CHAPTER TWENTY.
A GREAT KABARY IS HELD, FOLLOWED BY DREADFUL MARTYRDOMS.
No rank or age was exempt from attendance at the great assembly.Soldiers were sent about the city and suburbs to drive the peopletowards the place of assembly near the palace, and the living streamcontinued to pour onwards until many thousand souls were gatheredtogether at Imahamasina.
Here a body of troops fifteen thousand strong was posted, and in theearlier part of the day the cannon along the heights of the citythundered out a salute to inspire the people with awe and respect forthe royal authority. The highest civil and military officers were therein their varied and gay trappings, but Ranavalona herself did not appearin person. Her message was conveyed to the people by one of the chiefofficers of state. It was interspersed here and there with the varioustitles of the Queen, and was to the following effect:--
"I announce to you, oh ye people! I am not a sovereign that deceives.I therefore tell to you what I purpose to do, and how I shall governyou. Who, then, is that man who would change the customs of ourancestors and the twelve sovereigns in this country? To whom has thekingdom been left by inheritance, by Impoin, Imerina, and Radama, exceptto me? If any, then, would change the customs of our ancestors, I abhorthat, saith Rabodon-Andrian-Impoin-Imerina."
After a good deal more to much the same effect, the message went on tosay:--
"As to baptisms, societies, places of worship distinct from schools, andthe observance of the Sabbath, how many rulers are there in the land?Is it not I alone that rule? These things are not to be done; they areunlawful in my country, saith Ranavalo-manjaka, for they are not thecustoms of our ancestors; and I do not change their customs, exceptingas to things alone that improve my country. And then, in your worship,you say `Believe!' `Follow the Christian customs!' and thus you changethe customs of the ancestors, for you do not invoke all that is sacredin heaven and earth, and all that is sacred in the twelve sovereigns andthe idols. And is not this changing the customs of the ancestors? Idetest that; and I tell you plainly that such things shall not be donein my country, saith Ranavalo-manjaka.
"Now I decree that all Bibles and books of the new religion shall bedelivered up to be destroyed, that all who are guilty shall come inclasses, according to the nature of their offences, and accusethemselves of having been baptized, of being members of the church, ofhaving taught slaves to read--all shall come to the officers andconfess; but those who conceal their offence and are accused by othersshall be subjected to the ordeal of the tangena, and those who resist mycommands shall die, saith Ranavalo-manjaka."
This message was no idle threat. The people were well aware of that,and the city was filled with weeping and consternation.
It was while things were in this state that Mamba arrived atAntananarivo with his precious New Testament and Psalms in the folds ofhis lamba. Although well aware of what had taken place, he recklesslyvisited his friends in the city. From them he learned more particulars,and saw, when too late, that it would be impossible for him now to passout of the gates with the Testament on his person, as the guards hadbeen cautioned to search every one whom they had the slightest reason tosuspect.
Hearing of the sudden exaltation of his English friends, he formed thewise resolution to place his treasure in their hands.
Boldness is often successful where timidity would fail. Withouthesitation, or even consultation with his friends, Mamba went straightto the palace and demanded permission to visit the Maker of Medicine.He was allowed to pass and conducted by an official to the quarters ofMark Breezy, who was seated with Hockins and Ebony at the time.
Great was their surprise at seeing their friend.
"Why, Mamba! I thought you had gone to Tamatave?" said Mark, shakinghands heartily with him.
"Yis--yis--I hoed," said Mamba, and then endeavoured to tell somethingof his doings in English; but his knowledge of that language was so veryimperfect that they could make nothing of it. They understood him,however, when he cautiously and lovingly drew the Testament from itshiding-place and gave it into Mark's hands.
"What am I to do with it, my poor friend?" said Mark. "I know that youhave no chance of retaining it, after the decree that has just beenpassed."
"Keep 'im--keep--for _me_," said Mamba, anxiously.
"I will do so, if I can, but it may not be possible," answered Mark.
"Yis, keep--safe. Got 'im for me mudder."
"You're a brick," cried Ebony, enthusiastically grasping the man's hand,for he had a great love for his own mother, and experienced a gush ofsympathy.
At that moment there was a loud knocking at the door, and Mark hadbarely time to slip the Testament into his coat pocket whenHater-of-lies entered with his silver spear and attendants. Seizinghold of poor Mamba, without uttering a word they led him away.
Hockins instantly followed, and Ebony was about to do the same when Marklaid his hand on his shoulder and checked him.
"What would you do, Ebony?"
"Look arter 'Ockins, massa."
"Hockins is well able to look after himself. No doubt he has gone tosee where they take Mamba to. One pair of eyes is enough for that.Your company would only trouble him."
