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Boisguilbert, Pierre le Pesant, sieur de

(Encyclopedia)Boisguilbert, Pierre le Pesant, sieur de pyĕr lə pəzäNˈ syör də bwägēlbĕrˈ [key], 1646–1714, French economist. A local official of Rouen after 1689, he proposed a radical alteration of th...

Blanche of Castile

(Encyclopedia)Blanche of Castile bläNsh, kăstēlˈ [key], 1185?–1252, queen of Louis VIII of France and regent during the minority (1226–34) of their son Louis IX. A forceful and capable ruler, she checked th...

Raoul

(Encyclopedia)Raoul räo͞olˈ [key], d. 936, duke of Burgundy, king of France (923–36). Elected king to succeed his father-in-law, Robert I, Raoul fought the Normans and the Hungarians, who repeatedly invaded Fr...

Troyes, Treaty of

(Encyclopedia)Troyes, Treaty of, 1420, agreement between Henry V of England, Charles VI of France, and Philip the Good of Burgundy. Its purpose, ultimately unsuccessful, was to settle the issues of the Hundred Year...

Sorel, Albert

(Encyclopedia)Sorel, Albert sôrĕlˈ [key], 1842–1906, French historian. After a diplomatic career that gave him unique access to the archives of the foreign ministry, Sorel concentrated on diplomatic history. ...

Scheldt

(Encyclopedia)Scheldt skĕlt [key], Du. Schelde, Fr. Escaut, river, c.270 mi (435 km) long, rising in N France and flowing generally NE across W Belgium and into the North Sea through the Western Scheldt (De Honte)...

Sedan

(Encyclopedia)Sedan sədäNˈ [key], town (1990 pop. 22,407), Ardennes dept., NE France, on the Meuse River. A noted textile center since the 16th cent., Sedan also has metal and brewing industries. The town became...

Saarlouis

(Encyclopedia)Saarlouis zärˌlo͞oˈē [key], Fr. Sarrelouis, city (1994 pop. 38,347), Saarland, SW Germany, on the Saar River near the French border. It is a commercial and industrial center. Manufactures include...

Saint-Vallier, Jean Baptiste de la Croix

(Encyclopedia)Saint-Vallier, Jean Baptiste de la Croix zhäN bätēstˈ də lä krwä săN-välyāˈ [key], 1653–1727, Roman Catholic bishop of Quebec, b. France. He succeeded François Xavier de Laval in 1688 af...

Cambrai

(Encyclopedia)Cambrai käNbrāˈ [key], city, Nord dept., N France, a port on the Escaut (Scheldt) River. I...