Plaques marking the uprising against the French.Plaques marking the uprising against the French.

I am afraid that the “lie” told by Maltese aristocrats and clerics as a ruse (Charles Xuereb, The Sunday Times of Malta, October 26) regarding the plunder by French soldiers in 1798 has been written in stone.

I suggest Xuereb should go to Rabat and read the marble plaque affixed to the front of St Mark’s church. A few metres away, there is another plaque – this time at Ta’ Ġieżu church, where the Confraternity of St Joseph is still housed to this day – affixed, both recording those events for posterity.

He may also wish to walk a few metres to Mdina, where he can read another plaque with the names of a number of Maltese killed during the ensuing revolt.

All the property of the Order, according to Xuereb, was voluntarily signed away to the new French rulers and therefore ought to be considered the property of France at the time of their removal and that was not plunder according to him.

This, presumably, include the Treasury of Malta, whose secretary, just released from jail, signed the capitulation of Malta on behalf of the Order.

He eagerly directed Napoleon Bonaparte to the treasury, from where a clean sweep of all the money they could find was carried out. These comprised the funds of the Università dei Grani, and the Monte di Pietà, from where some five million francs were stolen and loaded on Bonaparte’s flagship L’ Orient.

This money, used mainly for the purchase of corn, could not have been construed as belonging to the Order.

General Vaubois was, of course, kept oblivious of this plunder, which was the instigator for his inability to pay the soldiers. He was also kept in the dark about the executive directory warning Napoleon about the dangers of invading Malta. And they retracted their support!

I am inclined to agree with Xuereb about the silver gate at the Chapel of St John’s Co-Cathedral. It is hard to imagine that such a beautiful gate would have been missed by such a formidable team, which included renowned art connoisseur Dominique Vivant Denon, a frequent visitor to Malta. Malta is indeed thankful for that!

However, a question has now arisen: after having scoured the island for six days, what would 54 eagle-eyed scholars have left behind?

All the treasure was hastily loaded on board Les Sensibles. Poor Vaubois was left with only the bare necessities. That haste raises questions: did the French really anticipate a long stay on the island?

And then, irony of ironies, Les Sensibles, on its way to France, with all that treasure on board, is captured by their old enemies the British. It was escorted all the way to England where presumably those works of art are still adorning British museums to this day.

De Valette’s sword, now hosted at the Louvre in Paris, may have been sent there in gratitude!

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