regale themselves with the refreshments they bring with them, while many of the country people amuse themselves in dancing, and singing, and many other rural gratifications. Just below the city, on this day, there is also a race of horses, mules and asses, which are entirely unharnessed, and the riders without any means of maintaining their position except their legs, which they fix under the animal's belly, while with a thong in each hand they belabour the poor beasts until they reach the goal. Another race of this kind, on the feast of St. Rocco, is held at the Pietà, outside the gates of Port des Bombes, which had its origin in the yearly inspection of the native cavalry of the Order of St. John. The prizes at these races consist of large flags of various coloured silk, which the winners generally carry about the streets the next day, together with their animals covered with garlands of flowers and ribbons.

The Carnival is another source of popular amusement; this begins on the sunday preceding Lent, and lasts for three days. The afternoon is the principal time of the feast, during which numerous persons in masks are seen walking about the streets, endeavouring to amuse themselves, and to be a source of amusement to others. variety of dresses used on these occasions is beyond description. Not a few pride themselves

The

in playing all kinds of antics in a black habit, with long red horns, and a huge tail of the same colour. Calesses filled with ladies follow in a train through the principal streets, who readily engage in pelting confits and peas with any of the by-standers who will enter the lists with them. The number of respectable persons, however, who mask in the public streets has greatly diminished within the last few years, and it is to be hoped, that their good example will soon be followed by an entire relinquishment of so absurd and foolish a diversion. The day after the carnival, most of those persons who have masked repair to a small church in Casal Zabbar, called Della Grazia, by way of penance for their follies.

On saturday preceding the first day of the feast the Parata is celebrated. This consists of several companies of men, dressed up in gay ribbons, and armed with wooden staves and shields, who meet together under the houses of the wealthy, and perform several evolutions, striking their shields and dancing at the sound of music. This is concluded by raising up a little girl, splendidly arrayed, and girded with a small dagger, which she is taught to wave, while the band plays the national anthem, "God save the King.' In the time of the Order, they proceeded to the palace to receive permission for the celebration of the

Carnival. Their request was signified to the Grand master by one of the knights, and upon the boon being granted, they immediately performed a dance in front of the palace, and after. wards before the door of any other person, whom they thought would pay them for their trouble.

The origin of this amusement must be sought for in the annals of pagan rites, which christianity has not succeeded in abolishing in several countries of Europe. In a work on Malta "Par un voyageur François," the author ranks it with a popular feast very ancient in Thessaly, the Salzea of the Babylonians, The Chronia of the Athenians, and the Saturnalia of Rome, which many of the early christians continued, notwithstanding the zealous efforts which were made by the church to abolish them.

Another very famous diversion of the Maltese is the Giostra, which takes place on the anniversary of the victory gained over the Turks, when they made their attack upon the island, in the reign of La Valette. This sport is accompanied with races of boats which run part of the length of the harbour, the prizes being awarded by the Government. The Giostra is a large barge, anchored in an open place in the centre of the port, having a long tapering pole placed horizontally from the head, with a small flag fixed on at the

end, and made very slippery with grease, soap and several other ingredients. At a given signal, a number of naked boys are ready mounted on the barge, who immediately begin the task of endeavouring to seize the flag. One after another they continue tumbling into the water, and rising again to renew the attempt. Gradually the greasy matter begins to diminish, and they are able to advance farther; but an hour generally elapses before the prize is seized, and very seldom before some accident has happened among the competitors, many of whom strike their limbs on the poles in their fall into the water. This amusement generally attracts a numerous quantity of boats round the barge, filled with hundreds of spectators both male and female.

ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.

Origin of the present Maltese codes-Confusion of— Enumeration of the courts-Suppression of the Bishop's Tribunal-Trial by Jury introduced-Commissions to draw up new codes-Result of their labours-Language in which the Maltese codes ought to be written.

The Order of St. John of Jerusalem made over to the Maltese a deposit of written and consuetudinary laws, copied from the ancient Roman

a

and Roman Ecclesiastical legislations. At that period, Sicily followed the same course; for, since that island had come under the dominion of the Spaniards, it was obliged, in spite of the feelings of the people, to be subject to the power of the Vatican, which thought itself capable of regulating the morals of whole nations, with the confusion of laws one thousand two hundred years old, confusion increasingly aggravated by the Bullarium, the mass of the Pope's Decretals, and those of the Stravaganti. It appears, therefore, that the legislation of Malta was the same with that of Sicily. In later times, it is true, this island enjoyed several laws of her own, such as those of Manoel de Vilhena, Rohan, and other Grandmasters, who from time to time issued proclamations or provisionary regulations for particular cases; yet, both the Municipal Constitutions, as well as the above Proclamations, were, for the most part, very badly disposed, far behind the the times and the people which they governed, and coined, without exception, upon the impress of the above mentioned constitutions.

As to the Judiciary Proceedings of the country, they were based upon the Rito Siculo; and . the organization of the courts conformed to the

same.

It cannot fail to surprise, that the same disorders