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Irala, Domingo Martínez de

(Encyclopedia)Irala, Domingo Martínez de dōmēngˈgō märtēˈnās dā ēräˈlä [key], d. 1556 or 1557, first governor of Paraguay. Of Basque origin, he accompanied Pedro de Mendoza on his expedition to La Pla...

Bicocca, La

(Encyclopedia)Bicocca, La lä bēkôkˈkä [key], former village, Lombardy, N Italy, now part of Milan. There, in 1522, the vicomte de Lautrec, commanding a French army and Swiss mercenaries, was defeated by a comb...

Beaumanoir, Philippe de Remi, sire de

(Encyclopedia)Beaumanoir, Philippe de Remi, sire de fēlēpˈ də rəmēˈ sēr də bōmänwärˈ [key], c.1250–1296, French poet and jurist, a writer of medieval law texts. He was a judicial officer at Clermont ...

De profundis

(Encyclopedia)De profundis dā prōfo͞onˈdēs [key] [Lat.,=from the depths], the opening words of Psalm 130, one of the penitential Psalms, in Jerome's Latin version (see Vulgate); also used as a title for the Ps...

Godoy, Manuel de

(Encyclopedia)Godoy, Manuel de mänwĕlˈ dā gōᵺoiˈ [key], 1767–1851, Spanish statesman. An army officer, he won the favor of Queen María Luisa and rose rapidly at the court of Charles IV. The king made him...

Bernard, Saint

(Encyclopedia)Bernard, Saint: see Bernard of Clairvaux, Saint; Bernard of Menthon, Saint. For the two Alpine passes, see Saint Bernard. ...

Racan, Honorat de Bueil, seigneur de

(Encyclopedia)Racan, Honorat de Bueil, seigneur de ōnōräˈ də böˈyə sānyörˈ də räkäNˈ [key], 1589–1670, French poet. A disciple of Malherbe, he wrote some lyric poetry and a charming pastoral drama,...

Mancini, Laura, duchesse de Mercœur

(Encyclopedia)Mancini, Laura, duchesse de Mercœur märēˈ än, bo͞oyôN [key], 1649–1714, was famous for her vivacity and wit. She became the center of a literary circle in Paris and was the patroness of La Fo...

Céloron de Blainville, Pierre Joseph de

(Encyclopedia)Céloron de Blainville, Pierre Joseph de pyĕr zhôzĕfˈ də sālərôNˈ də blăNvēlˈ [key], 1693–1759, French Canadian soldier, b. Montreal. He was commandant at Michilimackinac (1734–42), D...

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