Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 2.djvu/642

 ROA

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ROB

Dually heaped up, fo that at lad it mud rife fo as to flow over the Obftacle, or the Banks of the River. If the Banks beraifed, and the Obftacle be continued ; the Heighth of the Water would rife above the Line i t; but before that, the Celerity of the Water cannot be increafed : In which Cafe the Heighth of all the Water in the Head will be increafed ; for, as we fuppofe the Ri- ver in a permanent State, there null continually be as great a a Supply of Water to the Head, as there runs from it down the Channel; but if leis Water runs down, theHeighth mud necef- farily be increafed in the Head, till the Celerity of the Water flowing under the Obftacle be increafed to fuch Degree, that the fame Quantity of Water (hall run under the Obftacfc, as ufed to run in the open Channel before.

RIVULET, a Diminutive of iiver. See River.

RIXDOLLAR, a Silver Coin, ftruck in leveral States and free Cities of Germany ; as alfo in Flanders, Poland, Denmark) Sweden, &c. See Coin.

There is but very little Difference between the Rixdollar and the Duller, another Silver Coin ftruck in Germany; each being equal to the French Crown of three Livres, the Sfani/i Piece of Eight, or a,s. 6d. Sterling. See Crown, &c.

The Rixdollar is one of the moil Currant and univcrfal Coins in the World.— 'Tis ufed equally in the Commerce of the Le- vant, the North, Mufcovy, and the Eafi-Indies.

ROAD, Via, an open Way or Paffage, which makes a commo- dious Communication between one Place and another. See Way.

The Romans, of all other People, took the molt pains in their Roads : The Labour and Expences they were at to render them Ipacious, ftraight, fmooth, and agreeable to the very Extremities of their Empire, are incredible. See Berghr's Hiftory of the great Roads of the Roman Empire.

Ufually, they ftrengthened the Grortld by ramming it, laying it with Flints, Pebbles, or Sand; lometimcs by a Lining of Ma- lonry, Rubbiih, Bricks, Potiherds, <£rc. bound together with Lime.

F. Menejlriers obferves, that in fome Places in the Lyonnois he has found huge Clutters of Flints cemented with Lime, reaching 10 or 12 Foot deep, and making a Mais as hard and compact as Mar- ble it felf; and which, after refitting the Injuries of Time for 1600 Years, is (till fcarce penetrable by all the Force of Ham- mers; Mattocks, &c. and yet the Flints it conlilis of don't ex- ceed the bigneis of an Egg.

Sometimes they even paved their Roads regularly, with large, fquate Free-Stones; fuch is AaAfoian and Ftaminian Way, &c. See Paving.

The Roads paved of very hard Stones they ufually call'd Vtx Perrea, either became they refembled Iron, or becauie they re- lifted the Iron of the Horfe's Feet, Chariots, &c.

Roads are either Natural, or Artificial; Terrejlrial, ox Aquatic, TittUck, or Private.

A natural Road is that which has been frequented for a long fuccefljon uf Time, and fublifts with little Expcnce, by reafon of its Difpolition, &c.

Artificial Road is tbat made by Labour of the Hand, either of Earth, or Mafonry; and wherein there vvere fevcral Difficulties to be furmounted : Such are moll of thofe along the Banks of Rivers, through Marflies, Lakes, &c.

Terreprial, or Land Roads, are not only thofe made upon the Ground, but alfo thofe form'd of Earth heaped up in Manner of a Bank, and fuftained by Spurs, Buttre'fles, and Counter-Forts.

Aquatic Road, is a Road made in the Waters, whether Cur- rant, as over Rivers, &c. or Stagnant, as Banks and Caufeways over MoralTes, Ponds, &c. See Causeway.

Under this Denomination are alfo comprehended navigable Rivers, and artificial Canals; as thofe in Italy, Holland, &c.

Publick Road, or Grand Road, is any common Road, whether ftraight, or a-crofs, Military or Royal, &c— Private Road is thac made for the Convenience of fome particular Houfe, &c.

Military Roads, fo call'd among the Romans, were grand Roads appointed for the marching of their Armies into the Provinces of the Empire, or for the Aliiftance of their Allies. See Mili- tary.

The principal of thefe Roads in England, are Watling-fireet, Ikenild-fcreet, Fofs-vsay, and Erminage-fireet ; which fee (under the Article Way.

Doxte-RoADS, among the Romans, were Roads for Chariots, <&c. having two Pavements, or Caufeways; the one for thofe going one way, the other for thofe returning the other ; to pre- vent clafliing, flopping, and confufion.

Thefe two Ways were feparated from each other by a Bank raifed in the Middle, paved with Bricks, for the Convenience of Foot-People, with Borders, mounting Stones from Space to Space, and military Columns to mark the Diftance.— Such was the Road from Rome to Oftia; call'd Via Portnentis. See Mi- liary.

Snbterraneous.RoAV, is thac dug in a Rock, with the Chiffel, &c. and left vaulted.— Such is that of Puzzuolimnr. Naples, which is near half a League long, fifteen Foot broad, and as many high. See Subterraneous.

