(Encyclopedia) despotism, government by an absolute ruler unchecked by effective constitutional limits to his power. In Greek usage, a despot was ruler of a household and master of its slaves. The…
(Encyclopedia) Tudor, Owen, d. 1461, founder of the Tudor dynasty. He belonged to an ancient Welsh family. He was a squire at the court of Henry V, and, probably in 1429, he married Henry's widow,…
(Encyclopedia) PushkinPushkinp&oobreve;shˈkĭn, Rus. p&oomacr;shˈkĭn [key], city (1989 pop. 95,000), NW European Russia, a residential and resort suburb of St. Petersburg. It produces road-…
(Encyclopedia) Radishchev, Aleksandr NikolayevichRadishchev, Aleksandr Nikolayevichəlyĭksänˈdər nyĭkəlīˈəvĭch rədyēshˈchĭf [key], 1749–1802, Russian writer and liberal. Of a noble family, he studied…
(Encyclopedia) Hertford, William Seymour, 1st marquess and 2d earl ofHertford, William Seymour, 1st marquess and 2d earl ofhärˈfərd, härtˈ– [key], 1588–1660, English nobleman; great-grandson of…
(Encyclopedia) AnhaltAnhaltänˈhält [key], former state, c.900 sq mi (2,330 sq km), central Germany, surrounded by the former Prussian provinces of Saxony and Brandenburg. Dessau, the capital, and…
(Encyclopedia) Anna LeopoldovnaAnna Leopoldovnaänˈnə [key]Anna Leopoldovnalyāˌəpôlˈdəvnə [key] or Anna KarlovnaAnna Karlovnakärˈləvnə [key], 1718–46, duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, regent of…
(Encyclopedia) John IV, 1604–56, king of Portugal (1640–56). He succeeded as duke of Braganza in 1630. Descended from Manuel I and in illegitimate line from John I, he had the strongest claim to the…
(Encyclopedia) stigmatastigmatastĭgˈmətə, stĭgmătˈə [key] [plural of stigma, from Gr.,=brand], wounds or marks on a person resembling the five wounds received by Jesus at the crucifixion. Some 300…
(Encyclopedia) Basilian monksBasilian monksbəzĭlˈēən [key], monks primarily of the Eastern Church. They follow the Rule of St. Basil the Great, which has been universal among them since the 7th cent…
