THE HOSPITAL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AT RABAT , MALTA , AND ITS LATIN INSCRIPTIONS: A REVIEW

The town of Rabat, formerly part of Melita of Roman times, has a building dedicated to the Holy Spirit, in the Maltese language, “ta’ Santu Spirtu”, which formerly was used as a hospital, but today as part of the National Archives. This hospital was run by the Grand Master of Malta, who as a Prince of the Crown of Spain and the two Sicilies, governed Malta and Gozo and the eight Languages of the Knights of St. John, formerly of Jerusalem and Rhodes, then of Malta. It is for this reason that Grand Master Anton Manuel de Vilhena (1722–1736) is mentioned in inscription I of this corpus discussed in this paper, Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt (1601–1622) in inscription III, Antoine de Paule (1623–1636) in IV, Gregorio Carafa (1680–1690) in V, and Martino de Redin (1657–1660) in VIII. The Holy Spirit Hospital served many purposes through different times. It was probably built in the thirteenth century, but it was certainly functioning already under the name of St. Francis by 1372 and run by the adjacent monastery of the Order of Franciscans Conventual. Its income depended on estates in Malta and Gozo. Gan Frangisku Abela, writing his history of Malta in 1647, quotes l’Abbate Pirri regarding the origins of both the hospital and its adjacent monastery as follows:

writing his history of Malta in 1647, quotes l'Abbate Pirri regarding the origins of both the hospital and its adjacent monastery as follows: I translate the above document as follows: The Conventual Brothers of Saint Francis, before the year 1370, had their abode in the Suburb of Rabat next to a very ancient Hospital building, under the same name of Saint Francis, whose Rectory King Frederick III conceded to Brother Nicola Papalla, of Palermo, a Franciscan (he was later the Bishop of Malta) to use as a right of ownership, through a letter (dated) the 4 th December, in the year 1370, (as seen) in the Register of the Chancellery, f. 192.
The Holy Spirit Hospital served both as a hospital for the sick poor, but also as a home for the same. By 1467 it was already named after the Holy Spirit and run by the Università, the Municipality of Mdina, the adjacent citadel and old capital town of Malta. By 1517 it was receiving unwanted children through a rotating window still existing on the outside wall. In 1688, its church dedicated to the Holy Spirit was rebuilt by Grand Master Gregorio Carafa, mentioned in inscription V. 3 By 1883 it had become a hospital of convalescence, until the beginning of the 20 th century, when it stopped functioning as a hospital after 600 years of service. 4 Since it was built the first time, the hospital was restored in the 17 th century and late in the 20 th century.
About five years ago, some writers celebrated the scholarly achievements of Mons. John Azzopardi, formerly Curator of the Cathedral Archives and Museum. As one of the articles, we encounter in this Festschrift a presentation of eight Latin inscriptions by Joseph Amodio, with an Italian translation and a commentary 5 . Six of these inscriptions are still found at the Holy Spirit Archives, that is, two at the Entrance Hall, one at the Hall in front of the Chapel, and three in the Chapel. The other two (IV and VIII) were formerly in the same building, but now they can be read only in reported versions 6 .
These eight inscriptions cover the years from 1613 to 1737. They talk of the benefactors (I, VI, VII), the enlargement of the hospital (I, VIII), of the administrators of the Università and, therefore, of the hospital (II, III, V, VIII), the procurators of the hospital (II, III, V, VIII), the restoration of the hospital (III, V), the Grand Masters (III, IV, V, VIII), and Magistrates of the City (VI, VII). One of this inscriptions (IV) is a poem in two elegiac couplets.
The purpose of this article is threefold: to produce a correct version of the transcription of these inscriptions, to re-produce the Italian version which has been appended under each inscription at Santu Spirtu, and to make improvements on both the original transcription and on the Italian version through a new English version. It is hoped that this article serves not only as a pedagogical exercise, but also as an alternative service to the visitors of this historic building and as an interest to the international community. My comments on the Italian translation: l.5: ANTIQVVM XENODOCHIVM REGIVM are in fact in the accusative case, object of AMPLIAVIT in l.9, and not in the genitive (cf. "del vetusto (e) regio ospedale"). Furthermore, the "e" is quite out of place, since it was not the hospital that was ancient and royal, but the royal hospital that was ancient. l.7: DILATATIS VISCERIBVS: This ablative absolute construction is in the past tense, and not in the present ("mentre le viscere sono dilatate"). Furthermore, VISCERIBVS is used here metaphorically to mean "property", as Cicero used it in his letter to his brother Quintus (1.3.7: cum tu de visceribus tuis et fili tui satisfacturus sis), and not literally as "viscere". l.8: AD PLVRES INFIRMAS SVSCIPIENDAS is a purpose clause expressed here by the gerundive governed by AD. As such, there is no case for obligation here ("che devono procreare").
INFIRMAS is an adjective used as a substantive with "people" understood. Its comparative degree would be infirmiores, and not PLVRES INFIRMAS, which therefore should be rendered as "more sick people" in the sense of greater number, and not "per le più inferme", which in Italian is the superlative degree of comparison. Suscipere means "to accept", and not "to procreate" ("procreare").
l.9: NOVA HAC AVLA is in the ablative case used here as means, and not in the accusative serving as an object (cf. "fece ampliare questa nuova sala"). Instead, the object is ANTIQVVM XENODOCHIVM REGIVM in l.5 above. AMPLIAVIT does not mean "fece ampliare", but simply AMPLIAVIT, that is, "enlarged". My comments on the Italian translation: l.2: EXISTENTIBVS is a participle agreeing with five men listed inside the inscription, all in the ablative case, forming the ablative construction. Indeed, the whole inscription is in the ablative absolute construction. REGIMINE is also in the ablative case, but of position. The author of the article changed it to REGIMEN, supposed subject of the verb "to be" ("La direzione … era nelle mani di:"). Furthermore, he failed to account for his EXISTENS. l.4 <D[OMINO]>. The exclusion of this title has been discussed above. Nevertheless, one must comment on the author's inability to decide on whether D. stands for DON (see inscription I, l.3), or for DOMINVS, which also appears in III, 2 and 4, and V, 2 and 10. In any case, DOMINVS here does not mean "Don". l.6: POPV[LARI] may be "a citizen"; but since all these mentioned were citizens, why call him only "a citizen"? For this reason, I believe that popularis here rather means "a commoner" as distinguished from other people of the elite class. See also V, 8.

