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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...

Johnson, Rossiter

(Encyclopedia)Johnson, Rossiter, 1840–1931, American editor, b. Rochester, N.Y. He was associate editor (1873–77) of the American Cyclopaedia, editor (1883–1902) of the Annual Cyclopedia, and managing editor ...

Nevin, Ethelbert Woodbridge

(Encyclopedia)Nevin, Ethelbert Woodbridge, 1862–1901, American pianist and composer, b. Edgeworth, Pa., studied in Boston and in Germany. He made his debut as a pianist in Pittsburgh in 1886 but devoted most of h...

Newbery, John

(Encyclopedia)Newbery, John, 1713–67, English publisher and bookseller. He established juvenile literature as an important branch of the publishing business. Included among his publications is Little Goody Two Sh...

Niccoli, Niccolò de'

(Encyclopedia)Niccoli, Niccolò de' nēk-kōlôˈ dā nēkˈkōlē [key], 1363–1437, Italian humanist. One of the distinguished Florentine scholars in Cosimo de' Medici's circle, he wrote little but is remembered...

Asaph

(Encyclopedia)Asaph āˈsăf [key], in the Bible. 1 Choirmaster of David's time, or the eponym of a corps of singers. His name is attached to a little collection of psalms. 2 The same as Abiasaph. 3 Father of a chr...

Ruggles, Carl

(Encyclopedia)Ruggles, Carl, 1876–1971, American composer, b. Marion, Mass. Ruggles studied music at Harvard and was a friend of Charles Ives. His works are highly original, characterized by complex textures and ...

Inagua

(Encyclopedia)Inagua ēnäˈgwä [key], island group of the Bahamas. A virtually isolated cluster at the southern end of the archipelago, it includes Great Inagua, Little Inagua, and some islets. Matthew Town is th...

toby jug

(Encyclopedia)toby jug tōˈbē [key], small pottery pitcher or mug modeled in the form of a jolly, stout man wearing a cocked hat, a corner of which serves as pourer. The jug is also called fillpot, both names tak...

Reyer, Ernest

(Encyclopedia)Reyer, Ernest ĕrnĕstˈ rāyĕrˈ [key], 1823–1909, French composer and critic, whose name originally was Louis Étienne Ernest Rey. Largely self-taught, he was strongly influenced by Berlioz, whom...