834 M A K 
then new tojyn of Penzance drawing within its vortex 
many merchants and tradefmen, with their connexions 
and dependants, the confequence of Marazon decreafed. 
By fome authors its name is derived from the Jews, who 
are reported to have traded here feveral centuries ago, 
and to have held an annual market for felling various com¬ 
modities, and pttrchafing tin and other merchandife in 
return. Richard, king of the Romans, granted two fairs 
to this town, for the benefit of the priory at St.Michael’s 
Mount; but this charter was fuperfeded by another in 
the 37th of queen Elizabeth, by which the government 
was vefted in a mayor, eight aldermen, and twelve capi¬ 
tal bnrgefles, with power to hold a weekly market, and 
two annual fairs, three weeks before Eafter-eve and Sept. 
29. In the preamble to this charter it is dated, that 
“ Marghafiewe was a trading borough of great antiqui¬ 
ty and it was anciently reprefented in parliament. Two 
members were aXually elected and returned in Crom¬ 
well’s time ; but they do not appear to have taken their 
feats ; and the endeavours of the inhabitants to regain 
their dormant rights proved ineffeXual. The trade con- 
lilts chiefly in the importation of timber, coals, and iron, 
for the ufe of the inhabitants of the place, and for the 
neighbouring mines. The parifh-church (St. Hilary) is 
nearly two miles diftant from the town ; but here is a 
chapel of-eafe, fupported by private fubfcription. Qua¬ 
kers and Methoditts have alio their meeting-houfes. It is 
three miles eaft of Penzance, and 286 welt from London. 
Between Mnrazion and St. Michael’s Mount is a place 
called the Chape! Rock, where the pilgrims who came to 
vifit the priory of St. Michael performed certain devo¬ 
tionary ceremonies, in a kind of initiatory chapel previ¬ 
ous to their admiflion to the more facred Mount. 
The peculiar fituation of St. Michael’s Mount, and the 
Angular charaXer it afiumes from appearing to rife imme¬ 
diately from the waves, intereft the imagination of the 
obferver; though, when viewed from the land, its mag¬ 
nitude is apparently diminifhed, from the vail extent of 
the horizon, and the expanfe of water which furrounds 
its bafe. At high tides it appears a completely-infulated 
aftemblnge of rocks, rifing to a confiderable height, and 
gradually decreafing in fize, till, afiifted by the tower of 
the chapel on the fummit, it affumes the form of a per- 
feX pyramid. At low water it may be approached from 
the fnore over a caufeway of fand and rock, which is fub- 
inerged by every riling tide, and the mount again ren¬ 
dered a perfeX ifland. 
This mount is called by Ptolemy Ocrinum, by the Cor- 
ni'fh men it was named Karah Luz en Lewz , that is, the 
Grey Rock in the Wood, from a number of trees which 
formerly grew between it and Penzance. In the Book of 
Llandaff, it is named Denful , a compound word fignify- 
ing a Hill dedicated to the Sun. In the 6th century it 
obtained the names of St. Michael Stow, St. Michael in 
Monte, and St. Michael de Magno Monte. The date of 
its firft confecration to religious purpofes is unknown. 
The earlieft time in which it appears on record, as a place 
of devotion, is the fifth century ; though it feems proba¬ 
ble that it was then highly celebrated, as St. Keyna, a 
holy virgin, daughter of Braganus prince of Brecknock- 
fhire, is ltated to have come hither on a pilgrimage about 
the year 490. Upwards of five hundred years afterwards, 
Edward the Confeflor founded on this fpot a priory of Be¬ 
nedictine monks, on whom he bellowed the property of 
the mount. This priory was held in high eftimation, and 
■was endowed with peculiar privileges by pope Gregory, 
in the year 1070. At the dill'olution, its revenues, valued 
at nol. 123. per annum, were conferred, together with 
the government of the mount, then a military poft, on 
H umphry Arundel, efq. a branch of the family from which 
the prefent lord Arundel is defcended. After feveral 
transfers, it was, about the clofe of the feventeenth cen¬ 
tury, fold to John Sr. Aubyn, efq. whole defcendant, fir 
John St. Aubyn, bart. Hill poflefifes it. 
