A person who has never been at Malta can, by reading its history, hardly picture to himself the change which the island underwent for the better, under the long and happy rule of the Order of St. John. Look whither one will, at this day, he sees some of the most perfect fortresses in the world,--fortifications which it took millions of money to erect; and two hundred and fifty years of continual toil and labour, before the work on them was finished. As a ship of war now enters the great harbour, she passes immediately under the splendid castles of St. Elmo, Ricasoli, and St. Angelo. Going to her anchorage, she "comes to" under some one of the extensive fortifications of the Borgo, La Sangle, Burmola, Cotonera, and La Valetta. In all directions, and at all times, she is entirely commanded by a line of walls, which are bristling with cannon above her. Should the more humble merchantman be entering the small port of Marsamuscetto, to perform her quarantine, she also is sailing under St. Elmo and Florianna on the one side, and forts Tigné and Manoel on the other; from the cannon of which there is no escape. But besides these numerous fortifications, the whole coast of the island is protected by forts and batteries, towers and redoubts. We name those of the Red Tower, the Melleha, St. Paul, St. Julien, Marsa Sirocco, and St. Thomas; only to show how thoroughly the knights had guarded their convent, and how totally different the protection of the Maltese was under their rule, from what it was when they first landed; and found them with their inconsiderable fort, with one cannon and two falconets, which, as Boisgelin has mentioned, was their only defence.] * * * * * ENAREANS. When Psammeticus turned back the conquering Scythians from their contemplated invasion of Egypt, some stragglers of the rear-guard plundered the temple of Venus Urania at Ascalon. The goddess punished this sacrilege by inflicting on the Scythian nation the "female disease." Herodotus, from whom we learn this, says: "The Scythians themselves confess that their countrymen suffer this malady in consequence of the above crime; their condition also may be seen by those who visit Scythia, where they are called Enareæ."--Beloe's Translation, vol. i. p. 112., ed. 8vo. And again, vol. ii. p. 261., Hippocrates says: "There are likewise among the Scythians, persons who come into the world as eunuchs, and do all the work of women; they are called Enaræans, or womanish," &c. It would occupy too much space to detail here all the speculations to which this passage has given rise; sufficient for us be the fact, that in Scythia there were men who dressed as, and associated with, the women; that they were considered as victims of an offended female deity; and yet, strange contradiction! they were revered as prophets or diviners, and even acquired wealth by their predictions, &c. (See _Universal History_, xx. p. 15., ed. 8vo.)