ting the legitimate sovereign
of Malta, by wishing to see the Russian flag fly in Malta, and also of
me, who command the forces of a Power in such close alliance with the
Russian Emperor, which have been blockading and attacking Malta for
near six months. The Russians shall never take the lead."

Three weeks later he authorized Ball, with the consent of the King, to
preside over the meetings of the Maltese chiefs, and, by the desire of
his Sicilian Majesty, the British flag was to be hoisted alongside the
Sicilian in every place where the latter was flown, "side by side,
that of England being on the right hand," to show that the island was
under the special protection of Great Britain during the war. On the
23d of March he cordially congratulates the Russian admiral upon the
fall of Corfu, news of which he has just received, and he mentions,
meaningly, "The flag of his Sicilian Majesty, with that of Great
Britain, is flying on all parts of Malta, except the town of Valetta,
the inhabitants of which have, with his Sicilian Majesty's consent,
put themselves under the protection of Great Britain." "I attach no
value to it for us," he said explicitly to the First Lord, meaning, no
doubt, for the purposes of the existing war. This opinion was
perfectly consonant to the secondary importance he had latterly
attributed to the presence of the British in the Levant, as compared
to their duties towards Naples, but though he reiterated it in the
later war, it was with the express qualification that, for the
security of communication with India, not then in question, the value
of the island was indisputable.

But if, positively, Malta was of little use to England,--"a useless
and enormous expense," to use his own words,--yet, negatively, the
consequences of its passing into the hands of a powerful rival were
too serious to be permitted. "Any expense should be incurred rather
than let it remain in the hands of the French." The same distrust of
the Russians was suggested by his keen political insight. "You will
observe what is said in the despatches of the Consul at Corfu," he
writes to St. Vincent, "respecting the Russians being ordered to
Malta. I know this is a favourite object of the Emperor's, and is a
prelude to a future war with the good Turk, when Constantinople will
change masters. This is so clear, that a man must be blind not to see
it." "I have just received the Emperor of Russia's picture in a box
magnificently set with