354 M A R 
MAR'GAB, a river of Perfia, which rifes about thirty 
miles eafi from Herat, and lofes itfelf in the earth near 
Hamadan. 
MAR'GAM, a pretty rural village in Glamorganfliire, 
eight miles from Bridgend. Here was the ancient and 
venerable manfion of Thomas Manfel Talbot, efq. but 
at has lately been taken down, and rebuilt in a ftyle of 
modern elegance. The greenhoufe may vie with any in 
England for extent, beauty of architefture, and produc¬ 
tions. Near this green-houfe is Margain Abbey, and an 
old chapter-houfe, which is allowed to be as fine a piece of 
Gothic architecture as any remaining in Great Britain. 
MARGAMAR'GA, a river of Chili, which runs into 
the Pacific Ocean in lat. 33. S. 
MAR'GAMI, a town of Japan,in the ifland of Xicoco : 
eight miles north of Ovitfi. 
MAR'GARET, [p.apyapor, Gr. a pearl.] A woman’s 
name. 
MAR'GARET (St.), a celebrated virgin, who, as is 
fuppofed, received the crown of martyrdom at Antioch in 
the year 275. The ancient martyrclogifts make no men¬ 
tion of her name, and (lie did not become famous till the 
aith century. There is no more foundation for what is 
Paid concerning her relics and girdles than for the ftories 
which are told of her life. A feltival, however, is (till 
Ireld in honour of her memory on the 20th of July. See 
Baillet’s Lives of the Saints, for that day. “Her actions 
(fays this authority) have been fo falfified and altered, in 
the opinion even of Metaphraftus, that the Romifii church 
have not thought proper to inl’ert any of them into their 
breviary. The Orientals pay reverence to her by the name 
of Saint Pelagia, or Saint Marina, and the Weftern church 
by that of Saint Gemma, or Saint Margaret. 
MAR'GARET, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and 
Sweden, daughter of Waldemar III. king of Denmark, 
was born in 1353 ; fhe was married, while very young, to 
Haquin king of Norway, and fon of Magnus king of 
Sweden. At her father’s death, in 1375, file was a widow ; 
and her fon Olaus, then only nine years of age, was chofen 
Ring of Denmark and Norway, (he being appointed the re¬ 
gent. In 13^7, Olaus died, leaving the male line of the three 
northern crownsextinft. Margaret was unanimoufly elect¬ 
ed to the crown of Denmark, and afterwards to that of 
Norway. The dates urged her to enter into the matrimonial 
connection a fecond time, in order to prevent any difputes 
with regard to the fucceffion of the crown; but (lie de¬ 
clined the propofal, and nominated for her fucceffor appa¬ 
rent, the neareft of blood of the royal family, viz. Henry 
of Pomerania, from that time called Eric. Henry duke 
of Mecklenburg, brother to Albert king of Sweden, de¬ 
clared liimfelf a competitor with Margaret, and engaged 
Albert in his caufe. Preparations for war were made on 
both fides ; a decifive battle was fought, in which Albert 
was defeated and made prifoner, and Margaret was pre- 
rfented with the crown of Sweden. See the article Den¬ 
mark, vol. v. p. 722. In 1395, (he was folemnly crowned 
queen of the three northern kingdoms. She caufed Eric 
to be confirmed and acknowledged as her fucceflor; pro¬ 
cured a redemption of the crown-land alienated by Albert 
an Sweden ; and adopted a number of prudent regulations 
for the confirmation of her authority, and the healing of 
snimofities. She was particularly attentive to the admi- 
Tiiitration of jultice in her dominions, and to the enforce¬ 
ment of the laws upon all ranks of her fubjefts. She pro¬ 
tected and encouraged commerce, by-providing for the fe- 
ctirity and good treatment of foreign merchants reforting 
to her ports ; and employed the molt vigorous means of 
fupprefling piracy. By the vigour of her adminiftration, 
fhe retained her full authority at home, and made herfelf 
refpeCted abroad. She was lefs friendly to her Swedifh 
fubjeCts than to thofe of Denmark ; on which account the 
nobles of Sweden, in a body, prefented a remonftrance on 
the violation of their rights, to which (lie haughtily and 
imprudently replied, that “ they might guard them with 
as much vigilance as (lie would keep the fortreffes of the 
M A R 
kingdom.” She died in 14.12, after a reign, including the 
regency, of thirty-fix years. 
