(Encyclopedia) Mary II, 1662–94, queen of England, wife of William III. The daughter of James II by his first wife, Anne Hyde, she was brought up a Protestant despite her father's adoption of Roman…
(Encyclopedia) Rosamond (Rosamond Clifford), d. 1176, mistress of Henry II of England. She was not openly acknowledged by the king until 1174, after he had imprisoned his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine.…
(Encyclopedia) Acosta, UrielAcosta, Uriel&oomacr;rˈyĕl äkōˈstä [key], or Uriel da CostaUriel da Costadä kōˈstä [key], c.1585–1640, Jewish rationalist, b. Oporto, Portugal. His original name was…
(Encyclopedia) Bayeux tapestry. This so-called tapestry is in fact an embroidery that chronicles the Norman Conquest of England by William the Conqueror (William I) in 1066. It is a long, narrow…
Some fictional characters have had more impact on the world than real people. Allan Lazar, Dan Karlan, and Jeremy Salter set about ranking the “characters of myth, legends, television, and movies […
(Encyclopedia) Hui-tsungHui-tsunghwē-dz&oomacr;ng [key], 1082–1135, Chinese emperor of the Northern Sung dynasty, painter, and a great patron of art. Politically he was a rather ineffectual ruler…