That I wish your Cardinal all manner of Profperity; and that the Court of Madrid will grant him the Penfion he defires, tho' I hear he has little Occafion for it, our Bankers having engag'd that he will live honourably at Rome. One may likewife believe, that our Republick (Genoa) has gi ven by Way of Hofpitality, the neceffary Funds for that pious Work. The next Thing I wish is, that you may be fully perfwaded, that Spain fuffer'd very much during the Miniftry of Cardinal Alberoni, whofe Conduct could not be more repugnant to the true Intereft of that Monarchy, and that the Faults or Miftakes of his Eminence were more than fufficient to oblige the Court to difmifs him.

Before I conclude, I will tell you a Story of a certaint Lay-Brother of St. Francis. The Superior of his Convent fent him to Market to fell a certain Sort of Merchandise, which I fhall not name for fear of difparaging the Comparifon. Some Perfons offering to buy it, afk'd the honeft Brother, whether there was any Fault in it; and he ingenuously anfwer'd, That if there was not fome Defect in it, the good Fathers would not part with it. You may

Pp 2

think

think me, if you pleafe, as fimple as the Lay-Brother, provided you believe that I am still, my Lord, c.

Genoa, Dec. 7, 1721.

Thus we have given the Pro and Con in the Affair of Cardinal Alberoni, whofe Name will be famous in History to the End of Time. Who was the Author of this laft Piece is uncertain, but he appears to be a Spaniard, who, to conceal himself, affects to be thought a Genoeze. Were it not for occafional Pieces of this Nature, the prefent Age would be in the Dark, and Pofterity but ill inform'd in the true Springs of the Actions of thefe Times; for which Reason they ought to be carefully preferv'd, and therefore merit a Place in this Collection.

T

HE Ottoman Porte having the laft Spring made great Preparations of War, the Malteze were perfwaded that the Armament was defign'd against them, and therefore made all poffible Preparations for a Defence. There are, it feems, but three Places in that Inland where a Defcent can be attempted, viz. Georgio, Marfa Siruvo, and Cala; in each of which Places they pofted a ftrong Body of Troops, and caft up Intrenchments, defended by a numerous Artillery.

While the Great Mafter Zondodari was thus preparing for a vigorous Defence, and had fent to all the Princes of his Communion to defire their Affiftance, he was taken fo very ill, by Reafon of his too great Application and Fa tigues, that on the 17th of June he departed this Life: Upon which, the Knights of the Order affembled on the 22d of that Month, and according to the Constitutions of their Order, elected Great Mafter Don Antonio Manuel de Vilhena, a Portuguexe.

The Ifland Malta being fo little known to common Readers, and it being highly probable that next Spring it will be the Scene of a War, the following Account of that Ifland will not, we prefume, be unacceptable.

TH

Defcription of Malta.

HE Inland of Malta lies in the Middle of the Mediterranean, between the Coafts of Italy and Barbary, is about 60 Miles South of Sicily, and as much in Compafs;

has 26 Parish-Churches, about 40 large Villages, a Maga zine of Arms for 35000 Men, and is reckon'd able to raise 25000. The Order of their Knights is of above 600 Years ftanding. They were firft of Jerufalem, which (when taken by the Saracens) they abandon'd, and retir'd to Phoe nicia, from whence they were forc'd to Ptolemais, and from thence to Cyprus, where they ftaid till they took the Ifle of Rhodes, from whence the Turks afterwards forc'd them to Sicily, and from thence they came hither in 1530, when the Emperor Charles V. gave them this Ifland in Fee. The Order is divided into three Eftates, viz. Knights, who are to be noble by four Defcents on both Sides; the Chaplains, who are to be noble, or at leaft of a confiderable Family; and the Servants at Arms the like, or at leaft a Family rais'd above the Vulgar. Their Government is a Mixture of Monarchy and Ariftocracy. Their Grand Master, who reprefents a Monarch, coins Money, grants Pardons, and confers Benefices, but has only the Title of Eminence. Their Ariftocracy confifts in what they call their Sacred Council, where the Grand Mafter has only two Votes, and can determine nothing without the Advice of this Council. There is another call'd the Compleat Council, which confifts particularly of two of the eldest Knights of each of the 7 Nations of which the Order is compos'd, viz. Provence, Auvergne, France, Italy, Arragon, Germany, and Caftile, and before the Reformation, Great Britain made the 8th. Each of the Nations has a College or Hall, where they dine 7 and fup; and the Head of thofe Halls is Grand Prior of his Nation, and a Member of the Privy-Council, being diftinguifh'd from the reft by a large White Crofs embroider'd with Silk on their Breafts. The Maltese Corfairs take a great Number of Prisoners from the Turks, whom they condemn to Slavery. They have a large Prison, where they lodge at Night. There were 2000 not long ago belonging to the Order, befides thofe abroad in the Gallies, and 200 belonging to private Persons.

