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Critical and Miscellaneous, hy an Octo- geyiarian. The Athenceum says : " His strongest mental faculty was a memory of remarkable tenacity, joined to the talent of a linguist. He had stored up vast masses of erudition, which he placed libe- rally at the service of his numerous literary correspondents." He died in Cork, ist April 1853, aged 82. 's =33 =S4(.)

BfOclie, Regina Maria, presumably an Irishwoman, born in 1765, was a distin- guished novelist. Allibone notes sixteen works written by her between 1793 and perhaps 1823. Her latter years were spent in retirement at her residence on the Mall, in Waterford, where she died 17th May 1845. The OentlemarCs Magazine speaks of Miss Eoche as "the author of The Children of the Abbey and other novels which delighted our elders half a century ago. . . Many young hearts, now old, must remember the effect upon them of her graceful and touching compositions ; and imaginations once excited by her skill will yet acknowledge her loss with a me- lancholy feeling of regret, that the bright should thus have faded in the overwhelm- ing darkness of fast-flitting years." '''* '^

Rocqne, John, a French artist, who flourished in the i8th century. He en- graved a series of maps and views in dif- ferent parts of the world ; and in 1 754 came to Ireland, and dating from " his lodgings at the Golden Heart, opposite Crane-lane, Dame-street, Dublin, 5th September," issued a prospectus for maps of Dublin. His "Plan of the Camp at Thurles" is dated 1755; "City of Kilkenny," 1758; "County of Kilkenny," 1758; "City of Cork," 1759; and "County of Armagh," four sheets, 1 760. He also published with- out dates, a Map of the City of Dublin, and Six Views in the city. Maps by Rocque, of the "City of Dublin," and "Dublin and Environs," each in four sheets, with addi- tions by Bernard Scale, were published in 1 773. These maps are peculiarly interesting on account of the engravings of buildings, vessels, and other objects with which many of them are embellished. No particulars of the life of John Rocque are attainable.

Rothe, David, Bishop of Ossory, was born in Ireland, the second half of the 1 6th century, and was educated at Douay. He was consecrated Bishop of Ossory in 1618. His name is appended to the declaration of the Kilkenny Confederation. On 1 8th August 1646, he interdicted Kilkenny for not agreeing to Rinuccini's policy. He died 20th April 1650. He is best known for his .4 ?iaZecia ^Sacra, published about 161 7 (an exposure of James's plantation schemes,

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and an appeal for union among Irishmen), but he wrote various other works, chiefly relating to Irish Church history. Ware speaks of him as " a man of great natural parts, and very well accomplished in learn- ing ; " but is wroth that he should defend the truthfulness of the miracles recorded in the lives of the Irish saints. Archbishop Ussher speaks kindly of him. Messingham says that Rothe was " well versed in all sorts of learning, was an elegant orator, a subtle philosopher, a profound divine, an eminent historian, and a sharp reprover of vice." Thomas Ry ves, an Oxford graduate, was knighted by James I. for his reply to the A nalecta. Sir Richard Cox styles the Analecta " a most scandalous lying book, and stuffed with innumerable falsehoods and malicious accusations of the King's government, and yet dedicated to the Prince of Wales; which is a high strain of impudence and folly, to dedicate to the son reflections and scandals upon the father." '« '^st 339

Kiouth, Bernard, Rev., S.J., a French author, was born in Ireland, nth Feb- ruary 1695. Sent to France in his youth, and educated at an Irish college, he entered the order of Jesuits, and devoted himself to education at Poitiers. He be- came noted for his learning and critical talents, wrote numerous works, and from 1 739 to 1 743 edited a newspaper in Paris. On the expulsion of the Jesuits, he re- tired to the Low Countries, and became confessor to the Princess Chaiiotte of Lor- raine. He was one of those who attended Montesquieu in his last moments. The statement that he unjustly secured for himself some of that great man's manu- scripts is said by the Biographic Gem- rale to be without foundation. The same dictionary enumerates his works, the prin- cipal of which appears to have been, Recher- ches sur la Maniire cPInhumer les Anciens en Poitou (Poitiers, 1738)— said to be a rare and interesting memoir. He died at Mons, 1 8th January 1768, aged 72. ^

Rowan, Archibald Hamilton, a distinguished United Irishman, was born in London, 12th May 1757 ; his father, Gawen Hamilton of Killyleagh, was a gentleman of large landed property in Ireland, whose ancestors came over in James I.'s reign. Educated at Westmin- ster and Cambridge, he formed aristocratic acquaintances, travelled on the Continent, and when his means ran short, mortgaged his expecitations. After his matriculation he visited the United States as private secretarj' to Lord Charles Montague, Governor of South Carolina. On his return "after a very rough passage, I 457