Strabo fays it was made by one Cocceius, a Relation, probably, of Nerva's ; but it has fincc been widened by Alphmjiis King of

Arragonmi Naftes, and made ftraight by the Viceroys.— Thefe is another of the lame Kind in the fame Kingdom, between Bate and Cumas, call d the Grotto of Vsrgil, becaufe mentioned by the Poet in the uxth Book of his JEneid. See Grotto

Road, in Navigation! a Place of Anchorage, at Tome Diftance from Shore, and lhelter'd from the Winds; where Veffels ufually moor, to wait for a Wind or Tide proper to carry them into Hatbour, or to fet Sail. See Harbour, Mooring, Anchor,

When the Bottom is clear of Rocks, and the Hold firm, and the Place well covet'd from a certain Wind ; the Road is faid to be good.

A ■wild Road, among Sailors, is one which has but a little Lan i on any Side.

The Roads within his Majefty's Dominions are free to all Mer- chant Veffels, either of his Subjects or Allies— Captains and Mafters of Ships who are forced by Storms, ejre. to cut their Cables, and leave their Anchors in the Roads, are obliged to fix up Marks or Buoys, on Pain of a Forfeiture of their Anchors, &c. See Buoy.

The Mafters of Ships coming to Moot in a Road, muft call Anchor at fuch Diftance as that the Cables, &c. mayn't mix, on lam of anfwenngthe Damages: When there are feveral Veffels in the fame Road, the outermoft to the Sea-ward, is obliiged to keep a Light in his Lanthorn in the Night-time, to apprize Vef- fels coming in flora Sea.

ROADER, among Sailors, a Ship that Rides at Anchor in 3 Koad. See Road and Anchor.

ROB, in Pharmacy, a Preparation antiently much ufed, con- lifting ot the Juices of Fruits, purified, and boil'd to a Con- iumption of two thirds of their Moifture. See Medicine,^. There are Robs made of Quinces, Mulberries, Elderberries, Aloes, Acacia, Liquorice, Barberries, Goofeberries, and other Fruits* for yanour Difcaies.-The Juice of Grapes thus prepared, is par- ticularly call d Sapa ; which S., t a is almoft of the Confidence of a Syrup. See Sapa. .

When only one third of the Humidity is boil'd away, 'tis call'd Defrutum; and when only boil'd to the Confidence of a foft Elec- tuary, a Refm. See Defrutum and Resin.

The Word Rob is pure Arabic!;; and fignifies, originally, i Juice dried in the Sun, or over the Fire r that it may keep the longer without Damage.

Sometimes it alfo denotes a Compofition of fome Juice made up with Honey or Sugar ; in which Senfe it is confounded with Loche or Lohoc. See Lohoc.

The Rob is a Form now much out of ufe; though there are feveral directed in the College Difpenfatory; as Robs of black- Cherries, of Sloes, of Quinces, &c.

ROBBERY, in Law, a felonious taking away another Man's- Goods, from his Perfon, Prefence, or Eftate, againft his Will ; putting him in Fear, &c— This isfometimes call'd violent Theft See Theft. j

The Word is faid to have taken its rife hence, that antiently Robbers only took away the Robes or Cloaths from Travellers. Though my Lord Cake in the third of his Injlitutes, takes the Name to have had its rife from Robin Hood, who lived under Ri- chard I. in the Borders of England and Scotland, by Robbery, burning Homes, Rape, and Spoil.

Hence alfo Robers-Men, or Roberds-Men, mentioned in fevcral Statues for mighty Thieves.

ROBE, a Gown or Garment wore by Lawyers, Divines, and other Graduates; who are hence call'd Gentlemen of the long Robe. See Gown.

The Robe is an ample Garment bore over the ordinary Cloaths, hanging down to the Feet.— 'Ti; tiihion'd differently for Ecclefi- afticks, and for Laymen.

At Rome, they gave the Name Virile Robe, Toga Pmlis, to 3 plain kind of Gown which their Youth affumed when arrived at Puberty. This, they particularly denominated, Prxtexta. See Toga, Pr^texta, Virile, Puberty, 6-c.

In fome Universities, Phyficians wear the red Robe.— la the Sorbonne the Doftors are always in Robes and Caps. Beadles, ejS-c wear Robes of two Colours.

Among the French Officers, &c. they diftinguilh thofe of the fiort Robe ; which are fuch as have not been regularly examined. — They have alfo Barbers of the jlmt Robe, who are fuch as are obliged to Pradice in an inferiour Way to thofe of the lonz Robe. S

Robe, is alfo taken in the general for, Civil Magiftrature, or the Profeffion oppofite to that of Arms. Sec Magistrate.

In this Senfe it was that Cicero faid, Cedant Arma Toga.

Mafler of the Robes, is an Officer of the Houfiioid, who has the ordering of all his Majefty's Robes; as thofe of the Corona- tion, thofe of St. George's Fcail, of Parliament, &e. as alfo of his wearing Apparel, Collar of SS's, &c.

He has feveral Officers under him, as a Clerk of the Robes, a Yeoman, three Grooms, a Page, a Bruiher, Sempftrefs, Laun- drefs, Starcher; a Keeper of the Wardrobe at Whitehall, &c. See Wardrobe.

ROBERVALLIAN Lines, a Name given to certain Lines, ufed for the Transformation of Figures; thus call'd from their In- ventor M. de Roberval. See Transformation, &t.

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