Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Watkins, Vernon

(Encyclopedia)Watkins, Vernon, 1906–67, British poet, b. Maesteg, Wales, educated at Cambridge. Like his close friend Dylan Thomas, Watkins was profoundly influenced by his Welsh background. His poetry combines s...

Imitation of Christ, The

(Encyclopedia)Imitation of Christ, The, Christian devotional book, of great popularity. It originated among the Brothers of the Common Life in the Netherlands and was written probably c.1425. Tradition (since c.144...

Fitzgerald, Maurice

(Encyclopedia)Fitzgerald, Maurice, d. 1176, Anglo-Norman soldier. He was the son of Gerald, steward of Pembroke castle, and Nesta, daughter of the prince of South Wales. Fitzgerald crossed to Ireland in 1169 to joi...

Surrey, Henry Howard, earl of

(Encyclopedia)Surrey, Henry Howard, earl of, 1517?–1547, English poet; son of Thomas Howard, 3d duke of Norfolk. His irascibility and continuous vaunting of his descent from Edward I resulted in his imprisonment ...

Eastwood, Clint

(Encyclopedia)Eastwood, Clint (Clinton Eastwood, Jr.), 1930–, American actor and director, b. San Francisco. Eastwood, who began his acting career in 1955, came to public attention in the TV Western Rawhide and i...

Barham, Richard Harris

(Encyclopedia)Barham, Richard Harris ĭngˈgəlzbē [key], 1788–1845, English humorist, grad. Oxford. Ordained a minister in 1813, he became a minor canon of the Chapel Royal in 1824. In 1837 he began in Bentley'...

Shore, Jane

(Encyclopedia)Shore, Jane, or Elizabeth Shore, d. 1527?, mistress of Edward IV of England. The wife of William Shore, a goldsmith, she became c.1470 mistress to Edward IV and exerted a great influence over the king...

Taschereau, Sir Henri Elzéar

(Encyclopedia)Taschereau, Sir Henri Elzéar, 1836–1911, Canadian jurist, b. Quebec prov., nephew of Elzéar Alexandre Cardinal Taschereau. He was a judge of the Supreme Court of Canada (1878) and was later chief ...

West Orange

(Encyclopedia)West Orange, town (1990 pop. 39,103), Essex co., NE N.J., a residential suburb of Newark; set off from Orange 1862, inc. 1900. “Glenmont,” Thomas Edison's home in Llewellyn Park, and his laborator...

Gorboduc

(Encyclopedia)Gorboduc gôrˈbədək [key], legendary early British king mentioned by Geoffrey of Monmouth. In his lifetime he divided his kingdom between his sons Ferrex and Porrex, thereby creating great civil st...