1624.
My comments on the Italian translation: l.1: MIHI is not here a possessive dative ("il mio corpo"), but simply an indirect object. l.2: HVNC in Latin is not an emphatic adjective ("me stesso"), but demonstrative. PAVLAE here refers to Fra Antoine de Paule, who became Grand Master of Malta on the 10 th March, 1623. In fact, this inscription once was found beneath the coat-of-arms of Grand Master De Paule. l.3: CVNCTA is in the neuter gender, and not in the masculine ("tutti"). Also, the context here favours it to be interpreted as the object, and not as the subject ("tutti favoriscono").
NOVA GAVDIA: There is nothing in the second part of this verse to indicate the adjective "tutte". l.4: FERVNT is not used here intransitively ("ne portano"), but transitively with LVMEN as the only object. ASTRA should be governed by AD (as used by various authors like Vergil (VERG. E. 5.52: Daphnim ad astra feremus: …), the direction following FERVNT. "e la luce … e le stelle ne portano" simply do not make sense.

My translation:
The love of my ancestors had once provided me with a body; the love for the person of De Paule honoured this person of mine; they favour everything; the coloured peacock (the rainbow) provides new joys, and they carry the subdued light of (the constellation) Spica to the heavens. 1624 My comments on the Italian translation: l.6: For the wrong translation and interpretation of "Dottori", see relevant note above. l.7: For the wrong translation and interpretation of "Dottore", see relevant note above. l.8: For the proper interpretation of POPVLARI, see comment in II, 6.

