Eusden, Laurence

British poet who, by flattering the Duke of Newcastle, was made poet laureate in 1718. He became rector of Coningsby and held the laureateship until his death. Alexander Pope satirized him frequently and derisively.

Este, House Of

Princely family of Lombard origin that played a great part in the history of medieval and Renaissance Italy. It first came to the front in the wars between the Guelfs and Ghibellines during the 13th century. As leaders of the Guelfs, Estensi princes received at different times Ferrara, Modena, Reggio, and other fiefs and territories. Members of the family ruled in Ferrara

Outardes River

French �Rivi�re Aux Outardes, � river in C�te-Nord (�North Shore�) region, east-central Quebec province, Canada, rising in the Otish Mountains and flowing southward for 300 miles (480 km) through Lake Pl�tipi to the St. Lawrence River, 18 miles southwest of Baie-Comeau. Named after the numerous wild geese for which it is famous, the Outardes River, with its many rapids and falls, attracted hydroelectric development

Benda, Georg (anton)

The third son of Jan Jir� Benda and his wife, Dorota Brixi, both musicians, and brother of the violinist Franti

Abakan

Formerly (until 1931) �Ust-Abakanskoe� city and administrative centre of the republic of Khakassia, south-central Russia. The city lies on the left bank of the Abakan River near its confluence with the Yenisey River. The starting point of a southern Siberian railway line (opened in 1960), Abakan is connected with Novokuznetsk and thence to Barnaul, Akmolinsk, and Magnitogorsk. The city has metalworking, footwear,

Dance, George, The Younger

The youngest son of George Dance the Elder, who was clerk of works to the City of London from 1735 to 1768, the younger Dance received his formal training in the office of his father and during several years

Selenium Cell

Photoelectric device used to generate or control an electric current. Selenium photocells are commonly used in photographic-exposure meters, burglar alarms, electronic-door opening and counting devices, electronic control systems in factory assembly lines, and industrial colour perceptors. In some ways, such as colour perception and sensitivity, the performance

Argentina

Argentina's varied geography can be grouped into four major regions: the Andes, the North, the Pampas, and Patagonia. The Andean region extends some 2,300 miles (3,700 km) along the western edge of the country from Bolivia to southern Patagonia, forming most of the natural boundary with Chile. It is commonly subdivided into two parts: the Northwest and the Patagonian Andes, the latter

Gagarin, Yury Alekseyevich

The son of a carpenter on a collective farm, Gagarin graduated as a molder from a trade school near Moscow in 1951. He continued his studies at the industrial college at Saratov and concurrently took a course in flying. On completing this course he entered

Yamm

Also spelled �Yam� ancient West Semitic deity who ruled the oceans, rivers, lakes, and underground springs. He also played an important role in the Baal myths recorded on tablets uncovered at Ugarit, which say that at the beginning of time Yamm was awarded the divine kingship by El, the chief god of the pantheon. One day, Yamm's messengers requested that the gods surrender Baal to be a bond

Biblical Literature, Pesharim

An important source of knowledge about the history of the Dead Sea sect is the pesharim (�commentaries�; singular pesher). The sectarian authors commented on the books of Old Testament prophets and the book of Psalms and in the commentaries explained the biblical text as speaking about the history of the sect and of events that happened in the time of its existence.

Skaz

The word is of Russian origin and literally means �tale�; it is derived from skazat,

Poland, History Of, The Saxons

The �Saxon Era� lasted for more than 60 years and marked the lowest point in Polish history. Research since the 1980s has somewhat corrected the largely negative picture of Augustus II and Augustus III by stressing the context in which they operated: anarchic political life dominated by factions of struggling oligarchs and open to meddling by the neighbouring powers.