Mr. Ray, who was here, fays, that the Rule of the Knights Precedency is the Time of their Admiflion. When the Great Mafter appears abroad, he is attended by fome Knights, and two or three Pages, of whom he has 24. All the Knights uncover before him, except thofe of the Great Crofs. He wears a black fhort Gown, with HangingSleeves. When the Knights are at Home they wear what Habit they pleafe, but when abroad with the Gallies, wear the Habit of the Order. There's an Hofpital for the fick Knights, where they are attended by other Knights,

and

and ferv'd in Plate. The Government, fays Mr. Ray, is very easy, which makes the Inhabitants flourishing, and courteous to Strangers. The chief Product of the Ifland is Oil, Olives, Figs, Annis and Cummin Seeds, Cotton, Melons, Rofes, and as good Honey as any in the World:

As to the Ifland of Gozzo, it lies four Miles Weft of Malta, is thirteen Miles long, and feven broad. In the Year 1565 the Turks took it, and carry'd off 6000 Inhabitants. It has been repeopled fince, and they reckon in it about Soo Houfes, and 3000 Souls. It is fubject to Malta, and 'tis faid, has only one Fort on the Eaftern Shore. If that Ifland is defence lefs, no Doubt but the Inhabitants have remov'd their Effects, and quitted it, except thofe who have retir'd into the Fort, which is in a Condition to make a long Defence by Reafon of its Works, and its natural advantageous Situation. All our Advices from Sicily fay, That 4000 Imperialifts hold themfelves in a Readiness to embark upon the firft Warning for Malta, fo that the Turks will find that Enterprize more difficult than they imagine. All the Romish Princes are highly concerned to defend that Ifland; for notwithstanding the Knights of that Order are but Corfairs, as the Algerines äre, and in that Refpect ought not to be encoutag'd; yet it is of a great Advantage to their Subjects. The younger Sons of the Nobility find there Imployments, and it is a Nursery of Sea-Officers for Spain, Portugal, France, and Italy.

Into the Chanel of this Ifland the Turks came, about the Beginning of July laft, with a Squadron whofe Strength was variously reported; but according to our beft Advices, confifted only of about five Sultana's, or Men of War, and a few fmall Veffels, which fhews they only came to take a View of the Ifland, rather than to make any actual At tempt upon it. Accordingly, after a few Days Stay in that Chanel, their Admiral fent the following Letter to Malta, and then fail'd for the Coast of Tunis.

LETTER of the Admiral of the Turkish Squadron to the Maltese.

T

HIS is to fignify to the Governor and Chiefs of the le of Malta, to the Heads of the Senate, and to all the Chiefs and Knights of the Nations of the Meffiah, French, Germans, and Venetians, and others in that Ifland, that we are exprefly fent by the Sultan, Lord of the Universe, and Refuge of the World, to demand that all the Slaves, belonging to

the

the Knights of St. John at Malta, as well as others, to the Number of 6000, who are held under their wicked Government, be deliver'd, and reftor'd, in order to prefent themselves before his illuftrious and fublime Throne: This being his Will and Command, he has therefore arm'd out his Fleets, and exprefly requir'd us to notify to you our Arrival by this Letter, and caufe you to deliver up the Slaves; which in Cafe you make any Difficulty in performing, you shall fmart for it hereafter, and have Caufe to repent. You may fend to Tunis your Anfwer to this Letter,

To this Letter the Grand Mafter return'd the following Anfwer.'

Moft Excellent Lord,

HE Letter your Excellency fent is, dated the 28th of admire in it the Zeal of the Grand Seignior your most puffant Monarch, and applaud his pious Defign in fending your Excellency to thefe Seas, to demand Reftitution of all the Turkish Slavés on this Ifland, and all other Places dependent on it. Without Doubt, your Excellency knows that the Laws of our Inftitution do not engage us to make Slaves, but to fecure with all our Naval Force, the Christian Navigation and Commerce; yet if it happens that we meet Corfairs in our Cruizing, we make them Slaves, as being taken according to Military Law: And as the Number of Pyrates is much greater than that of Chriftians, who carry on a legal Trade, so it is not to be wonder'd that we have a great Number of fuch Slaves, exceeding that of Chriflians with you, whom we defire from our Hearts to redeem. We do affure you, that the Propofal you make us from the Grand Seignior your Mafter is perfectly agreeable to us, and excites in us the like Purpofe of redeeming Chriftian Slaves. But as that great Work of Charity cannot be done upon the Spot, and the Means are not poffible, but by pursuing the Methods usually practis'd among Princes of our own Communion, we offer to you either an Exchange, or Redemption, as being the Method most practis'd and convenient. We expect his Highness's Answer with Impatience, and rejoyce with your Excellency in the Choice he has made of your Perfon to execute fo praifeworthy a Defign, provided it be accomplish'd in a convenient

Manner.

Given at our Convent at Malta, August 2, 1722.

VENICE.