sions and promises. Every encouragement accordingly was given to the Missionaries and others who could enlighten and aid in the civilization of the people.

We must now make rapid strides toward the close of the present history; and only before calling attention to some of the sad reverses which have befallen Madagascar since the death of its most enlightened sovereign in 1828, take a parting notice of him and his faithful friend, Mr. Hastie.

This zealous and efficient agent of the British government and of the abolitionists, died at Radama's capital in 1826. The following statements refer to that sad event :

"Few monarchs have given a higher testimony of their regard for an individual than that conveyed in the language of Radama to the friends who were watching by the bed-side of Mr. Hastie. I have,' said he, ⚫ lost many of my people, many of my soldiers, most of my officers, and several of the Maroserana, or highest nobles; but this is nothing in comparison with the loss of Andrian-asy. He has been a faithful friend; vady ny Madasgascar-a husband to Madagascar: the good he has done cannot be too highly spoken of by me. He has surpassed every agent that preceded him; and never will any who may succeed him, prove his equal. Many may come here, but none will feel more interest in Madagascar than Andrian-asy. Many may boast much, but none will do so much as he has done, nor endure the toils which he has endured. May God spare his valuable life to us!'

"The following is a copy of the letter sent by Radama to Sir Robert Farquhar, announcing the melancholy event of Mr. Hastie's death.

"Tananarivo, 23d October, 1826.

... SIR, "I have the honour to do the painful and lamentable duty of informing you, that James Hastie, Esq., the enlightened and faithful agent of the British Government at my Court for several years, is now no more. He expired on the 18th inst., at one o'clock, p. m., after having been very ill for a long time. By his wise counsels, and promptitude always to assist the needy and distressed, he not only attached myself to him more and more every year, but also my people, who lament his loss, as a friend and a father, who could conduct himself in such a manner as to attract the affections of persons of every rank among my subjects.

66 4

In order to show my regard of him, and my sorrow at his loss, I directed that every thing in my power should be done to his honour, as soon as he died, and to give him as honourable a funeral as can be done in this country; therefore, I ordered guns to be fired every quarter of an hour, from two o'clock on the day he died, until evening; and the same again on the day of his funeral, until he was buried.

"He was buried on the morning of the 20th inst., in a vault, built of stones and morter, made expressly for him, on the 19th; for, after learning the kind of tomb his sorrowful partner, and his friends here, desired to have for him, I immediately issued orders to my ministers to have all the necessary stones collected, and the vault made without delay; and that the grenadiers should escort him to his tomb, and fire over it three rounds, according to the British custom, as I was told.

Notwithstanding the death of James Hastie, Esq., the British agent at my Court, yet I, Radama, who have stopped the slave-trade, in accordance with the treaty which I have entered into with his Britannic Majesty, am still alive; and am determined, by every means in my power, to abide unchangeably by any stipulations in the treaty, if the British Government continue to give me annually what is stipulated therein.

"I have, &c.

(Signed)

"RADAMA.' 9

The writer of this letter, in less than two years was removed from his earthly sphere, having" retired"-" gone to his fathers," as the proclamation of his successor termed the event, at a period when he was entering upon what is generally the prime of life for wisdom and action; self-indulgence and addiction to the pleasures of gaiety having shortened his days. Along with many great and good points Radama had become the slave of debasing and destructive passions, the manner of indulging in some of these showing that original barbarism is not easily completely eradicated. His queen, Ranavalona was and is his successor; a woman who by and with the advice of those who surrounds her, and those whom she consults, appears from the first coming to the throne to have been mainly bent in undoing all the good effected by the late king, and to thwart all the benefits contemplated by him. Her cruelties have been enormous; her desire seems to be to hold clear of European influence; the worship of idols and other abominations which Radama perceived were disgraceful and ruinous has been again set up; mas, sacres and assassinations have been on a wholesale principle; the Missionaries have found themselves obliged to relinquish the field into which they had begun abundantly to throw the most excellent seed; and many of the natives who had joined themselves to Christianity have been and still are persecuted, it is to be feared, .often unto the death.

