CHAP. VI. PRESENT STATE OF CHRISTIANITY, 167 



" She is an idiot and does not know what she says. Take 

 her away;" she was then taken from the place and afterwards 

 sent to a distant part of the country. 



These fearful deeds of blood and fire were perpetrated in 

 the month of March, 1849, and I did not learn that since that 

 period persecution had been so violent as before, or that any 

 had been put to death. 



Such appear to be some of the more prominent outlines of 

 the progress of Christianity in Madagascar down to the period 

 above specified. Of its present state all that is suitable to 

 say is, that there is much to call forth sincere sympathy with 

 the sufferers, to stimulate the prayers and encourage the hopes 

 of those to whom its progress is an object of interest and soli- 

 citude. The hostility of the higher powers to the Christian 

 religion did not, from all I saw and heard, appear to be so 

 active and determined as formerly. This might be in part 

 accounted for by the combined influence of several events, 

 which, in the course of Divine Providence, have, since that 

 period, occurred. Amongst these might be mentioned the 

 adoption of the Christian faith by the young prince, the 

 queen's only son, and the heir apparent to the throne. This 

 important event took place ten years ago, and has been fol- 

 lowed by the conversion of another member of the royal 

 family, who has since become a sincere and devoted Christian. 

 Death also has removed some high in authority and influence, 

 who were unfriendly to the Christians, and their places have 

 been filled by others differently minded ; in reference to one 

 of whom it is said that, when it was subsequently urged to 

 impose a second period of labour as a penalty upon those who 

 had already endured their sentence, he expostulated and said, 

 " They have acknowledged that of which they were accused, 

 they have been sentenced to punishment and have borne the 

 suffering inflicted, why should they be punished again? — the 

 thunderbolt does not strike tivice" It does not appear that 



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