M A R 
This place has been the fcene of feveral military trailf- 
aXions. In the reign of Richard I. it was fortified in 
fupport of prince John, then earl of Cornwall, in his en¬ 
deavours to ufurp the throne during the king’s abfence 
in the Holy Land, or his fubfequent imprilonment in 
Germany. “From this time forward,” Carew fays, “this 
place continued rather a fchocle of Mars than a temple of 
peace.” It was a long time defended againft Edward 
IV. by John earl of Oxford, in behalf of king Henry VI. 
During the Cornifh infurreXion in the reign of Edward 
VI. the mount was the refuge of many of the fuperior 
families, who were here befieged by the rebels. The ci¬ 
vil contentions in the reign of Charles I. were the caufe 
of the fortifications being increafed, till, according to an 
hiftorian of that time, they were “ impregnable, and al- 
motl inacceflible.” They were, however, reduced, after 
a vigorous defence by the king’s adherents, in April 1646, 
by colonel Hammond, who obtained great celebrity by a 
fervice of Rich difficulty and danger. This was tile lali 
military occurrence that took place on this romantic fpot, 
whofe inhabitants appear to have been then driven away; 
for, at the commencement of the 18th century, here Was 
but one dwelling-houfe befides the fortrefs. The im¬ 
provements that have fince been effeXed, and the increafe 
of the buildings, are to be attributed to fir John St. Ati- 
byn (grand-father of the prefent baronet), who, about 
the year 1726, rebuilt and enlarged the pier, lo as to 
contain upwards of fifty fmall veffels. The fecurity thus 
given to filhing-boat-s, induced feveral inhabitants of Ma- 
razion to ereX fome houfes. at the bottom of the rock; 
the number has been fince augmented to feventy, occu¬ 
pied by about 250 perfons. The circumference of the 
mount is rather more than a mile; and its height, from 
the fand to the top of the chapel-tower, as afcertained by 
Hadley’s quadrant, is 250 feet, being 48 feet higher than 
the monument in London. The difiance from the fliore 
at Marazion is about four hundred yards. The afcent 
to the top of the mount is by a Iteep and craggy paifage 
fronting the north, defended about the midway and near 
the top by batteries. The whole fummit is occupied by 
the remains of the ancient monaltic buildings, which have 
been improved and beautified by the prelent poUeflbr, un¬ 
der whole direXion the chapel has been repaired. Beauties 
of England, and Wales, vol. ii. Cruttwell's Gaz. 
MAKBA'A, a town of Arabia : ten miles weft of 
Mecca. 
MAR'BACH, a town of the duchy of Wurzburg ; 
three miles welt of Arnftein. 
MAR'BACH, a town of Auftria : feven miles nortli- 
ealt of Steyregg. 
MAR'BACH, a town of Auftria: two miles weft of 
Zwetl. 
MAR'BACH, a town of Saxony, in the circle of Erz- 
gebirg : eight miles north of Freyberg. 
MAR'BACH, a town of Auftria, near the Danube: nine 
miles fouth-well of Agglpach. 
MAR'BACH, a river of Wurtemberg, which runs into 
the Fils two miles weft of Goppingen. 
MAR'BACH. See Marpach. 
MAR'BACK, a town of Sweden, in the province of 
Smaland : twenty miles ealt-fouth-ealt of Jonkioping. 
MARBEL'LA, a feaport of Spain, in the province of 
Grenada, on the coaft of the Mediterranean; the harbour 
is fcreened from the eaft wind by a promontorj', and de¬ 
fended by a caltle, furnilhed with fome guns: twenty- 
fix miles fouth-weft of Malaga, and fixty-iix fouth-eaft of 
Seville. Lat. 36. 31. N. Ion, 4. 59. W. 
MARBEU'F, a tow n of the illand of Corfica: ten miles 
well-fouth-weft of Vico. 
MAR'BLE,/. \_marbre, Fr. marmor, Lat.] Stone ufed 
in ltatues and elegant buildings, capable of a bright po- 
lifli, and in a ftrong heat calcining into lime. See Mar¬ 
mor. —The two flat lides of two pieces of marble will more 
eafily approach.each other, between which there is nothing, 
but 
