Jacob: mother of Joseph and Benjamin

Rachel (rä-shel'), Elisa or Élisabeth Félix, called. Born at Mumpf, Aargau, Switzerland, Feb. 28,1821 (March 24,18207): died near Cannes, France, Jan. 3, 1858. A celebrated French tragedienne, of Hebrew descent. She was a street singer in Lyons in 1831 with her sister Sophie, known as Sarah. Choron, director of a school of music, hearing her, was struck with the quality of her voice, and took her with her family to Paris, where she entered his academy. She soon lost her voice, however, and studied the dramatic art with Saint-Aulaire. He had a small theater known as "La Salle Molière," where he produced plays with his pupils as actors. Rachel played soubrettes and tragic rôles there from 1834 to 1836. She began to attract attention, and was admitted to the Conservatoire in 1836; made rapid progre ; resigned in 1837; appeared at the Gymnase in July of that year; and in 1838 appeared as Camille in "Horace" at the Théâtre Français. Her succe was extraordinary, in the greenroom and orchestra as well as in the house. From this time her reputation was She went to England in 1841, and to America in secure. 1855, where she contracted a cold that ended in her fatal illne . Her finest parts were in the plays of Corneille and Racine, and in "Adrienne Lecouvreur." She also played Jeanne Darc, Mademoiselle de Belle Isle, Cléopâtre, etc. Racine (ra-sen'). A city, capital of Racine County, Wisconsin, situated on Lake Michigan 23 miles south of Milwaukee. It has a flourishing trade in grain, and important manufactures (threshing machines, wagons, etc.). It was settled in 1834. Population (1890), 21,014. Racine (rä-sēn'), Jean Baptiste. Born at La Ferté-Milon, Dec. 21, 1639: died at Paris, April 26, 1699. A celebrated French tragic poet. He lost his parents at a very early age, and was brought up by his grandparents. His studies, begun when he was ten years old at the College of Beauvais, were continued at Port Royal, and finished at the Collège d'Harcourt (16581659). Ön graduating, he went to live with a cousin of his, lais, he became a monk and spent some 15 years in conscientious work at the Cordelier convent of Fontenay. le-Comte (1509-24). He was transferred thence to the order of Benedictine monks at Mail lez a is, and his occираtions during the 6 years that follow are not well defined. In 1530 he is found studying medicine at Montpellier, and two years later practising the profe ion at Lyons, though he took the doctor's degree in 1537 only. He devoted a great deal of his time to writing, and yet led a wandering life in France and in Italy. He was in charge of the parish of Meudon 1550-52, and died shortly afterward, presumably in Paris. Besides composing yearly almanacs, of which but a few fragments are preserved to this day, Rabelais edited various old medical treatises, and made his lasting reputation with the novels "Pant a gruel" (1533) and "Gargantua" (1535), of which the latter comes first in point of the story they both tell. They were published under the name of Alco frib as Nasier, which is simply the anagram of François Rabelais. Their succe was such as to encourage a sequel. Subsequent volumes came out under Rabelais's own name, the third in 1545, the fourth in 1552, and the fifth as a posthumous work in 1564. who was in the service of the Duc de Luynes. He was well received in society, and made stanch friends among men of literary bent. His early training in Greek and Latin cla ics, especially the former, had been very thorough, and his tastes all ran in the direction of intellectual pursuits. He attracted attention in this line for the first time by an ode written for the marriage of Louis XIV., and entitled "Les nymphes de la Seine" (1660). A couple of short comedies, "Amasie" (1660) and "Les amours d'Ovide" (1661), are among his first attempts as a playwright, and unfortunately are now lost. His friendly relations with men like La Fontaine, Boileau, and Molière led him to devote himself to writing for the stage: he thus produced a couple of plays, "La Thébaïde" (1664) and "Alexandre" (1665). His first real succe as a dramatic poet was scored in "And rom a que" (1667), which is the initial tragedy in a long series of masterpieces. He attempted comedy next in "Les plaideurs" (1668), but reverted completely to tragedy in "Britannicus" (1669), "Bérénice" (1670), "Bajazet" (1672), "Mithridate" (1673), "Iphigénie" (1674), and "Phèdre" (1677). Racine's enemies conspired against him at this juncture, and preferred to him a minor poet named Pradon, who had written a rival tragedy on "Phèdre" which they extolled far above Racine's play. The great poet abstained then for a number of years from composing tragedies, but finally, at the request of Madame de Main ten on, wrote a couple of plays of great lyric beauty, dealing with subjects from the Bible: "Esther" (1689) and "Athalie" (1691). Besides the above, Racine composed four hymns that rank among the finest productions in lyric poetry of his day, also an "Abrégé de l'his to ire de Port-Royal," and a few other minor writings. The best edition of Racine's works was made by Paul Mesnard for the "Collection des grands Écrivains de la