Scarcely a day passed in which Sir
Alexander Ball's patience, forbearance, and inflexible constancy were
not put to the severest trial. He had not only to remove the
misunderstandings that arose between the Maltese and their allies, to
settle the differences among the Maltese themselves, and to organise
their efforts; he was likewise engaged in the more difficult and
unthankful task of counteracting the weariness, discontent, and
despondency of his own countrymen--a task, however, which he
accomplished by management and address, and an alternation of real
firmness with apparent yielding. During many months he remained the
only Englishman who did not think the siege hopeless, and the object
worthless. He often spoke of the time in which he resided at the
country seat of the grand master at St. Antonio, four miles from
Valetta, as perhaps the most trying period of his life. For some
weeks Captain Vivian was his sole English companion, of whom, as his
partner in anxiety, he always expressed himself with affectionate
esteem.
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