Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-05-28
cRE.M0.Na's COLLECT.aNEa.
" UTILE DULcI.'

MANY Of your readers may perhaps
not know than an Epic Poem relating to
America, has been in existence for more
than two centuries. 1t was written OIL
sinally in the Spanish language, by Don
Alonzo de Ercilla. 1t is entitled the A.
raueana, and is said to be esteemed
one Of the first Epic Poems of Spain, and
Iaims distinguished rank in the scale OF
poetic excellence it possesses, moreover
the singular advantage of being an histo-
sical record of war in which the poet
was himself engaged, and an eyewitness
Of many of the incidents"
The subject of this poem is, the war
between the Araucanians and Spaniards,
not very long after the settlement OF
South America by the Europeans. The
following account Of the former people, is
extracted from a new and interesting
work. entitled the IS Geographical, Ma
tural and Civil History of CHnI--by the
Able Don j. Ignatius Molina."f
"The Araucanians inhabit that delight
full country situated between the rivers
Bio-bio and Valdivia, and between the
Andes and the sea, extending from So,
~. to SO, 80. S. lat. They derive their
appellation of Araucanians from the pro-
vince of Araueo, which, though the small
est in their territory, has, like Holland,
given its name to the whole nation, either
from its having been the first to unite with
the neighborins provinces, or from hav-
Ing at some remote period reduced them
under its dominion. This people, ever
enthusiastically attached to their indie
pendence, pride themselves in being called
.4iiea. which signifies frank or free and
these Spaniards. who lad left the army in
the Netherlands to serve in Chill, gave to
this country the name Of Araucanian Elan
ders, or Inyincible State, and some OF
them have even had the magnanimity to
celebrate in epic poetry the exploits OF a
people who. to preserve their indepen-
dence, have shed such torrents OF Spanish
bleed"
The following may serve as speci-
men of the poets talents in the deserip-
tive. Speaking ofthe defeat of the Spa
n.ards by the Indians. and the flight Of the
latter to the city of Conception, he says ::
"Their entrance in these walls let fancy paint,
O'erwhehn'd with anguish and with languor
faint:
These gash'd with ghasdy wounds, those
writh'd with pain,
While some their human semblance scarce
retain
They seem'd unhappy spirits 'scaped from
hell,
Yc, wanting voice their misery to tell ::
Their pangs to all their rolling ewes express,
And silence most declares their deep distress.
When WEAKNESS and shame at length allow'd
Their tongues 70 satisfy tn cnquiring crowd,
Fromshe pale citizens, amaz'd to hear
A tale surprising s,en their widest fear,
One genial sound of iaEaentatlon rose,
That deeply solennizd NATIONS woes;
The neighbor:ng mansions to their grief re-
ply,
And ev'.y wall returns the mournful sigh"
"The inhabitants of Conception, ex-
pecting every instant the triumphant Lau-
taro Tan Indian chief at their gates, re-
solve to abandon heir city. A gallant We
teran upbrsits their design. They disre-
gard his reproaches and evacuate the
place: when the poet introduces the fol
lowing instance Of female heroism