My translation:
To God, Supreme and Greatest. Under the auspices of the Most Serene Prince Brother Lord Gregorio Carafa, Most Eminent Grand Master of Sacred Religion of Jerusalem, this temple, dedicated to the Holy Spirit, almost collapsing with old age, has been restored in the year of the Lord 1688 into a more beautiful shape when their Lordship the Jurats were Sidor Cumbo, Kalceranu Mompalao Apap, Nazju Galea, Doctors of both Laws, and Gwanni Luqa Pace, a commoner, and the above-mentioned Kalceranu, procurator of the hospital. O devotissima opera di carità, che, mentre era in vita seppe curare con grande amore et operosità i poveri, da morto, volle giovare ad essi con straordinaria pietà. Non immemore di così tanti benefici, l'Illustrissimo Magistrato di questa Città Notabile pose, nell'anno del Signore 1737, di grato animo, come tributo, questa lapide.

VI
My comments on the Italian translation: l.11: OMNI does not mean "grande", but "all". l.13: BENEFICII is in the singular, and should not have been rendered as "benefici". l.15: VECTIGAL is governed by IN, and GRATI ANIMI is the genitive after VECTIGAL. However, confer the author's translation, "di grato animo, come tributo".

My translation:
Take, o readers, (this) example of Christian piety: the Most Excellent Doctor Master Frangisku Saverju Agius, exceedingly expert in the medical art, bequeathed his goods for the benefit of the public health of the poor -(those) you will say which were not the reward of luck, but the prize of his meritsas he was dying on the 24 th January, 1736. O most pious act of charity! He who in his lifetime learned to heal the poor with all zeal and diligence, wanted in his deathbed to be serviceable to them with remarkable piety.
My comments on the Italian translation: l.1: ADES means "to be present", and not "to be" ("chiunque tu sia"). Also, there is no case here for the subjunctive mood. l.2: AEMVLARE and VENERARE are in the imperative mood; hence one cannot accept such versions as "stai qui ad emulare … ad adorare umilmente. VENEROR does not mean "adorare umilmente", but "to pay respect to". l.4: EMERITISSIMI means "most deserving", and not "molto insigne". l.6: HONESTISSIMAE does not mean "mosto onesta", but "most respectable". l.9: CONSVLENTES does not mean "decidendo", but "thinking of". The addition of "di offrire" is quite unnecessary here. l.12: LICET here does not introduce a clause, as is evident in Amodio's loose translation, "nonostante che il loro nomi, con segreta devozione, non venissero apposti", but simply a noun in the ablative case. The phrase NVLLA … INSCRIPTIONE is an ablative absolute construction with FACTA understood. The word INSCRIPTIONE has been left out in the translation. l.16: SILENTIO is not in the ablative, where it would normally be governed by CVM, but in the dative.

My translation:
Whoever you are here present, o traveller, if you are rich, emulate, if you are poor, pay respect to a distinguished and sumptuous generosity of Gakbu, a much deserving man, Doctor of Sacred Theology and the Medical Art, and of his wife, Viva Gauci, a most respectable woman, who, thinking not only of their posterity, but also of the good of their country, promised a great part of their estate to this public hospital of charity, no inscription (having been made to mention) their name, only through their secret piety. The most distinguished Magistrate, however, lest he appear to have taken away secretly this memorable gift to an ungrateful silence rather than to have accepted it, apart from prayers of purification to be rendered every year, set up even this inscription as a testifying witness to a most grateful heart on the 9 th of March, 1717, as according to the Acts of Notary Nazju Debono. My comments on the Italian translation: l.2: DOMVS has been left out in the translation. HOSP[ITA]LIS for HOSPITALIS. l.6: COSMAE is dative of dedication, and not genitive as in "tramite l'intercessione di San Cosma".

VIII
PERDVCI means "to be guided", and not "protrarsi". l.13: EODEM DE CVMBO is in the ablative governed by DE, and not a continuation of the ablative absolute construction. Hence, one cannot have "quel medesimo de Cumbo" as some other person in the list, but the same Cumbo family from which Pietru Pawlu Falzon originated.

My translation:
Brother Martino De Redin, Grandmaster of the Holy Hospital House of Jerusalem, ordered this hall (dedicated to Saint) Cosmas