France" (1865-74). Racine was made a member of the French Academy in 1673. Racine, Louis. Born at Paris, Nov. 6, 1692: J. B. Racine whose biography he wrote (1747). Racket (rak'et), Mrs. A character in Mrs. Cowley's comedy "The Belle's Stratagem": "a qualified flirt, the incarnation of vivacity and good humour." died there, Jan. 1763. French poet, of Racket Lake (rak'et lak). A lake in the A dir on dacks, in Hamilton County, northern New York. Its outlet is by Long Lake and Racket River into the St. Lawrence. Also Raquette . Racket River. A river in the northern part of New York. It joins the St. Lawrence 45 miles north east of Ogdensburg. Length, about 125 miles. Raclawice (rät-slä-vit'se). A village in the government of Kielce, Ru ian Poland, north of Cracow. Here, April 4, 1794, the Poles under Kosciuszko defeated the Ru ians. Racow. See Rakow . Rada (rädä), Juan de. Born in Castile about 1490: died at Jauja, Peru, 1542. A Spanish cavalier. He followed Alvarado to Guatemala and Peru (1534), was with the elder Almagro in Chile (1535-36), and headed the conspiracy against Pizarro, him, it is said, with his own hand (June 26, 1541). Rada then declared young Diego Almagro governor of Peru, and ruled through him until his sudden death while marching to Cuzco. Also Juan de Herrada . Radack (rä'däk), or Ratak (rä'täk), Islands. A chain of islands in the Pacific, nearly parallel with the Ralik chain, and with it forming the Marshall group. Radagaisus (rad-a-ga's us), or Radagais (rad a-gās'). Died 405 A. D. A leader of an army of Suevi, Vandals, and other tribes which invaded Italy in 405 A. D. He was defeated by Stilicho at Fæsulæ, and surrendered on condition of having his life spared. He was, however, treacherously put to death. Radautz (rä'douts). A town in Bukowina, Austria-Hungary, situated on a sub tributary of the Sereth 31 miles south of Czernowitz. Population (1891), commune, 12,895. Radcliffe (rad'klif). A town in Lancashire, England, situated on the Irwell 7 miles northwest of Manchester. Population (1891), 20,020. Radcliffe, Mrs. (Ann Ward). Ward). Born at London. July don, July 9, 1764: died there, Feb. 7, 1823. An English novelist. She appears to have reached the culmination of the romantic novel, and her imitators have produced little that is new in the way of conjuring up imaginary horrors. Among her novels are "The Castles of Athlin and Dunbayne," "The Sicilian Romance" (1790), "Romance of the Forest" (1791), "The Mysteries of Udolpho" (1794), "The Italian" (1797), etc. Radcliffe, James, Earl of Der went water. Born 1689: beheaded at London, Feb. 24, 1716. An English Catholic nobleman, a leader in the rebellion of 1715. Radcliffe, John. Born at Wake field, England, 1650: died near London, Nov. 1, 1714. An English physician, founder of the Radcliffe Library. He studied at Oxford, and in 1684 settled at London as a medical practitioner. He obtained great celebrity as a physician, and attended several members of the royal family. He entered Parliament in 1713. He left £40,000 for the erection of the library at Oxford which bears his name. Radcliffe (rad'klif) College. An institution of learning situated at Cambridge, Ma achusetts. It was founded in 1879 as "The Society for the Collegiate Instruction of Women," popularly known as "the Harvard Annex," with the purpose of giving to women a collegiate education of the same character as that afforded to the students of Harvard College. The instruction has always been given by the profe ors and the teachers of Harvard. At first it conferred no degree, but only a certificate that the graduate had taken the same courses and pa ed the same examinations as a graduate of Harvard College. In 1894 it was formally incorporated by the Ma achusetts legislature as a degree-giving body, its degrees to be coun IMG:content-0828.png:[blocks in formation] Radcliffe Library. A library (originally medical) connected with the University of Oxford, England: founded by John Radcliffe. IMG:content-0829.png:[blocks in formation] Beled, or village sheikh. He was an overseer of public works in the time of the 4th dynasty. Rætia. See Rhætia . Rafael. See Raphael . Raff (räf), Joseph Joachim. Born at Lachen, Schwyz, Switzerland, May 27, 1822: died at Frankfort-on-the-Main, June 24, 1882. A German composer. His works number nearly 300, including symphonies (among which are "Im Walde," "Leonore," etc.), sonatas, songs, quartets, and operas. Among the last are "König Alfred" (1850), "Dame Kobold" (1870), etc. Radetzki, or Radetzky (rä-det'skē), Feodor. Born at Kazan, July 28, 1820: died at Ode a, Feb. 26, 1890. A Ru ian general. He dist in- guished himself in the Ru o-Turkish war by his succe - ful defense of the Shipka Pa , Aug.-Sept., 1877. at sea, July 5, 1781: died July 5, 1826. An Eng- Radetzky, or Radetzki, Joseph Wenzel, Count Radetzky de Radetz. Born at Trzebnitz, near Tabor, Bohemia, Nov. 2, 1766: died at Milan, Jan15the Austrian field-marshal i on He served against linden, Aspern, Wagram, etc.; was chief of staff in the campaigns of 1813-15; became commander in Italy in 1831; was defeated by the Sardinians at Goito in 1848; and de feated them at Custozza in 1848, and at Mortar a and Novara Italy 1849-57.