DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6094#0394
SICILY AND MALTA. 371
in moll: of the catholic countries of Eu-
rope ; and did so in England too, before
the time of Henry VIII. but that capri-
cious tyrant did not chuse that any institu-
tion, however ancient or respected, should
remain in his dominions, that had any
doubt of his supremacy and infallibility ;
he therefore seized on all their polsessions,
at the same time that he enriched himself
by the plunder of the church. It was in
vain for them to plead that they were ra-
ther a military than an ecclesiastic order,
and by their valour had been of great ser-
vice to Europe, in their wars against the
infidels: It was not agreeable to his system.
ever to hear a reason for any thing; and
no person could possibly be righr, that was
capable of supposing that the king could
be wrong.
Malta, as well as Sicily, was long under
the tyranny of the Saracens; from which
B b 2 they
in moll: of the catholic countries of Eu-
rope ; and did so in England too, before
the time of Henry VIII. but that capri-
cious tyrant did not chuse that any institu-
tion, however ancient or respected, should
remain in his dominions, that had any
doubt of his supremacy and infallibility ;
he therefore seized on all their polsessions,
at the same time that he enriched himself
by the plunder of the church. It was in
vain for them to plead that they were ra-
ther a military than an ecclesiastic order,
and by their valour had been of great ser-
vice to Europe, in their wars against the
infidels: It was not agreeable to his system.
ever to hear a reason for any thing; and
no person could possibly be righr, that was
capable of supposing that the king could
be wrong.
Malta, as well as Sicily, was long under
the tyranny of the Saracens; from which
B b 2 they