MARGARET (St), a celebrated virgin who, as
is supposed, received the crown of martyrdom at An-
ticoch in the year 275: the manner of her death is
not known. The ancient martyrologists make no men-
tion of her name, and she did not become famous till
the 11th century. There is no more foundation for
what is said concerning her relics and girdles than
for the stories which are told of her life. A festival,
however, is still held in honour of her memory on the
20th of July: See Baillet's Lives of the Saints for that
day. "Her actions (says this author) have been so
falsified and altered, in the opinion even of Meta-
phrasis, that the Romish church have not thought
proper to insert any of them into their breviary. The
Orientals pay reverence to her by the name of Saint
Pelagia or Saint Marina, and the western church by
that of Saint Geroma or Saint Margaret.