Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XI.djvu/202

190 MARROW tune ; or a promise to restore money lent to jrivc the appearance of wealth, and so procure the marriage ; and a note given only to be ex- hihited and used for the same purpose has been held valid against the promissor. A creditor who conceals or denies his claims, so that the debtor may obtain the consent of the woman or her guardians, is bound by his denial or concealment as effectually as by a release. As to the power of an infant, especially a female infant, to make a valid settlement of property in view of marriage, the law is not quite set- tled. An infant of either sex may certainly receive property in such a way; but in an important case in England (18 Vesey, 259), Lord Chancellor Eldon held that a female in- fant was not bound by her settlement of her estate, but, when she came of age, might annul the settlement and return into possession of all her rights and interests. The opposite doc- trine is now established by statute in Eng- land, and also by statute or decision in some of the United States. MARROW, also called MEDULLA, a soft, trans- lucent, yellowish or reddish vascular sub- stance, found in the central cavities and in the spongy texture of the bones of man and the higher animals. There are two varieties of marrow, the yellow and the red. The yellow marrow is found principally in the central cav- ities of the long bones, such as the femur, hu- merus, and tibia. It consists of a very fine fibrous network, in which are imbedded an abundance of fat vesicles and capillary blood vessels, together with the ramifications of nerves. It is, however, but little or not at all sensitive in its ordinary condition, although when diseased it may, like other parts of the bone, become exceedingly painful. The red- dish variety of marrow is found in the inter- stices of the spongy texture in the extremities of the long bones, in the short and flat bones, and especially in the sternum and the bodies of the vertebra. It is softer in consistency than the preceding, and contains only slight traces of fat. Besides a delicate fibrous tissue, blood vessels, nerves, and an amorphous albu- minous matter, it contains, in the bodies of the vertebra, the sternum, ribs, and cranial bones, small rounded, nucleated cells, the "marrow cells." Marrow does not exist in cartilage, nor in the compact tissue of bone, but is formed in proportion as the medullary cavities are produced by absorption of the original bone. MARRYAT. I. Frederick, a British author, born in London, July 10, 1792, died at Lang- ham, Norfolk, Aug. 2, 1848. He entered the naval service at 14 years of age as a midship- man on board the frigate Imperieuse, and par- ticipated in 50 engagements, in one of which he was severely injured. He distinguished himself on several occasions by leaping over- board and rescuing drowning shipmates, for which he subsequently received a medal from r!u- humane society. In 1812-'15 he served on the North American coast ; and he participated MARS in an action with gunboats on Lake Pontchar- train shortly previous to the battle of New Orleans. In 1829, while commanding the Ari- adne in the channel service, he commenced his literary career by the publication of "Frank Mildmay, or the Naval Officer," a novel of sea life, in which many of his early adventures are related. Among his other novels are : " The King's Own" (1830); "The Pacha of Many Tales" (1835); "The Pirate and the Three Cutters " (1835) ; " Midshipman Easy " (1836) ; " Japhet in search of a Father " (1836) ; " Pe- ter Simple " (1837) ; "Percival Keene " (1837) ; "Snarleyyow" (1837); "Jacob Faithful" (1838); "The Phantom Ship "(1839); "Poor Jack" (1840); "Joseph Ruskbrook" (1841); "Masterman Ready" (1841); "The Settlers in Canada" (1844); "The Mission" (1845); " Children of the New Forest " (1846) ; " The Privateersman " (1846) ; "The Little Savage" (1848); and "Valerie" (1849). In 1837 he published a "Code of Signals for Vessels em- ployed in the Merchant Service," which has been adopted in England and other countries, and for which he received the cross of the le- gion of honor from Louis Philippe. In 1838 he made a tour in the United States, and in 1839 published his "Diary in America," in two series, each of three volumes. During the last two years of his life he was compelled by the rupture of several blood vessels to desist from all professional and literary labor. His "Life and Correspondence" (2 vols., 1872) was published by his daughter Florence (Mrs. Ross Church), who is also the author of several novels. II, Samuel Francis, son of the prece- ding, born in 1826, died in London, July 12, 1855. He served several years in the British navy, but resigned his commission, and in 1850 established himself in California. In 1853 he returned to England, and published an account of his adventures under the title of "Mountains and Mole Hills" (London, 1855). MARS (a contraction of Maters or Mavors), the Roman god of war, whose name in the Sa- bine and Oscan tongues was Mamers, and who was early identified with the Greek Ares. Be- fore this identification he seems to have been an agricultural rather than a warlike divinity. He was one of the three tutelary gods, to each of whom Numa was said to have appointed a flamen, and he enjoyed the highest honors after Jupiter. He was called Father Mars (Marspiter), being regarded as the parent of the Romans from having begotten the founders of Rome by Rhea Silvia, a priestess of Vesta. He was distinguished as Gradivus, Silvanus, or Quirinus, in his relations respectively to war, agriculture, and the state. The rites of his worship, as the dances of the Salii in armor, had reference to war and victory. The princi- pal temples dedicated to him at Rome were that on the Appian way outside of the Porta Capena, and that of Mars Ultor in the forum. Ares (*A/>?f), son of Zeus (Jupiter) and He- ra (Juno), was regarded by the Greeks not