The Life of Marcel

Here followeth the Life of Saint Marcel and the interpretation of his name.

Marcel is as much to say as denying to do evil, or it is said as smiting the seas, that is to say the adversities of the world, for the world resembleth the sea. For like as Chrysostom saith upon Matthew: Continual dread is his confuse, and always in the sea is continual dread, the image of death and perpetual disordinance without ceasing.

Of Saint Marcel.

Saint Marcel was chief bishop and pope of Rome. He went to chastise and reprove Maximian the emperor of this, that he was over cruel to christian people. And the emperor had of him so great despite that he made of the house of a good woman, of which Saint Marcel had made a church, the said emperor made it a stable for horses, and in the place where Saint Marcel had sung mass, the emperor made him to keep his horse, in which service Saint Marcel was all his life after, and in that service Saint Marcel died holily the year of the incarnation of our Lord two hundred and four score and seven.