(Encyclopedia) Montespan, Françoise Athénaïs, marquise deMontespan, Françoise Athénaïs, marquise defräNswäzˈ ätānäēsˈ märkēzˈ də môNtəspäNˈ [key], 1641–1707, mistress of King Louis XIV of France. She…
(Encyclopedia) Croissy, Charles Colbert, marquis deCroissy, Charles Colbert, marquis deshärl kôlbĕrˈ märkē də krwäsēˈ [key], c.1625–96, French diplomat, brother of Jean Baptiste Colbert. He entered…
(Encyclopedia) Charlevoix, Pierre François Xavier deCharlevoix, Pierre François Xavier depyĕr fräNswäˈ zävyāˈ də shärləvwäˈ [key], 1682–1761, French Jesuit traveler and historian. He taught at the…
(Encyclopedia) Séguier, Pierre, duc de VillemorSéguier, Pierre, duc de Villemorpyĕr sāgyāˈ dük də vēlmôrˈ [key], 1588–1672, chancellor of France. Beginning as counselor to the Parlement of Paris, he…
(Encyclopedia) FrondeFrondefrôNd [key], 1648–53, series of outbreaks during the minority of King Louis XIV, caused by the efforts of the Parlement of Paris (the chief judiciary body) to limit the…
(Encyclopedia) Louis XI, 1423–83, king of France (1461–83), son and successor of Charles VII.
A born diplomat, Louis skillfully checked his foreign and domestic enemies and set up an efficient…
(Encyclopedia) OrléansOrléansôrlāäNˈ [key], family name of two branches of the French royal line.
The house of Valois-Orléans was founded by Louis, duc d'Orléans (see separate article), whose…
(Encyclopedia) Courcelle, Daniel Rémy, sieur deCourcelle, Daniel Rémy, sieur dedänyĕlˈ rāmēˈ syörˈ də k&oomacr;rsĕlˈ [key], d.1698, governor of New France (1665–72). He arrived with the intendant…
(Encyclopedia) Deschappelles, Alexandre (Alexandre Louis Honoré Lebreton Deschapelles), 1780–1847, French chess player, b. Ville d'Avray. Considered the world champion chess player from about 1815 to…
(Encyclopedia) Bosio, François Joseph, BaronBosio, François Joseph, BaronfräNswäˈ zhôzĕfˈ bärôNˈ bôsyōˈ [key], 1769–1845, French sculptor. He was employed by Napoleon I to make the bas-reliefs for…
