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Brest, city, France

(Encyclopedia)Brest brĕst [key], city, Finistère dept., NW France, on an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean. It ...

David, Jacques-Louis

(Encyclopedia)David, Jacques-Louis zhäk-lwēˈ dävēdˈ [key], 1748–1825, French painter. David was the virtual art dictator of France for a generation. Extending beyond painting, his influence determined the c...

parlement

(Encyclopedia)parlement pärˈləmənt, Fr. pärləmäNˈ [key], in French history, the chief judicial body under the ancien régime. The parlement consisted of a number of separate chambers: the central pleading c...

States-General

(Encyclopedia)States-General or Estates-General, diet or national assembly in which the chief estates (see estate) of a nation—usually clergy, nobles, and towns (or commons)—were represented as separate bodies....

Portsmouth, Louise Renée de Kéroualle, duchess of

(Encyclopedia)Portsmouth, Louise Renée de Kéroualle, duchess of lwēz rənāˈ də kāro͞oälˈ [key], 1649–1734, French mistress of Charles II of England. She exerted a powerful influence over the king in fav...

Saint-Germain-en-Laye

(Encyclopedia)Saint-Germain-en-Laye săN-zhĕrmăNˈ-äN-lā [key], town (1990 pop. 41,710), Yvelines dept., N central France, on the Seine River, a residential suburb W of Paris. It is the last station on the expr...

Naples, kingdom of

(Encyclopedia)Naples, kingdom of, former state, occupying the Italian peninsula south of the former Papal States. It comprised roughly the present regions of Campania, Abruzzi, Molise, Basilicata, Apulia, and Calab...

Fleury, André Hercule de

(Encyclopedia)Fleury, André Hercule de äNdrāˈ ĕrkülˈ də flörēˈ [key], 1653–1743, French statesman, cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Tutor of the young Louis XV, he became, at the age of 73, chief...

William II, king of England

(Encyclopedia)William II or William Rufus ro͞oˈfus [key], d. 1100, king of England (1087–1100), son and successor of William I. He was called William Rufus or William the Red because of his ruddy complexion. Hi...

French Guiana

(Encyclopedia) CE5 French Guiana gēănˈə, –änˈ– [key], Fr. La Guyane française, officially Department of Guiana, French overseas department (2015 est. pop. 269,000), 35,135 sq mi (91,000 sq km), NE Sout...
 

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