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Villon, François

(Encyclopedia)Villon, François fräNswäˈ vēyôNˈ [key], 1431–1463?, French poet, b. Paris, whose original name was François de Montcorbier or François Des Loges. One of the earliest great poets of France, ...

Field, Rachel

(Encyclopedia)Field, Rachel, 1894–1942, American writer, b. New York City, educated at Radcliffe. Her books for children include The Cross-Stitch Heart and Other One-Act Plays (1927), Hitty: Her First Hundred Yea...

Herrings, Battle of the

(Encyclopedia)Herrings, Battle of the, 1429, episode in the siege of Orléans by the English in the Hundred Years War. The French, under Jean, comte de Dunois, attacked a supply train commanded by Sir John Fastolf....

fasti

(Encyclopedia)fasti făsˈtī [key], in ancient Rome, dies fasti were days on which public business could be transacted without impiety. The word also came to be used for the calendars and almanacs that contained s...

George Town

(Encyclopedia)George Town, town (1989 pop. 12,921), capital and administrative center of the Cayman Islands, in the West Indies. A major offshore banking and business center, it is the site of several hundred banks...

Gog

(Encyclopedia)Gog, in the Bible. In the Book of Ezekiel, Gog is a leader, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal who will attack Israel and be defeated in the last days. Magog is his country. The same theme surfaces...

Chartier, Alain

(Encyclopedia)Chartier, Alain älăNˈ shärtyāˈ [key], b. c.1385, d. c.1433, French writer, secretary to Charles VII. His most popular work was the love poem La Belle Dame sans mercy (1424), which provided Keats...

Harfleur

(Encyclopedia)Harfleur ärflörˈ [key], town (1993 est. pop. 9,221), Seine-Maritime dept., N France, at the mouth of the Seine River on the English Channel. It was a flourishing port during the later Middle Ages b...

Castillon-la-Bataille

(Encyclopedia)Castillon-la-Bataille kästēyôNˌ-lä-bätäˈyə [key], town (1993 est. pop. 3,030), Gironde dept., SW France, in Guienne, on the Dordogne River. An ancient port, it has a wine and liqueur trade an...

Swithin, Saint

(Encyclopedia)Swithin or Swithun, Saint both: swĭᵺˈən [key], fl. 860, English bishop of Winchester. He was buried, according to his wishes, outside his church, but his relics were later removed to the new cath...