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Douglas, Archibald, 4th earl of Douglas

(Encyclopedia)Douglas, Archibald, 4th earl of Douglas, 1369–1424, Scottish nobleman, called Tyneman [loser]; 2d son of Archibald Douglas, 3d earl of Douglas. In 1390 he married Margaret Stuart, daughter of Robert...

Margaret Maultasch

(Encyclopedia)Margaret Maultasch moulˈtäsh [key] [Ger.,=pocket mouth], 1318–69, countess of Tyrol, called the Ugly Duchess, probably because of her unattractive appearance, especially her mouth. When Margaret's...

Westmorland, Ralph Neville, 1st earl of

(Encyclopedia)Westmorland, Ralph Neville, 1st earl of, 1364–1425, English nobleman. His family was one of the most powerful in England and shared domination of the northern counties with the Percy family, with wh...

John II, Spanish king of Castile and León

(Encyclopedia)John II, 1405–54, Spanish king of Castile and León (1406–54), son and successor of Henry III. He was little interested in government, which he entrusted to his favorite Alvaro de Luna. Literature...

Mortimer's Cross

(Encyclopedia)Mortimer's Cross, battlefield, Herefordshire, W England, near Leominster. It was the scene of a battle (Feb. 2, 1461) in the Wars of the Roses (see Roses, Wars of the), which ended with a decisive vic...

Azanza, Miguel José de

(Encyclopedia)Azanza, Miguel José de mēgĕlˈ hōsāˈ dā āthänˈthä [key], 1746–1826, Spanish general and colonial administrator. After brief service in the cabinet of Charles IV, he was sent to the coloni...

Saavedra y Fajardo, Diego de

(Encyclopedia)Saavedra y Fajardo, Diego de dyāˈgō ᵺā sävāˈᵺrä ē fähärˈᵺō [key], 1584–1648, Spanish writer and diplomat in the reign of Philip IV. His chief works are Empresas políticas [politi...

Du Bartas, Guillaume de Salluste

(Encyclopedia)Du Bartas, Guillaume de Salluste gēyōmˈ də sälüstˈ dü bärtäsˈ [key], 1544–90, French poet. A Huguenot soldier under Henry IV, Du Bartas is known chiefly for his epic poems La Sepmaine; ou...

Estrées, Gabrielle d'

(Encyclopedia)Estrées, Gabrielle d' gäbrēĕlˈ dĕstrāˈ [key], 1573–99, famous beauty, mistress (1592–99) of Henry IV of France, who made her marquise of Monceaux and duchess of Beaufort. She divorced her ...

Eudocia Macrembolitissa

(Encyclopedia)Eudocia Macrembolitissa măkˌrəmbŏlˌĭtĭsˈə [key], fl. 11th cent., Byzantine empress. At the death of her husband, Constantine X, she married Romanus IV. ...