A few minutes later the seaman returned with the information that theunfortunate man had been cast into the prison, from which they had beenso recently released.
At this time the Christians in the island possessed numerous entirecopies of the Scriptures, besides a large number of Testaments andPsalms, and books of a religious character, which, having been secreted,had escaped the destruction of previous persecutions. Some of thesewere now given up and destroyed. Many of the more timid among thenatives came forward, as commanded, and accused themselves, thusescaping punishment; but there were others who would neither give uptheir Bibles nor accuse themselves. Some of these were accused by theirslaves, others by their so-called friends and kindred--in some casesfalsely.
Next day the Prime Minister came to the Queen and reported that onelady, named Rasalama, who had not accused herself, had been accused bysome of her slaves of attending religious meetings.
"Is it possible," exclaimed the Queen, "that there is one so daring asto defy me? Go, let her be put to death at once!"
The intercession of friends of the accused produced no effect on theQueen, and even the pleading of Prince Rakota failed, in this instance,to do more than delay the execution for a few days.
Meanwhile Rasalama was cast into prison and loaded with chains.
"Is it not strange," she said to her jailors, "that I should be put inchains, and some of my friends should be sent to perpetual slavery andsome killed, though we have done no evil? We have neither excitedrebellion, nor stolen the property of any, nor spoken ill of any--yet weare treated thus, and our property is confiscated. It will be wise ifthe persecutors think what they do, lest they bring on themselves thewrath of God. But I do not fear. When Hater-of-lies came to my house Irejoiced that I was counted worthy to suffer affliction for believing inJesus."
When this speech was reported to the judges, Rasalama was ordered to beput into heavier irons and severely beaten. This cruel order wascarried out; and after her tender limbs had been additionally weighted,her delicate skin was lacerated with terrible stripes. Yet herfortitude never forsook her. Nay more--through the grace bestowed onher she actually sang hymns in the midst of her torment! Sometimes,indeed, her physical strength failed for a brief space. At other timesthe song of triumph blended with a wail of agony, but she alwaysrecovered to renew the hymn of praise.
Her tormentors were confounded. This was something quite beyond theirunderstanding, and their only solution of the mystery was that she mustbe under the influence of some powerful charm. Others there were,however, who listened to her triumphant songs, and beheld her calmsteadfast countenance with widely different thoughts and feelings.
But the sufferings of this poor creature had not yet terminated. Therage of her persecutors was not yet appeased. Ne
xt day the ordinarychains she wore were exchanged for others, consisting of rings and barsfastened around her wrists, knees, ankles, and neck, and these, whendrawn together, forced her whole body into a position that causedintense agony--something like that which we have described as havingbeen seen by Mark and his comrades in the same prison-house. In thisposture it was impossible to use the voice in song, but, doubtless, shewas not even then prevented from making melody in her heart to the Lord,for whose name she suffered so much. All night long was this terrifictrial endured, but with the dawn of day came relief, for then the chainswere relaxed; and so great was the change that poor Rasalama lookedforward to the fate which she knew awaited her with feelings of joy.
That fate was not long delayed. Soon they led her out of the prison,and took the road which conducted towards the southern extremity of thehill, on which the city stood, where was the tremendous precipice downwhich many a criminal and many a Christian martyr had already inRanavalona's evil reign been hurled out of Time into Eternity. Yet thiswas not the gate through which Rasalama was to pass into Paradise. _SeeNote 1_.
As she walked along, the poor martyr began again to sing a favouritehymn. When passing the place of worship, at that time closed, sheexclaimed, "There have I heard the words of the Saviour." Hundreds ofpeople accompanied her. Some even ventured to whisper words of comfortto her as she went along, although by doing so they imperilled their ownlives, and one young man, utterly regardless of consequences, walkedboldly by her side, speaking to her of the Saviour, till the place ofexecution was reached.
To this spot Mark Breezy and his companions in exile had hastened, forthe Secretary had told them that some of the Christians were about to beexecuted, and a fearful suspicion that their friend Mamba might be amongthe number impelled them to hasten to the spot with some half-definedintention of interfering in his behalf. For they had gradually, andimperceptibly to themselves, acquired a great liking for the youngnative, whose earnest, straightforward, yet playful spirit, togetherwith his great kindness to his mother, had deeply impressed them duringthe brief time they had sojourned together in the forest.
"Will we fight for 'im, massa?" asked Ebony, with anxious looks, as theyran to the place of execution, which was not far-off.
"That would be useless," answered Mark. "If we were thirty Samsonsinstead of three ordinary men, we could not overcome the Queen's army."
