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Tyard, Pontus de

(Encyclopedia)Tyard, Pontus de pôNtüsˈ də tēärˈ [key], 1521?–1605, French poet of the Pléiade (see under Pleiad). The sonnets in his Erreurs amoureuses (3 vol., 1549–55) are imitative of Petrarch and ar...

chemin de fer

(Encyclopedia)chemin de fer shəmănˈ də fûr, Fr. shəmăNˈ də fĕr [key] [Fr.,=railroad], the most popular gambling card game in Europe. The present day versions are variations of Italian baccara which Charle...

Champ-de-Mars

(Encyclopedia)Champ-de-Mars shäN-də-märs [key], former parade ground of Paris, France, between the École militaire and the Seine River. There, at the Fête de la Fédération (July 14, 1790), Louis XVI took an ...

Girardin, Émile de

(Encyclopedia)Girardin, Émile de də zhērärdăNˈ [key], 1806–81, French journalist. He was editor of La Presse (1836–56, 1862–66), La Liberté (1866–70), and La France (1874). Actively interested in po...

Retz, Gilles de Laval, seigneur de

(Encyclopedia)Retz or Rais, Gilles de Laval, seigneur de zhēl də lävälˈ sānyörˈ də rĕts, rĕs [key], 1404–40, marshal of France, a lord of the Breton marches. A noted soldier, he was at Orléans with Jo...

Favart, Charles Simon

(Encyclopedia)Favart, Charles Simon shärl sēmôNˈ fävärˈ [key], 1710–92, French dramatist and theatrical manager, for a time director of the Opéra-Comique. He was the originator of the modern light opera a...

Puy de Dôme

(Encyclopedia)Puy de Dôme, extinct volcano of the Massif Central and the second highest peak (4,806 ft/1,465 m) of the Auvergne Mts., central France, W of Clermont-Ferrand. Crops are raised on the lower slopes; th...

Aranda, Pedro Pablo Abarca de Bolea, conde de

(Encyclopedia)Aranda, Pedro Pablo Abarca de Bolea, conde de pāˈᵺrō päˈblō äbärˈkä ᵺa bōlāˈä kōnˈdā ᵺā äränˈdä [key], 1718–98, Spanish statesman. He distinguished himself at first as a ...

Laval, François Xavier de

(Encyclopedia)Laval, François Xavier de fräNswäˈ zävyāˈ də lävälˈ [key], 1623–1708, French prelate in Canada, first bishop of Quebec. Of noble family (his family name in full was Laval-Montmorency), he...

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