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Elgin, James Bruce, 8th earl of

(Encyclopedia)Elgin, James Bruce, 8th earl of ĕlˈgĭn [key], 1811–63, British statesman, son of the 7th earl. He served as governor of Jamaica (1842–46) and in 1847 was appointed governor-general of Canada. T...

Pritchett, V. S.

(Encyclopedia)Pritchett, V. S. (Victor Sawdon Pritchett) prĭchˈĭt [key], 1900–1997, British writer, b. Ipswich. Largely self-educated, he was a distinguished and prolific man of letters who began his career as...

Peterborough, Charles Mordaunt, 3d earl of

(Encyclopedia)Peterborough, Charles Mordaunt, 3d earl of, 1658–1735, English general and diplomat. He supported the Glorious Revolution of 1688, and William III made him a privy councillor, first lord of the trea...

Darius III

(Encyclopedia)Darius III (Darius Codomannus) kŏdəmănˈəs [key], d. 330 b.c., king of ancient Persia (336–330 b.c.). A cousin of Artaxerxes III, he was raised to the throne by the eunuch Bagoas, who had murder...

Eschenbach, Christoph

(Encyclopedia)Eschenbach, Christoph, 1940–, German conductor and pianist, b. Breslau, Germany (now Wrocław, Poland), as Christoph Ringmann. Orphaned during World War II, he was adopted by Wallydore Eschenbach, h...

Nicholas, Russian grand duke

(Encyclopedia)Nicholas (Nikolai Nikolayevich) nyĭkəlīˈ nyĭkəlīˈəvĭch [key], 1856–1929, Russian grand duke and army officer; first cousin of Czar Alexander III and grandson of Czar Nicholas I. He served ...

Medici, Ippolito de'

(Encyclopedia)Medici, Ippolito de' dā mĕˈdĭchē, Ital. māˈdēchē [key], 1511–35, cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church; an illegitimate son of Giuliano de' Medici, duke of Nemours. Pope Clement VII, head ...

Masham, Abigail, Lady

(Encyclopedia)Masham, Abigail, Lady măshˈəm [key], d. 1734, favorite of Queen Anne of England. Her maiden name was Abigail Hill. A plain, intelligent person, she became (1704) bedchamber woman to the queen throu...

Stratford de Redcliffe, Stratford Canning, Viscount

(Encyclopedia)Stratford de Redcliffe, Stratford Canning, Viscount, 1786–1880, British diplomat. He entered (1807) the foreign office under the aegis of his cousin, George Canning. Sent (1808) to Turkey, he negoti...

St. John, Oliver

(Encyclopedia)St. John, Oliver sĭnˈjən [key], 1598?–1673, English politician. He married (1638) a cousin of Oliver Cromwell. In 1637–38 he was, by his brilliant defense of John Hampden in the ship money case...