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Stephen, Sir James

(Encyclopedia)Stephen, Sir James, 1789–1859, British colonial administrator; father of Leslie and James Fitzjames Stephen. He served (1825–35) as permanent counsel to the colonial office and Board of Trade and ...

Prescott, Samuel

(Encyclopedia)Prescott, Samuel prĕsˈkət [key], 1751–c.1777, American Revolutionary figure, b. Concord, Mass. On the night of Apr. 18, 1775, he, Paul Revere, and William Dawes set out to warn the countryside of...

carding

(Encyclopedia)carding, process by which fibers are opened, cleaned, and straightened in preparation for spinning. The fingers were first used, then a tool of wood or bone shaped like a hand, then two flat pieces of...

Nicholas I, czar of Russia

(Encyclopedia)Nicholas I, 1796–1855, czar of Russia (1825–55), third son of Paul I. His brother and predecessor, Alexander I, died childless (1825). Constantine, Paul's second son, was next in succession but ha...

Delaroche, Hippolyte

(Encyclopedia)Delaroche, Hippolyte ēpôlētˈ dəlärôshˈ [key], 1797–1856, French historical and portrait painter, known as Paul Delaroche. He studied with Gros. The exhibition of his large Joas Saved by Josa...

Abell, Thomas

(Encyclopedia)Abell or Abel, Thomas both: āˈbəl [key], d. 1540, English priest, chaplain to Katharine of Aragón. In 1528 he served as Katharine's secret envoy to her nephew, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, in con...

Cignani, Carlo, Conte

(Encyclopedia)Cignani, Carlo, Conte kärˈlō kōnˈtā chēnyäˈnē [key], 1628–1719, Italian historical painter of the Bolognese school. He was a pupil of Francesco Albani. The influence of Guido Reni, Carracc...

essence

(Encyclopedia)essence, in philosophy, the nature of a thing. Aristotle maintained that there is a distinction between the form of a thing—its intelligible, verbally formulable character—and the essence of a thi...

Guillén, Jorge

(Encyclopedia)Guillén, Jorge hôrˈhā gēlyānˈ [key], 1893–1984, Spanish poet. Guillén left Spain after the civil war (1939) and taught Spanish in the United States. His verse is difficult, terse, and lyrica...

Guéret

(Encyclopedia)Guéret gārāˈ [key], town, capital of Creuse dept., central France. It is a market center ...