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Philip the Bold, duke of Burgundy

(Encyclopedia)Philip the Bold, 1342–1404, duke of Burgundy (1363–1404); a younger son of King John II of France. He fought (1356) at Poitiers and shared his father's captivity in England. He was first made duke...

Hugh Capet

(Encyclopedia)Hugh Capet kāˈpĭt, kăpˈĭt [key], c.938–996, king of France (987–96), first of the Capetians. He was the son of Hugh the Great, to whose vast territories he succeeded in 956. After the death ...

Portsmouth, Louise Renée de Kéroualle, duchess of

(Encyclopedia)Portsmouth, Louise Renée de Kéroualle, duchess of lwēz rənāˈ də kāro͞oälˈ [key], 1649–1734, French mistress of Charles II of England. She exerted a powerful influence over the king in fav...

Bourbon, Charles, duc de

(Encyclopedia)Bourbon, Charles, duc de bo͞orbôNˈ [key], 1490–1527, constable of France and governor of Milan. He distinguished himself at the battle of Marignano (1515) in the Italian Wars between King Franci...

Alphonse

(Encyclopedia)Alphonse älfôNsˈ [key], 1220–71, count of Poitiers and of Toulouse, brother of King Louis IX of France. By his marriage to the daughter of Raymond VII, count of Toulouse, he inherited Raymond's l...

American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters

(Encyclopedia)American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, honorary academy of notable American artists, writers, and composers. The National Institute of Arts and Letters, founded in 1898, served as the par...

Norumbega

(Encyclopedia)Norumbega nôrəmbĕgˈə [key], name vaguely used, especially on European maps of the 16th and 17th cent., to indicate a region, a river, or a city on the east coast of North America. Fabulous tales ...

Edred

(Encyclopedia)Edred or Eadred both: ĕdˈrĕd [key], d. 955, king of the English (946–55), son of Edward the Elder. He succeeded his brother Edmund and was faced with invasions of Danish Northumbria by Norsemen f...

Charles Martel

(Encyclopedia)Charles Martel märtĕlˈ [key] [O.Fr.,=Charles the Hammer], 688?–741, Frankish ruler, illegitimate son of Pepin of Heristal and grandfather of Charlemagne. After the death of his father (714) he se...

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