We have not attempted to trace the progress of Christian missions in the island; the work before us must itself be consulted for a continuous view of this important feature in its pages. In reference to the native Christians we can only afford room for one extract. But it is a touching and instructive one. The edict alluded to forbids the profession of Christianity, or the observance of Christian ordinances, much in the usual style and according to the arguments employed in all ages and countries since our era began, when persecution and intolerance have been had recourse to:

"It appears that the movements of the Christians had been watched, though no infringement of the antichristian edict of the queen was discovered till the last Sabbath in July, or the first Sabbath in August, 1837. On this occasion, a number of Christians having assembled, for reading the Scriptures, singing and prayer on a mountain a short distance from the capital, were discovered and reported to the queen, the premises of the

suspected parties were searched, for the purpose of finding ground for accusation against them, and a box of books, viz. copies of the Scriptures and other Christian publications, that had been given by the Missionaries, being found buried near the house of that eminent Christian woman, Rafaravavy, who had been previously accused of reading the Bible, she was apprehended and imprisoned; her house, her entire property, was given up to plunder, her person secured, and her hands and feet loaded with heavy iron rings. She was menaced in vain during a period of from eight to ten days, to induce her to impeach her companions. She remained firm, and perfectly composed; and was put to death by spearing on the 14th of August, 1837. She had said repeatedly by letter to her friend, Mrs. Johns, Do not fear on my account. I am ready to die for Jesus, if such be the will of God.' She was most wonderfully supported to the last moment of her life. Her age at the time of her death was thirty-eight years. No feature in her christian character appears to have been more distinctly manifested than her steadfastness and fidelity even to the death. Many, even of the old people, remarked they had never seen any one so 'stubborn' as Rafaravavy, for although the queen forbade her to pray, she did pray, even when in irons; and continued to preach Christ to the officers and to the crowd that followed her for nearly three-quarters of a mile, from the place of public condemnation to the place of common execution. Here she continued to pray and to exhort all around her to believe in Jesus Christ, even till the executioner's spear, thrust through her body, deprived her of the power of utterance.

"In relation to her death, Mr. Baker justly remarks:-'Never in the annals of the Church did a Christian martyr suffer from motives more pure, simple, and unmixed with earthly alloy. She had never heard of any afterglory of martyrdom on earth. No external splendour had been cast around the subject in her mind, by reading any lives of martyrs. All was to her obloquy and contempt. Her own father and relatives, to the very last, accused her of stubbornness. The people generally regarded her as stubborn, and worthy of punishment even on that account. She had no earthly friends to support and cheer her. She was not poor in outward circumstances; and by recantation, and by humbling herself to beg pardon of the queen, she might very probably have saved her life. But her whole heart, as her letters testify, was filled with the love of Jesus. She endured as seeing Him who is invisible. Her letters are composed principally of passages from the Gospels and Epistles, and these, doubtless, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, were the entire support of her mind in the last hour of trial. If the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church,' we may trust that Rafaravavy will not have died in vain. She died directly and exclusively in defence of the Gospel.'

"Allusion has been made to her letters. It may suffice at present to give the following extract from one of her communications to Mr. Johns, written shortly before her last imprisonment :

"Blessed be God, who hath given us access by our Lord Jesus Christ. My earnest prayer to God is, that he would enable me to obey the words of Jesus to his disciples, Matt. xvi. 24. If any man desire to come after let him deny himself,' &c. Hence then, none of these things move me, nor count I my life dear to myself, that I may finish my course in the service I have received of the Lord Jesus. Do not you, Missionaries, grieve

me,

under an idea that your labour here has been in vain in the Lord; through the blessing of God, it succeeds. If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; but it is the power of God to them that believe.' Here is my ground of confidence; the power of God cannot be effectually resisted. I will go in the strength of the Lord. Though I should walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for God is with me. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.' 'Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.' May I be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith; that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.' Phil. iii. 9—14.

