University of Virginia Library

ARGUMENT.

Bello monte, the Villa of Mr. Charles Murray, the British Consul at Madeira, is situated on the Southern Mountain of that delightful Island; which has more natural beauties, and stupendous scenes of rock, vale, and water, than perhaps any other place can boast of. The Poem opens with an Address on Mr. Murray's taste in fixing on so fair a spot, and touches on the general fertility and vegetable beauties of Madeira; which gives opportunity to speak of the first Discoverers of the Isle.

Robert a Machin and Anna D'Arfet lived in the fourteenth Century. He was not less celebrated for his wit and courage, than she for her noble birth and beauty: But her Parents opposed their union, and married her to a rich Nobleman, who closely retained her in his house, near Bristol, and imprisoned her young Lover. He soon after obtaining his liberty, devised means to procure her escape in a ship for France. But they were no sooner embarked than a tempest arose, which, after tossing them for thirteen days on the ocean, compelled them to land on the Island of Madeira; where they resided under the spreading branches of a beautiful Cedar; and in commemoration of their happy delivery, there erected an Altar to Jesus Christ. They

had not long enjoyed this scene of ease and tranquillity, when a hurricane drove their vessel from her anchors, to the Coast of Barbary, with a part of the crew, their companions. This new and sudden disaster so affected the spirits of Anna, that she was struck dumb with grief, and expired in the arms of her Lover; who, after commending to his remaining friends the interment of their bodies, carved their melancholy catastrophe on the Cross, together with an earnest entreaty to any Christians who might wander thither, to build a Church, and deposit therein their bones.—Then taking leave of his companions, he expired. His friends, agreeable to his request, performed the last kind offices of Nature, and deposited their bodies beneath this tree.

Gonsalvo, on his second voyage with his family, fulfilled the prayers of the unfortunate and miserable Machin.—He erected a Church of the wood of this extraordinary tree, and dedicated it to Jesus the Saviour; naming the place Machico—Which now exists, and in pity of their misfortunes, receives the visits of all wandering Voyagers.

The Poem concludes with an Address to Donna Johanna, a beautiful young Lady, confined in the Nunnery of the Incarnation for attempting to marry a youth against her father's consent. Her fate is equally rigid with Anna D'Arfet's, without the hope of freedom, to risk the chance of better fortune.