ciiAF. XIII. CONVERSATION WITH THE PRINCE. 351 



tected state to be governed to a certain extent by their own 

 rulers, or forms of government, constituted itself the supreme 

 authority, actually governing both rulers and people, to the 

 exclusion of all other foreign influence. 



The prince inquired with much earnestness whether I 

 knew if there was any truth in the reports of an intended in- 

 vasion of Madagascar by the French, of which he said there 

 were rumours at that time in the capital. I told him I had 

 seen something about such a thing in the public journals of 

 Europe, but that they were in all probability only reports, 

 and without foundation ; as I did not think it likely that the 

 French government W'Ould send troops to fight against them ; 

 and that I was sure the English cherished towards them only 

 friendly feelings. I told him there were many statements in 

 the newspapers in Europe, which we who were living there 

 did not know whether to believe or not, and for which in 

 reality there was sometimes no real foundation ; adducing as 

 an instance that I had read in a newspaper in England that 

 he himself had become a Eoman Catholic, and that an agent 

 from himself had actually been in Eome negotiating for 

 Eoman Catholic priests to be sent to his country. He de- 

 clared there was no truth in any such statement ; but added, 

 that there was a Eoman Catholic priest at the capital who 

 had tried to persuade him to become a Eoman Catholic, 

 and had given to the princess his wife a crucifix, and 

 to himself a silver medal, stating to them, that if they wore 

 these on their breasts, and put confidence in the Virgin Mary, 

 the princess would become a mother. " But," he added, 

 " it has not proved true : my Avife has no child." He then 

 opened his vest, and showed me the silver medal suspended 

 from his neck by a silken cord. On one side was the letter 

 M, with the cross interwoven, and surrounded by stars ; on 

 the other side was a figure of the Virgin in relief standing 

 with outstretched arms, and around the figure were these 



