Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Leslie or Lesley, John, 1527–96, Scottish bishop, historian, and statesman. After studying in France, he returned (c.1554) to Scotland, where he opposed the Reformation. He became ecclesiastical adv...

(Encyclopedia) Livorno lē vôrˈnô [key], Brit. Leghorn, city (1991 pop. 167,512), capital of Livorno prov., Tuscany, central Italy, on the Ligurian Sea and on the Aurelian Way. It is a busy commercial, industrial...

(Encyclopedia) Pechenegs pätsĭnäksˈ [key], nomadic people of the Turkic family. Their original home is not known, but in the 8th and 9th cent. they inhabited the region between the lower Volga and the Urals. Pus...

(Encyclopedia) Lacaille, Nicolas Louis de nēkôläˈ lwē də läkäˈyə [key], 1713–62, French astronomer. As a result of his success in making meridional measurements in France under the patronage of the duke ...

(Encyclopedia) Lebrun, Charles François ləbröNˈ [key], 1739–1824, French statesman. A moderate member of the Constituent Assembly after the start of the French Revolution, he was imprisoned during the Reign o...

(Encyclopedia) Nördlingen nörtˈlĭngən [key], city (1994 pop. 19,615), Bavaria, S central Germany. It is a manufacturing center and a rail junction, with industries in paper, clothing, and precision instruments....

(Encyclopedia) Medici, Lorenzino de' dā mĕˈdĭchē, Ital. māˈdēchē [key], 1515–47, member of the cadet branch of the Medici family. A boon companion of Alessandro de' Medici, he secretly plotted the duke's...

(Encyclopedia) Percy, family name of dukes and earls of Northumberland. See Northumberland, Algernon Percy, 10th earl of; Northumberland, Henry Percy, 1st earl of; Northumberland, Henry Percy, 4th earl of; Northumbe...

(Encyclopedia) Montagu, Lady Mary Wortley, 1689–1762, English author, noted primarily for her highly descriptive letters. She was the daughter of the first duke of Kingston. In 1712 she married Edward Wortley Mont...

(Encyclopedia) Montefeltro mōntāfĕlˈtrō [key], Italian noble family. Its members were noted patrons of art and traditionally opposed the papacy in the struggle between Guelphs and Ghibellines. The county of Mon...