The following text is intended to give no more than a slight sketch, aided by Signer Boron's effective pencil, of the manifold interests to be found in Malta.<br><br>While the archæology of the island and its connection with the Order of St. John of Jerusalem have from time to time attracted attention, English writers seem regrettably to have neglected other topics presented by this unique Imperial possession, such as the folk-lore and literature of the Maltese language; the growth of the early Christian Church of Malta; the nature of the 'Consiglio Popolare' - that gleam of constitutional government in the Dark Ages quite as interesting as the Wittenagemote; or the social and economic condition of the Maltese people under the Knights and in the early days of British rule - all of which have engaged the attention of Italian and Maltese historians.