Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

then conduct you to the governor's palace, formerly the residence of the Grand Master of the knights. Here you would see their library of sixty thousand volumes, open to the examination of all; or their still more curious armory, where with spear and shield in hand, and visor down, some of their number still seem to be keeping their silent watch. And when satisfied with seeing the antiquities, the gorgeous tapestry, and the portraits of the Grand Masters, from L'Isle Adam, down, I would conduct you to the church of St. John, where those "kings of the nations, all of them lie in glory, every one in his own house." But a day would not suffice for examining the magnificence of its interior, nor that of St. Paul, at Citta Vecchia, the ancient capital, in the centre of the island. From Citta Vecchia, we might descend into the catacombs which are near by, and after groping among those, perhaps, spacious dwellings of the dead, come forth to view two most pleasant resorts of the living. These are the palace and gardens of St. Antonio, (once the public property of the knights, but now the summer's residence of the [governor,) and the Boschetto, an orange garden most charmingly situated, and abundantly watered from its own unfailing fountain. In conclusion, I might take you to the grotto to see the marble statue of St. Paul, who is of course, the patron saint of the island; or to the harbor called by his name, which with great probability, is supposed to have been the place where he was shipwrecked; and if you are weary, we might enter "in the same quarters," the more doubtful house of Publius "the chief man of the istand," where we should probably find the same Maltese Captain, by whom my companions and myself, were

very courteously entreated. As it is not however my purpose to write the history or geography of Malta, you must look for a more particular description in the books of travellers, and the journals of my missionary brethren.

CHAPTER V.

MALTA.

Funeral of the Governor, Marquis of Hastings-Prosperity and consequent obligations of our country-American and English missionaries--Operations of the press-Recent and hopeful

changes.

Malta, Dec. 16.

We have just returned from witnessing the last abundant honors, paid to the memory of the Governor General of Malta, the Marquis of Hastings. In consequence of increasing debility, he had sailed a few weeks since for the coast of Italy, to take advantage of a softer sky. After his death in the Bay of Naples, his remains were brought back to this place. During the week, they have been lying in state at the palace, until their interment to day.

The pageant has been grand and imposing. All the soldiers on the island, (four English regiments, and one Maltese, which last is constantly quartered here,) the civil authorities, the naval gentlemen, the citizens, and the different orders of ecclesiastics took part in the ceremony. Thus has been laid in the narrow house, where "the rich and the poor meet together," one of the most exalted of the English peers, and high

est officers of the British army, as well as one, who, in different hemispheres, had filled the most important stations in civil life. So passes the glory of this world! In the freshness and pride of youth, he whom they have now laid in his grave, while yet bearing the title of Lord Rawdon, contended sucessfully for the palm of military glory, in the war of our own revolution. Afterwards he was elevated to the post of Governor General of India, in which responsible situation, he furnished the occasion of the celebrated trial of Warren Hastings, before the British parliament. And now in the evening of his days, he has been induced, in consequence of his impaired fortune, to exercise a more limited, yet as is universally admitted, a mild and parental sway, over this, and the Ionian islands.

Besides the reflections on the transitory nature of earthly distinction and glory, which this scene has tended to awaken, I have also been led by it, to contemplate the kindness of Providence to our native land. When the deceased first girded on his youthful armor, to pursue our partizan soldiers over the southern plains of America, it was doubtful, even in the eyes of friends, whether she would obtain an independent seat among the nations. Now, her sons from the midst of ten millions of a free and happy people, borne in her own vessels, and on their way to set up anew the standard of the cross, in lands where the first triumphs of Christianity were won, are passing spectators when the same individual is laid to his last rest in the days of his age. Surely in this eventful period of Zion's his tory, it was not intended to be in vain for her cause, that such a tide of unexampled prosperity has flowed in upon us.

While then we dwell on this, no unreal picture of universal diffusion of knowledge, spirit of enterprize, competence of property, unshackled condition of civil and religious institutions, and good will of the nations. towards us, let it not foster our national vanity, but excite us rather to exertions for the good of mankind. Better would it be, if the world knew of our greatness less from our boasting, and more from our beneficence. Thus may the blessings bestowed on our country, ever prompt her to seek her share in those heavenly honors, which it is alike her duty and her privilege to win."

The month which we have passed in this place, though it has brought us forward but little in Italian, (the language which on coming to the Mediterranean, we find it necessary first to cultivate,) has been far from unprofitably spent. Much of our time we have devoted to conversation with our missionary brethren, in order to avail ourselves, according to the instructions of the committee, of their valuable experience.

We have met here of our countrymen, Rev. Messrs. Temple and Smith, and Mr. Hallock has just arrived from America. Mr. and Mrs. Temple, under whose roof we seem to have received the welcome of primitive times, have now been nearly six years at this station. All the operations of the press are under the direction of Mr. Temple. He has been chiefly employed in publishing tracts in Italian and Modern Greek. These are translated under his superintendence, by persons to whom the languages are vernacular. Mr. Smith, who is to be associated with him in similar labors, has lately joined the mission. He proposes to devote himself more particularly to publications in the

oriental languages, Arabic, Turkish and Armenian, and in order to qualify himself, has just sailed for Egypt and Syria. Mr. Hallock is to superintend the printing department.

The English missionaries stationed heré, are the Rev. Messrs. Jowett, Wilson, Keeling and Rule. Mr. Jowett, of the English Church Missionary Society, is regarded as the patriarch of the Mediterranean missions. It is now more than twelve years, since he first came to Malta. In addition to his valuable volumes of Christian Researches in the Mediterranean, and in Palestine and Syria, he has also been employed in various publications in Italian, Greek and Arabic. Mr. Wilson, who is in the service of the London Missionary Society, besides printing tracts in Italian, is likewise much devoted to modern Greek. Several years since, he travelled in different parts of Greece, distributing the scriptures and tracts. Messrs. Keeling and Rule are under the direction of the (English) Methodist Missionary Society. Mr. K. gives some attention to Maltese, in which language, the gospel of John has been published by Mr. Jowett. Messrs. Wilson, Keeling and Rule, have each chapels in their own houses, where public worship in English is attended by small congregations, composed of merchants, soldiers and strangers. We have preached repeatedly, according to the practice of our American brethren, in each of them, and have found attentive audiences. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have an interesting Sabbath school, conducted in English. Besides these services, some of the missionaries preach occasionally in Italian. Little access, however, has as yet been obtained to the Maltese, or any other class of the Catholic population.

« ZurückWeiter »