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Sontag, Henriette

(Encyclopedia)Sontag, Henriette kôntĕsˈsä rôsˈsē [key], 1806–54, German operatic soprano, studied at the Prague Conservatory. In Vienna in 1823 she created the leading role in Weber's Euryanthe and in 1824...

Skram, Amalie

(Encyclopedia)Skram, Amalie ämäˈlēə skräm [key], 1846–1905, Norwegian writer. In Denmark, where she lived most of her life, Skram wrote Constance Ring (1885, tr. 1988), her first major novel and the first v...

Portland, William Bentinck, 1st earl of

(Encyclopedia)Portland, William Bentinck, 1st earl of, 1649–1709, Dutch statesman in England. He was William III's most trusted personal adviser. In 1677 he engaged in negotiating the marriage of William (then pr...

purification

(Encyclopedia)purification, in religion, the ceremonial removal of what the religion deems unclean. The usual agents of purification are water (as in baptism), bodily alteration (as in circumcision), and fire. The ...

Pyramus and Thisbe

(Encyclopedia)Pyramus and Thisbe pĭrˈəməs, thĭzˈbē [key], in classical mythology, youth and maiden of Babylon, whose parents opposed their marriage. Their homes adjoined, and they conversed through a crevice...

Schlafly, Phyllis

(Encyclopedia)Schlafly, Phyllis shlăfˈlē [key], 1924–2016, American conservative activist, b. St. Louis, Mo., as Phyllis McAlpin Stewart, grad. Washington Univ. (B.A. 1944, J.D. 1978), Harvard (M.A. 1945). A R...

Lauzun, Antonin Nompar de Caumont, duc de

(Encyclopedia)Lauzun, Antonin Nompar de Caumont, duc de äNtōnăNˈ nôNpärˈ də kōmôNˈ dük də lōzöNˈ [key], 1633–1723, French courtier and soldier. Mlle de Montpensier sought him in marriage; the king...

Eutropius, consul of East Roman Emperor Arcadius

(Encyclopedia)Eutropius, d. 399, consul of East Roman Emperor Arcadius. A eunuch of the palace, he brought about the marriage (395) of Arcadius and Eudoxia and succeeded Rufinus as chief minister. He repelled (398)...

Ellis, Havelock

(Encyclopedia)Ellis, Havelock (Henry Havelock Ellis), 1859–1939, English psychologist and author. He became a qualified physician but devoted himself to scientific study and writing. Although the first volume of ...

Omri

(Encyclopedia)Omri ŏmˈrī [key]. 1 King of Israel. He was a general in the army of Elah, and on the king's death at the hands of Zimri (1,) Omri proclaimed himself king. Soon after this Zimri killed himself. Omri...
 

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