HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR 
483 
CHAP. XVII. 
Beneficial influence of the artisans—Pleasing expectations of the Mission¬ 
aries—The natives generally forbidden by the government to learn to 
read—Accusations against the native Christians on account of their 
religious profession and moral conduct—Displeasure of the queen at the 
progress of Christianity—Diligent attendance of many of the natives on 
the means of religious improvement—The Christians charged with alienat¬ 
ing the affections of the people from the queen, with a view of aiding 
the English in the seizure of the country—Wrath of the queen— Con¬ 
vening of a national assembly—Letter from the queen to the Missionaries 
prohibiting the profession of the Christian faith by the natives—Answer 
of the Missionaries—Message to the national assembly, forbidding, on pain 
of death, the profession of Christianity, or the observance of Christian 
ordinances—Fines and degradations inflicted on those who had professed to 
believe the gospel—Unsuccessful attempts of the Missionaries to induce 
the queen to exercise lenity towards the natives—Natives forbidden to 
remember the religious instructions they had received—Notice of the 
probable causes of the attempt to suppress Christianity in Madagascar. 
The efforts of the Missionary Society to promote a know¬ 
ledge of the useful arts, and other means of civilization, in 
Madagascar, had always been favourable to their higher 
objects, but they never appeared more important than at 
the present time, when the spiritual aspect of the Mission 
was so peculiarly encouraging, and the labours of the 
Christian instructors were rendered by the Divine blessing 
so eminently successful. The impression had long been 
forced upon the Missionaries, that they were only tolerated 
by the government, for the sake of the secular advantages 
derived from those of their number who laboured in the 
working of wood and iron, constructing machinery, and 
2 i 2 