MAR'GARET, the daughter and heirefs of Florent 
count of Holland, is famous on account of a Rory repeated 
by a hundred compilers even of the 18th century. Having 
refufed charity to a woman whom (he at the fame time ac- 
cufed of adultery, becaufe (lie had twins, lhe was, as a 
puniftiment from God, brought to bed (A. D. 1276) of 
365 children, partly boys and partly girls. The boys, it 
is added, were all named John, and the girls Elizabeth. 
This (lory is reprefented in a large painting in a village not 
far from the Hague ; and by the fide of the painting are 
feen two large balons of brafs, on which it is pretended the 
365 children w-ere prefented to be baptized. Several 
learned men have endeavoured to trace the caufe which 
could have given rife to a relation fo extraordinary. M. 
Struik fixed upon the epitaphs of the mother and fon, 
which appeared to him worthy of fome attention ; and, 
in conformity to the dates which they bear, he fuppofed 
that the countefs was brought to bed on Good Friday 1276, 
which was the 26th of March. Now, as the year then be¬ 
gan on the 25th of the fame month, there were only two 
days of the year elapfed when the countefs was brought to- 
bed, which circumltance caufed it to be faid that Jlie had 
brought into the world as many children as there were days in 
the year. In fadt only two children are mentioned in 
hiltory, John and Elizabeth. “ The fable thus explained 
is only a common event, wherein there is nothing of the 
marvellous, but in confequence of a double meaning in 
the expre(fion. She had reviled a poor woman for having 
twins, and llie foon after had twins herfelf. Later writers, 
who have not examined this circumllance, have afcribed 
365 children to the countefs.” Journal des Sgavans, Feb. 
i7S 8 - 
MAR'GARET of ANJOU',Queen-confort to Henry VT 
of England, fee that article, vol. vi. p. 613-621. 
MAR'GARET (Countefs of Richmond and Derby), 
the learned and pious mother of Henry VII. was born at 
Betfiioe in Bedford (hire, in 144.1; and was the (ole heirefs 
of John Beaufort duke of Somerfet, grandfon to John of 
Gaunt. Her mother was the heirefs of lord Beauchamp 
of Powick. Whilft yet very young, the great duke of 
Suffolk, minifterto Henry VI. or rather to queen Margaret 
of Anjou, fought her in marriage for his fon; and (lie was 
at the fame time folicited by the king for his half-brother 
Edmund earl of Richmond. To the latter file gave her 
hand. Henry VII. was the foie fruit of this marriage; 
liis father dying when he was but fifteen weeks old. Her 
fecond liufband was fir Henry Stafford, fecond fon to the 
duke of Buckingham ; by whom (he had no ifiue. Soon 
after his death, which happened in the year 1482, (lie 
fought confolation in a third liufband, Thomas lord Stan¬ 
ley, who in the firft year of her fon’s reign was created 
earl of Derby. He died in the year 1504, without ilfue, 
being then high confiable of England. She furvived her 
lord not quite five years, dying at Weltminfter in June 
1509, in the 69th year of her age. She was buried in 
Henry VII’s chapel ; on the fouth fide of which was 
erected to her memory an altar-tomb of black marble, 
with her ltatue of brafs. From her funeral fermon preached 
by her confeflor bifiiop Fiftier, who, fays Ballard, knew 
the very fecrets of her foul, we learn, “ that (lie-polfelfed 
almoft all things that were commendable in a woman, ei¬ 
ther in mind or body.” She underltood the French lan¬ 
guage perfectly, and had fome knowledge of the Latin. 
She was devout even to aUfterity, in humility romantic, 
profufe in the encouragement ot learning, and Angularly 
chafie; but this lalt virtue became canfpicuous only to¬ 
wards the latter end of a third manage. “ In her lalt hus¬ 
band’s days (fays Baker), (lie obtained a licenfe of him 
to live chafie,; whereupon (he took upon her the vow of 
celibacy.” ‘A boon (lays Mr. Walpole), as feldom re- 
quefted, I believe, of a third liufband, as it probably would, 
be eafily granted.’ Her life, from tile turbulence of tliet 
times, and viuifitudts of her foil’s fortune^mult neceAanly 
s havq 
