Brydone, Patrick; Beckford, William: A Tour Through Sicily And Malta: in a series of letters to William Beckford ; in 2 vol. (Band 2) (1775)

SICILY AND MALTA. 41
freplenish the bowl so often, that I really
expected to see most of them under the table.
They called it Pontia, and spoke loudly
in its praise ; declaring that Pontio (allud-
ing to Pontius Pilate) was a much better
fellow than they had ever taken him for.
However, after dinner, one of them, a re-
verend eanon, grew excesfively sick, and
while he was throwing up, he turned to
me with a rueful countenance, and making
his head, he groaned out, " Ah, Signor
Capitano, sapeva sempre che Pontio era un
grande traditore."—" I always knew that
Pontius was a great traitor." Another of
them overhearing him, exclaimed—" As-
pettatevi Signor Canonico."—" Not so fall
(said he) my good Canon."—" Niente al
pregiudizio di Signor Pontio, vi prego.—-
Recordate, che Pontio v'ha fatto un cano-
nico ;—et Pontio ha fatto sua eccellenza uno
Vescovo—Non scordatevi mai di vostri
amici."

Now