France, History Of, Seeds of discord

Security could not be taken for granted, however, because the Revolution progressively alienated or disappointed important elements of French society. Among the elites, opposition began almost immediately when some of the king's close relatives left the country in disgust after July 14, thus becoming the first émigrés. Each turning point in the Revolution touched

Middlesex

The River Thames was the key to the history of Middlesex. From about 8000 BCE traders and settlers used the Thames as their waterway. During the Iron Age

Epilepsy

Chronic neurological disorder characterized by sudden and recurrent seizures which are caused by excessive signaling of nerve cells in the brain. Seizures may include convulsions, momentary lapses of consciousness, strange movements or sensations in parts of the body, odd behaviours, and emotional disturbances. Epileptic seizures typically last one to two

Asia, Rivers

Asia is a land of great rivers. The Ob, Irtysh, Yenisey with the Angara, Lena (with the waters of the Aldan and the Vilyuy), Yana, Indigirka, and Kolyma rivers all flow into the Arctic Ocean. Among rivers draining into the Pacific Ocean are the Anadyr, Amur (combined with the Sungari and the Ussuri), Huang He, Yangtze (Chang), Xi, Red, Mekong, and Chao Phraya. The Salween, Irrawaddy, Brahmaputra

Amos, Book Of

The third of 12 Old Testament books that bear the names of the Minor Prophets, collected in one book under the Jewish canon titled The Twelve. Amos, a Judaean prophet from the village of Tekoa, was active in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II (c. 786–746 BC). According to 7:14, Amos was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet; i.e., he was not a member of a professional

Boileau(-despréaux), Nicolas

He was the son of a government official who had started life as a clerk. Boileau made good progress at the Collège d'Harcourt and was encouraged to take up literary work by his brother Gilles Boileau, who

Robert Of Gloucester

Early Middle English chronicler known only through his connection with the work called “The Chronicle of Robert of Gloucester”—a vernacular history of England from its legendary founding by Brut (Brutus), great-grandson of Aeneas, to the year 1270. It was written, probably around 1300, in rhymed couplets. Two versions exist, and it is now believed that only one part, dealing with

Abel, Theodora Mead

Abel was educated at Vassar College (B.A., 1921), Columbia University (M.A., 1924), and the University of Paris, where she received a diploma in psychology (1923). After earning a Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1925, she taught at numerous institutions, including

Cinque Ports

Medieval confederation of English Channel ports in southeastern England, formed to furnish ships and men for the king's service. To the original five ports—Sandwich, Dover, Hythe, New Romney, and Hastings—were later added the “ancient towns” of Winchelsea and Rye with the privileges of “head ports.” More than 30 other towns in the counties of Kent and Sussex were also attached.

Yün-lin

Yün-lin slopes from the foothills of the A-li Mountains in the east to the fertile alluvial plains in the west. The Cho-shui and Pei-kang rivers run parallel to the northern and southern boundaries, respectively, and are sources of hydroelectricity.

Tzetzes, John

Tzetzes was for a time secretary to a provincial governor, then earned a meagre living by teaching and writing. He has been described as the perfect specimen of the Byzantine pedant.

Sokutai

The

Beira

Port city, central Mozambique. Beira is situated on the Mozambique Channel (Indian Ocean) at the mouths of the Púngoè and Búzi rivers. It was founded in 1891 as the headquarters of the Companhia de Moçambique (“Mozambique Company”) on the site of an old Muslim settlement. The city's administration passed from the trading company to the Portuguese government in 1942 and then to independent

China, The rise of monarchy

In the state of Chin the influence of kinsmen of the ruling house had