Mustapha, during the final
stage of the siege, dressed
the camp servants in the uniforms of dead Jannissaries to
maintain the spirits and morale of his troops
Albeit, the task might be a footnote
in history and even though neither
the Prime Minister, Joe nor I was
directly associated in any way with
the Order of Malta, I felt the weight
of history during the course of the
effort. I returned often to Saint
John���s co-cathedral; each visit, among
the Knights, there entombed and
memorialized, contributed strength
needed to carry on the effort. Their
tombstones embodied spirits of the
fallen that it seemed should have
common basis with their contemporary
spiritual heirs both in the Order and
in the Republic of Malta. History
weighs heavily in Malta, so do politics.
HYLAND