Yi Sang-cha

Yi was originally a slave in a scholar's household, but his great artistic talents soon came to the attention of the king, and he was admitted to the Korean Royal Academy and made a member of the middle class. He is known for his landscapes as well as for his portraits of the royal

Libertarianism, Nonaggression axiom

According to the principle that libertarians call the nonaggression axiom, all acts of aggression against the rights of others - whether committed by individuals or by governments - are unjust. Indeed, libertarians believe that the primary purpose of government is to protect citizens from the illegitimate use of force. Accordingly, governments may not use force

Anorexia

Persistent lack of appetite not caused by repletion. It may spring from psychoneurotic causes, as in anorexia nervosa (q.v.), a lack of appetite, primarily in young women, that may lead to extreme emaciation and even to death. Anorexia, like nausea and vomiting, may be brought about by shock, pain, or an inadequate supply of oxygen to a centre in the medulla oblongata (the part

Bracegirdle, Anne

Bracegirdle studied acting with Thomas Betterton, her guardian, and appeared on the stage as early as six years of age. In 1688 her performance in Thomas Shadwell's The Squire of Alsatia at Drury Lane Theatre, London, brought her notice. Different playwrights, particularly William Congreve and Nicholas Rowe,

Xenophon

As a writer of prose, Xenophon ranked with his fellow historians Herodotus and Thucydides in the opinion of literary critics of antiquity and had a stronger influence on Latin literature than either. His works were translated into many European languages in the 16th century, and, until comparatively recently, his reputation stood high. He was the first journalist

Qi Baishi

Qi was of humble origins, and it was largely through his own efforts that he became adept at the arts of poetry, calligraphy, and painting. He was active to the end of his long life and served as head of the Beijing Institute of Chinese

S�

S�chow is located in the gap in the Shantung Hills that forms a southwestern extension into the North China Plain. Through this gap flows

Vajrapani

Vajrapani (Sanskrit: Thunderbolt-Bearer) is believed to be the protector of the nagas (half-man, half-serpent deities) and sometimes assumes the shape of a bird in order to deceive their traditional enemy, the hawklike Garuda. Because of his association

Insurance, Coinsurance

Although there is no coinsurance clause as such in the ocean marine policy, losses are settled as though a 100 percent coinsurance clause existed. Thus, if an insured takes out coverage equal to 50 percent of the true replacement cost of the goods, only 50 percent of any partial loss may be recovered.

Italy

The first major power in the peninsula was the Etruscans. From Etruria, Etruscan

Arab Monetary Fund

Arabic �As-sanduq Al-mali Al-'arabi, � fund that aims to assist its participants, nearly all of the members of the Arab League, by developing their capital markets, balancing payment difficulties, and helping with foreign-exchange rates. Established in April 1976, the agreement entered into force in February 1977. During its annual meeting, the board of governors of the fund formulates policy aimed at integrating

Indian Philosophy, Metaphysics and epistemology

For Vacaspati, creation was viewed in terms of the mere presence of the selves and the mere presentation to them of Matter (the undifferentiated primeval stuff). Such a view has obvious difficulties, for it would make creation eternal, because the selves and Matter are eternally copresent. Vij�anabhiksu considered the relation between the selves and Matter to be a real

Shamanism

Among the peoples of northern Asia, shamanism developed into a more definitely articulated and specialized form than among other peoples. Shamanism as practiced there is distinguished by its special clothing, accessories, and rites as well as by the specific worldview connected with them. North Asiatic shamanism in the 19th century, which may be taken as the classical

Interior Design, Early medieval Europe

In the constant warfare that was waged in Europe in the early medieval period, material possessions dwindled to a minimum: a man did not own for long anything he could not defend and had little use or opportunity for interior decoration. If he possessed more than one house, his furniture and possessions would go with him from place to place. During this time, the arts

Theatre-in-the-round

Also spelled �Theater-in-the-round, �also called �Arena Stage, Central Stage, or Island Stage, � form of theatrical staging in which the acting area, which may be raised or at floor level, is completely surrounded by the audience. It has been theorized that the informality thus established leads to increased rapport between the audience and the actors. Theatre-in-the-round has its roots in rituals such as those performed by the ancient Greeks, which evolved into

'isa Ibn Musa

The caliph as-Saffah nominated his brother al-Mansur and, after him, 'Isa, as heirs. On the accession of al-Mansur, 'Isa was governor of Kufah. The new caliph sent him to lead an army against an 'Alid revolt in Medina, apparently with the hope that he might be killed. In a series of battles,