"I've half a mind to try," said Hockins, with something unusually fiercein his expression. "Many a man has run a-muck before now. I've got todie once at any rate!"
"And what good would that do to Mamba?" asked Mark. "No, I will tryanother plan. I have fortunately done service to the Queen in savingthe life of her son. If Mamba is to be martyred, I will throw my armsround him and ask the Queen in return to spare the life of my friend."
They had by that time mingled with the dense crowd that stood on thebrow of the precipice of Ambohipotsy to witness the execution. Pushingto the front with breathless anxiety, they were just in time to seeRasalama led forward by two men armed with spears. In front of them wasa shallow ditch, and a little further on the brow of the precipice, fromwhich was seen a magnificent prospect of the surrounding country. Butno prospect, however sublime, could have attracted the eyes of the threefriends just then, for in front of them stood two crosses supporting thebodies of two Christians who had been crucified thereon the day before.Even these, however, lost their horrible power of fascination, when theyobserved the cheerful holy expression of Rasalama's countenance as shewas led to the edge of the ditch which was to be her grave. The bottomof that grave was already strewn with the bloody remains and thebleaching bones of other martyrs who had preceded her.
The crowd, who had followed the procession with imprecations against theChristians, now ceased to shout.
"Will you allow me a short time to pray?" asked Rasalama of theexecutioners.
Her request being granted, she kneeled on the rocky ground, clasped herhands, and raised to Heaven a look of calm trustfulness, as she heldcommunion for the last time on earth with her Redeemer.
"Where is the God she prays to that he does not save her now?" whisperedsome. Others held their peace, but laid these things to heart.
While the poor creature was thus engaged, the two executioners, withoutwarning, thrust their spears deep into her body. It was the custom ofthese men to plunge the spears into the loins of their victims on eachside of the back-bone in such a position that they did not produceimmediate death, but allowed the martyrs to tumble into the ditch andwrithe there in agony for some time with the spears still sticking inthem. Happily, in the case of Rasalama, the thrusts were--eitherintentionally or accidentally--more effective than usual. After a verybrief struggle, her happy soul was set free to be "for ever with theLord."
In that ditch her poor mangled body was left to be devoured by the wilddogs that frequent all places in Madagascar where criminals suffer._See Note 2_.
"Oh, God!" exclaimed Mark, unable to repress a groan. "Let us quit thisaccursed spot."
"Stay, sir, stay," whispered the sailor at his elbow, "you forget Mamba.More are comin'."
More martyrs were indeed coming, as the singing of hymns proved.
Close on the heels of Rasalama, a band of nine other Christians werecarried to the place of execution, each with his feet and hands tiedtogether and slung on a pole, the ends of which were borne by two men.Straw had been stuffed into their mouths to prevent praying or singing,but several of them, managing to get rid of the straw, burst into thetriumphal songs which had attracted the attention of our seaman.
Arrived at the ditch, the victims were asked if they would give uppraying to Jesus. In every case the answer was a decided "No!" Theywere then thrust into the ditch, forced down on their knees, and made tobend forward. While this was being done, the shuddering friends ofMamba perceived that he was not among the martyrs. One by one eachunfortunate was stabbed in the loins, close on either side of theback-bone, but not one was terrified into recanting, although by sodoing he might have been restored at once to life and liberty. Thetruth of that word, "As thy days thy strength shall be," was clearly andwonderfully proved in the case of these sufferers. After all hadfallen, their heads were cut off and placed in a row on the edge of theditch. Five of the nine belonged to one family.
One man who had been reserved to the last, for some reason or other thatwas net explained, was led to the brow of the precipice, and the samequestion was put to him that had been put to his fellow-martyrs. Fromthe spot on which he stood he could look down into the awful gulf, asheer descent of sixty feet first to a place where a ledge projected,and then, a further descent of still greater depth to the bottom, wherethe ground was covered with rocks and debris from the cliffs.
Unfaltering in courage and allegiance to the Master, his "No!" wasdistinct and decisive. Next moment he was hurled over. With terrificforce he struck the ledge, and it must have been a lifeless body thatwas finally shattered on the plain below.
As the people immediately began to disperse after this, Mark and hisfriends hastened sway from the place with an overwhelming sense ofhorror upon them, but thankful as well as relieved to know that theirfriend Mamba was not yet among the martyrs.
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Note 1. Rasalama was in truth the first martyr of Madagascar. She wasslain in the year 1837. We have only transposed the date. Her story isgiven, without variation worthy of mention, from authentic records.
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Note 2. Close to the spot where the heroic Rasalama knelt to pray anddie, a large Memorial Church now stands, the spire of which forms aconspicuous object in every distant view of the city.