488 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
was also seen at work on one of the days regarded by the 
heathen as sacred to the idols. The people of the neigh¬ 
bourhood employed one of their relatives to prefer a com¬ 
plaint against this individual to one of the queen’s officers. 
The officer readily agreed to bring the accusation before the 
judges, but took measures for including in the charge all 
who professed Christianity. 
Towards the close of January, 1835, he brought the 
complaints against the individual who had spoken against 
the idol, and worked on one of the sacred days, before the 
chief judge, and requested the interference of the govern¬ 
ment against the Christians, urging the following grounds 
of complaint. 
1. They despise the idols of the land. 
2. They are always praying; they hold meetings in their 
own houses for prayer, without authority from the queen; 
and even before and after meals they pray. 
3. They will not swear by the opposite sex (according to 
the usual custom of the country,) but, if required to swear, 
merely affirm that what they say is true. 
4. Their women are chaste, and therefore different cus¬ 
toms from those established in the country are introduced.* 
5. They are all of one mind respecting their religion. 
6. They observe the Sabbath as a sacred day. 
To these, other charges were added, equally honourable 
to those against whom they were preferred. The judge 
before whom the complaints were laid, said that if they did 
any thing against the idols, that must be carried to the 
queen; but that no charge could be sustained against 
people for praying, or being honest, or chaste. 
* No vice is more prominent or offensive to the purity and honour of 
Christian virtue than the gross licentiousness of the Malagasy, especially 
of those of elevated rank or office, whose power is often used in the degra¬ 
dation of those under their authority. 
