Rudini

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

ANTONIO STARRABBA, MARQUIS DI, an Italian statesman; born in Palermo, Sicily, in 1839. He became prominent as mayor of Palermo, where he vigorously suppressed an insurrection. Though an aristocrat, he sided with Garibaldi. In 1869 he was minister of the interior and member of the Chamber of Deputies, serving in the Parliament till called to succeed Crispi as premier, Feb. 7, 1891. During the Mafia difficulty in New Orleans he recalled the Italian minister from Washington to enforce his demands on the United States He succeeded Crispi in Government. 1891, was succeeded by Giolitti in 1892, and was again made premier in 1896, when disasters to the Italian army in Abyssinia caused Crispi's fall. His third term office closed June 29, 1898. He died Aug. 6, 1908. RUDOLF I., or RUDOLPH, founder of the former imperial dynasty of Austria; born in Limburg castle in the Breisgau, Germany, May 1, 1218. He became a warm partisan of Frederick II., distinguished himself in arms, and spent much of the early years of his manhood in quarrels with the bishops of Basel and Strasburg. His possessions were greatly increased by inheritance and by his marriage, till he was the most powerful prince riag of Swabia. In 1273 the electors chose him to be German king; as, never having been crowned by the Pope, he was not entitled to be called kaiser or emperor. His accession was opposed by none; the Pope's consent was secured at the price of certain rights already parted with by Rudolf's predecessors. Ottocar of Bohemia, rebelling against him, was defeated and slain in 1278 at Marchfeld beside the Danube. Rudolf spent the greater part of his life that remained in suppressing the castles of the robber knights and putting an end to their lawless practices. He died in Spires, July 15, 1291, and was buried in the cathedral there. RUDOLF II., eldest son of the Emperor Maximilian II.; born in Vienna, July 18, 1552; he was educated at the Spanish court by the Jesuits; made King of Hungary in 1572, King of Bohemia, with the title King of the Romans, in 1575, and on the death of his father in 1576 succeeded to the imperial crown. Gloomy, taciturn, bigoted, indolent both in body and mind, he put himself in the hands of the Jesuits and low favorites and left the empire to govern itself. His attention was given to his curiosities, his stable, his alchemical and magical studies; nevertheless his taste for astrology and the occult sciences, and his desire to discover the philosopher's stone, made him extend his patronage to Kepler and Tycho Brahe. The astronomical calculations begun by Tycho, and continued by Kepler, known as "The Rudolphine Tables," derive their name from this emperor. Meanwhile the Protestants were bitterly persecuted by the Jesuits throughout the empire; the Turks invaded Hungary and defeated the Archduke Maximilian (1596); Transylvania and Hungary rose in revolt; and at last Rudolf's brother Matthias wrested from him the crowns of Hungary and Bohemia, and い RUDOLF II. the states of Austria and Moravia. Less than a year after losing the crown of Bohemia he died, unmarried, Jan. 20, 1612, and was succeeded by Matthias.