454 MAR 
nflift at the famous conference at Poiflyj where he was 
diflinguilhed by his fkill in difputarion, by the temper 
and prudence with which he conducted himfelf, and by 
the liberality and force which he pleaded for the fuffi- 
ciency of the Scriptures as a teft of truth a's well as rule 
of life. He died at Zurich in 156a, foon after he had 
completed the fixty-fecond year of his age. 
On the learning, judgment, and eloquence, of Peter 
Martyr, and the value of his productions, the proteflant 
writers beftow the higheft eulogiums; and the liberal ca¬ 
tholic critics have done confiderable juitice to his merits. 
Dupin, in particular, is warm in the commendation which 
he bellows on many of his works, obferving that, with 
the exception of what he advances in favour of novel 
opinions,-they are excellent; that in his difcuffions of 
moral fubjefts he lays down very folid principles, and 
difplays great prudence and learning; that his Thefts are 
very judicious, and his Sermons eloquent and full of good 
maxims. Speaking of his Commentaries, be fays, that 
they are well written, and there is no want of learning in 
them; hut the author frequently deviates from his fub- 
je< 5 l to enter into digreflions upon coritroverfy, and other 
points of doftrine; which, however, he handles learnedly, 
and after a manner which may pleafe the reader. Of the 
firft reformers, no one wrote better than Peter Martyr, 
excepting Calvin ; and he furpafled Calvin in erudition 
and the knowledge of languages. He was well verfed in 
the fathers, and applied himfelf diligently to the ltudy of 
the ancient difcipiine of the church. He had more mo¬ 
deration than any of the other proteftants, not only in his 
expreflions, but alfo in his fentiments. He was the author 
of many learned works, efpecially of “ Commentaries on 
molt of the Books of the Old Teftament, and on the Epitlle 
of St. Paul to the Romans, and the Firft Epiftle to the 
Corinthians.” After his death was pnblifhed a pofthti- 
mous work entitled “ Petri Martyris Vermillii, &c. Loci 
fommunes,” confiding of feleftions from his works, di- 
gefted into an uniform treatile, and fyfteniatically arranged 
after the manner of Calvin’s Inllitutions. Moreri, Melchior. 
Adam. Dupin. 
MAR'TYRDOM,yi The death of a martyr; the ho¬ 
nour of a martyr; teftimony born to truth by voluntary 
fubmiflion to death.—If an infidel fiiould purfue to death 
an heretic profefiing Chriftianity only for Chriftian pro- 
fefiion fake, could we deny unto him the honour of mar¬ 
tyrdom ? Hooker. 
Herod, whofe unbleft 
Hand, O ! what dares nor jealous greatnefs ? tore 
A thoufand fweet babes from their mother’s bread. 
The blooms of martyrdom. Crajhaw. 
MARTYR'IA, f. A figure in rhetoric, in which the 
fpeaker brings his own experience in proof of what he 
advances. 
MAR'TYRING, f. The aft of putting to death for a 
tedimony of the truth. 
To MAR'TYRIZE, v. a. To put to death on the ac¬ 
count of religion ; to put to death for a tedimony to the 
truth. Scott .—To offer as a facrifice.—To her my heart I 
nightly martyrize. Spenjer’s Colin Clout. 
MAR'TYRIZING. f The aft of putting to death for 
a tedimony of a good conference in matters of religion. 
M ARTYROL'OGIST, f A writer of martyrology. 
MARTYROL'OGY, J. A regitter of martyrs.— In th.e 
Roman martyrology we find at one time many thoufand 
martyrs dedroycd by Diocletian, being met together in a 
church, rather than efcape by offering a little incenfe at 
their coming our. Stilhngjlcet. 
A martyrology, properly fpeaking, fliould contain no 
more than the name, place, and day of martyrdom, of 
each faint; but the term is frequently extendtd to the 
liidories of martyrs. The cudom of collefting martyro- 
logits is borrowed from the heathens, who inferted the 
names of their heroes in their Fafti, to preferve to pofte- 
rity the memory and example of their noble actions. 