Pray for us, that the Lord may open the door for his word among us.' "These are statements on which it would be superfluous to offer lengthened comment. And yet it is impossible to contemplate without devout admiration, such bright, such impressive evidence of the reality and efficacy of the Gospel. Here is a converted idolater brought to the martyr's test, and nobly refusing to accept deliverance, that she might obtain a better resurrection; out of weakness waxing strong,' and counting not even life itself worth possessing, without the confession of the Saviour's name! This honoured martyr has left to the care of the church in Madagascar, under the great Shepherd, one orphan little girl, a martyr's child, for whose welfare the deepest solicitude is felt, and tidings respecting whom are most anxiously desired."

The distractions which the cruelties and impolicy of the queen had introduced into her country, and the false position which she seems to have felt herself placed in with respect to the English, among other considerations, would appear to have led to her sending an embassy to England in 1836, consisting of six of her officers. They were presented to the king at a levee held at St. James's; and during the interview, his majesty graciously introduced them to the queen, who addressed them with great courtesy and kindness. They were also shown many of the most striking objects, manufactories, &c. in and around the metropolis; especially such as it was deemed would leave the most valuable impressions upon their minds. We must not forget to mention that at the levee, the Rev. Mr. Freeman accompanied the embassy, as interpreter, we presume, and presented to his majesty a copy of the holy Scriptures in the Malagasy language, which had been translated by the Missionaries, and printed at the mission press in Madagascar. It is also stated that his majesty received the copy of the Bible in a manner that could not fail to impress the embassy with a deep sense of the high regard

entertained by the British sovereign for this volume of divine revelation, and the satisfactory result of missionary effort. Her majesty also, in consequence of having heard of the intolerant edict of the queen of Madagascar already referred to, said to the embassy, "Tell the queen of Madagascar from me, that she can do nothing so beneficial for her country as to receive the Christian religion," a sentiment becoming the quarter whence it came, and which Mr. Ellis has appropriately used as the motto to his elegant and able work.

What has been the result of the return of the embassy to Madagascar, of the above recommendation, of the opinions formed by its members while in this country, and of the written communications sent out by our government, is not certainly known, although there is much reason to fear that it has not been such as the friends of humanity, civilization, and religion can have cause to rejoice at. We shall not therefore pursue the subject further, nor strive to read futurity; but conclude by saying that the present volumes are enriched and embellished by art-a good map, two striking portraits, one of them of Radama, another of a renowned chief in full costume, and a number of remarkable plates from drawings taken on the spot, or with the objects delineated before the artists, illustrating many pages of the work.

ART. VI.

1.-The Student's Manual of Natural Philosophy. By CHARLES TOM. London: Parker. 1838.

LINSON.

2.-The Phenomena and Order of the Solar System. By J. P. NICHOL LL.D. &c. London: Simpkin and Marshal. 1838.

UPON the uses and beauties which the student discovers in those departments of the universe in which he has traced established laws that perform their offices with mathematical exactness, it is needless for us to attempt to expatiate. This much, however, may be asserted, that while the discoveries under the heads Natural Philosophy and Astronomy have been wonderful as well as splendid, conferring immense blessings upon society, largely embellishing human life, unceasingly offering exalted and refined themes to the minds of the meditative and the devout, there is also in them a field which the severely scientific speculatist can traverse by following the path of clear analogies that seems to afford a legitimate, as it is an ennobling occupation for the spirit and imagination of man. Not only therefore does the real and the ascertained, but the imagined also, in regard to the branches meant, benefit and delight us; for while demonstration is baffled, lofty hypotheses may be indulged, and the mind thereby mightily gratified, were it but by a discovery of its own boundless flights, its almost infinitely expansive powers.