having
its special chapel and palace. In the Grand Master, however, who was
nearly always an accomplished linguist, rested supreme power over each
and all. No vow which the members of the fraternity took upon themselves
was deemed more binding than that of implicit obedience to the presiding
head of the order. The importance of discipline was thoroughly
recognized, and there was no possibility of appeal from a decision of
the Grand Master. By no other means could so heterogeneous an assembly
of men from different nations be controlled, especially when consisting
of individuals whose sense of moral rectitude was of the feeblest
character, and whose principal occupation was that of arms.

We were speaking more particularly of the cathedral of St. John, in
describing which many pages might be easily if not profitably filled.

The roof of the edifice, which is divided into zones, is superbly
painted in elaborate designs, representing hundreds of figures of such
proportions as to appear from the floor to be of life-size. The
subjects are mainly Scriptural themes, especially relating to the life
of St. John, painted in oil laid on the stone, which the artist prepared
by a peculiar process devised for this purpose. At the corners of each
of the arches are a score of figures representing martyrs and heroes,
illustrative of the history of the knightly order. The real genius
displayed in the designs could only be born of one inspired by a true
love of art, together with a devoutly religious spirit. The excellence
of the designs and the naturalness of the army of figures challenge both
surprise and admiration. They are so artistically done that it is
difficult not to believe them to be in bas-relief. The whole was the
patient work of one prolific artist, Mattia Preti, an accomplished and
enthusiastic Calabrian, who spent forty years of his life in the special
adornment of the church of St. John, refusing, it is said, all pecuniary
remuneration for the same. He was quite content to live frugally,
exercising strict self-denial, that he might thus exemplify his art and
his religious devotion. Preti studied the rudiments of his chosen
calling with his brother, who was director of the Academy of St. Luke,
at Rome, and brought with him to Malta not only ability and experience,
but a devout love of art for art's sake. His body lies buried before the
entrance to the vestry, the artist having died in 1739, well advanced in
years, and leav