M A R 
In the ancient church, the afts, fayings, fufferings, and 
deaths, of the martyrs, were preferved with great care, in 
order to be read on certain days, and thus propofed as 
models to future ages; and yet, notwitbdanding all this 
diligence, we have but very little left of them, the 
greated part havirig been dedroyed during the perfecution 
under Diocletian ; for a mod diligent fearch was then 
made after all their hooks and papers, and all that were 
found were committed to the flames. From the eighth 
century downwards, feveral Greek and Latin writers en¬ 
deavoured to make up the lofs, by compiling, with vad 
labour, accounts of the lives and actions of the ancient 
martyrs ; but mod of them have given us little elfe than 
a feries of fables, adorned with profuflon of rhetorical 
flowers and flriking images, as the w-ifer, even among the 
Romifli doftors, frankly acknowledge. 
The Martyrology of Eufebius of Ca: fit re a w-as the molt 
celebrated in the ancient church : it was tranflated into 
Latin by St. Jerome; but the learned agree that it is not 
now extant. That attributed to Beda, in the eighth cen¬ 
tury, is of very doubtful authority ; the names of feveral 
faints being there found who did not live till after the 
time of Beda. The ninth century was very fertile, in 
martyrologies ; then appeared that of Florus, fubdeacon 
of the church at Lyons ; who, however, only filled up the 
chafins of Beda. This was published about the year 830 ; 
and was followed by that of Waldenburtus, monk of the 
diocefe of Treves, written in verfe about the year S48 ; 
and this by that of Ufuardus, a French mor.k, and written 
by the command of Charles the Bald, in 875, which lad 
is the martyrology now ordinarily ufed in the Romiflx 
church. 
That of RabanUs Maurus is an isnprovement on Beda 
and Florus, written about the year 845; that of Notker, 
monk of St. Gal, was written about the year 894. The 
martyrology of Ado, monk of Ferrieres, in the diocefe of 
Treves, afterwards archbilhop of Vienne, is a defcendant 
of the Roman, if we may fo call it; for Du Sollier giv»s 
its genealogy thus : the martyrology of St. Jerome is the 
great Roman martyrology ; from this was made the little 
Roman one, printed by Rofweyd ; of this little Roman 
martyrology was formed that of Beda, augmented by 
Florus. Ado compiled his in the year 858. The mar¬ 
tyrology of Nevelon, monk of Corbie, written about the 
year 1089, is little more than an abridgment of that of 
Ado ; father Kircher alio makes mention of a Coptic 
martyrology, preferved by the Maronites at Rome. We 
have alfo feveral Proteliant martyrologies, containing 
the fufferings of the Reformed under the Papifis; viz. an 
Englifh martyrology, by J. Fox; with others by Clark, 
Bray, See. 
Martyrology is alfo ufed, in the Romifli church, for 
a roll or regifter kept in the veffry of each church, contain¬ 
ing the names of all the faints and martyrs, both of tile 
univerfal church, and of the particular ones of that city 
or monafiery. 
Martyrology is alfo applied to the painted or writ¬ 
ten catalogues in the Romifli churches, containing the 
foundations, obits, prayers, and mafles, to be laid each day* 
MAR'FYRS (Knights of.) See the article Knight¬ 
hood, vol. xi. p. 79a. 
MARTYRS’ REE'F and SHO'ALS, a rocky flioal be¬ 
tween the Gulf of Mexico, on the north fide of the Florida 
Stream. Lat. 24. 5. N. ion. 81. W. 
MA'KU, f. in botany. See Origanum. 
MA'RU el ROU'D, a town of Penis, in the province 
of Cborafan, on the Morga, founded, according to the 
opinion of fome, by Alexander the Great: 125 miles 
north-eaft of Herat, and 150 louth-weft of Balk. Lat. 
37. 36. N. Ion. 61. 18. E. 
MARU SHAH JE'HAN, a town of Perils, in the pro¬ 
vince of Chora Ian, on the river Morga. This was for¬ 
merly a magnificent city, and the residence of many ful- 
tans. It was entirely laid wafte by the Turcomans, after 
the defeat of fultan Sangier in the twelfth century, ft 
is 
