Crossword Genius

Hero brought up before English magistrate (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

doge

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'magistrate' is the definition.
(doge is a kind of magistrate)

'hero brought up before english' is the wordplay.
'hero' becomes 'god' (I can't justify this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'brought up' says the letters should be written backwards (in a down clue, letters go up).
'before' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'english' becomes 'E' (abbreviation).
'god' backwards is 'dog'.
'dog'+'e'='DOGE'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for doge that I've seen before include "Chief of ancient Venice" , "Former title of the chief magistrate in Venice" , "Venetian chief magistrate" , "Old Italian chief magistrate" , "Old lord of Venice" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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