something related to, or bounded by the sea; thus, a maritime province, or country, is one bounded by the sea; and a maritime kingdom, or state, is one that makes a considerable figure, or is very powerful at sea. Hence, by maritime powers, among the European states, are understood Great Britain and Holland.

St Mark the evangelist's day, a festival of the Christian church, observed April 25.

St Mark's Gospel, a canonical book of the New Testament, being one of the four gospels.

St Mark wrote his gospel at Rome, where he accompanied St Peter, in the year of Christ 44. Tertullian and others pretend that St Mark was no more than an amanuensis to St Peter, who dictated this gospel to him; others affirm, that he wrote it after St Peter's death. Nor are the learned less divided as to the language this gospel was wrote in; some affirming it was composed in Greek, others in Latin. Several of the ancient heretics received only the gospel of St Mark: others among the catholics rejected the twelve last verses of this gospel. The gospel of St Mark is properly an abridgment of that of St Matthew.

Canons of St Mark, a congregation of regular canons, founded at Mantua, by Albert Spinola a priest, towards the end of the XIIth century. Spinola made a rule for them, which was approved, corrected, and confirmed by several succeeding popes. About the year 1450, they were reformed, and followed only the rule of St Augustine. This congregation having flourished for the space of four hundred years, declined by little and little, and is now become extinct.

Knights of St Mark, an order of knighthood in the republic of Venice, under the protection of St Mark the evangelist. The arms of the order are, gules, a lion winged, or, with this device, Pax Tibi Marce Evangelista. This order is never conferred but on those those who have done signal service to the commonwealth.