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 on the line between Bologna and Padua, with branches to Legnago and Chioggia. The architecture of the town bears the stamp both of Venetian and of Ferrarese influence. The cathedral church of Santo Stefano (1696) is of less interest than La Madonna del Soccorso, an octagon with a fine campanile, begun in 1594 by Francesco Zamberlano of Bassano, a pupil of Palladio. The town hall contains a library including some rare early editions, belonging to the Accademia de’ Concordi, founded in 1580, and a fair picture gallery enriched with the spoils of the monasteries. The Palazzo Roncali is a fine Renaissance building by Sanmicheli (1555). Two towers of its medieval castle remain. Wool, silk, linen and leather are among the local manufactures.

Rovigo (Neo-Latin Rhodigium) appears to be mentioned as Rodigo in 838. It was selected as his residence by the bishop of Adria on the destruction of his city by the Huns. From the 11th to the 14th century the Este family was usually in authority; but the Venetians took the place by siege in 1482 and retained possession of it by the peace of 1484, and though the Este more than once recovered it, the Venetians, returning in 1514, retained possession till the French Revolution. In 1806 the city was made a duchy in favour of General Savary. The Austrians in 1815 created it a royal city.

 ROVUMA, a river in East Africa, forming during the greater part of its course the boundary between German and Portuguese territory. The lower Rovuma is formed by the junction in 11° 25′ S., 38° 31′ E. of two branches of nearly equal importance, the longer of which, the Lujenda, comes from the south-west, the other, which still bears the name Rovuma, from the west. Its source lies on an undulating plateau, 3000 ft. high, immediately to the east of Lake Nyasa, in 10° 45′ S., 35° 40′ E., the head-stream flowing first due west before turning south and east. In its eastward course the Rovuma flows near the base of the escarpment of an arid sandstone plateau to the north, from which direction the streams, which have cut themselves deep channels in the plateau edge, have almost all short courses. On the opposite bank the Rovuma receives, besides the Lujenda, the Msinje and Luchulingo, flowing in broad valleys running from south to north. The Lujenda rises in close proximity to Lake Chilwa, in the small Lake Chiuta (1700 ft.), the swamps to the south of this being separated from Chilwa only by a narrow wooded ridge. The stream which issues from Chiuta passes by a swampy valley into the narrow Lake Amaramba, from which the Lujenda finally issues as a stream 80 yds. wide. Lower down it varies greatly in width, containing in many parts long wooded islands which rise above the flood level, and are often inhabited. The river is fordable in many places in the dry season. At its mouth it is about a mile wide. The lower Rovuma, which is often half a mile wide but generally shallow, flows through a swampy valley flanked by plateau escarpments containing several small backwaters of the river. The mouth, which lies in 10° 28′ S., 40° 30′ E., is entirely in German territory, the boundary near the coast being formed by the parallel of 10° 40′. The length of the Rovuma is about 500 m.

 ROW, JOHN (c. 1525–1580), Scottish reformer, was born near Stirling and educated in that town and at St Andrews, where he began to practise as an advocate in the consistorial court. In 1550 he was sent to Rome in the interests of John Hamilton, archbishop of St Andrews, and attracted the notice of the highest authorities, who, when his failing health drove him back to Scotland in 1558, nominated him papal nuncio to inquire into the spread of heresy in that country. That inquiry ultimately led him to change his faith. Much influenced by Knox’s preaching, he joined the reformers and in April 1560 was admitted minister of Kennoway in Fife, and in July of the same year minister of the Old or Middle Church at Perth. He was one of the commission of six who drew up the “Confession of Faith” and the “First Book of Discipline,” and during the struggle with Queen Mary was often employed on important engagements. He was moderator of the Church Assembly at Edinburgh in July 1567 and at Perth in the following December, and again in Edinburgh 1576 and Stirling 1578. Meanwhile he helped to compile the “ Second Book of Discipline,” and became more than ever opposed to the Episcopal system of church government. He was a considerable scholar and is said to have been the first to teach Hebrew in Scotland. He died at Perth on the 16th of October 1580.

His son (1568–1646), minister of Carnock, wrote a Historie of the Kirk of Scotland 1558 to 1637, which was continued to 1639 by his son, the third John Row (c. 1598–c. 1672), rector of the Perth grammar school and then (appointed by Cromwell) principal of King’s College, Aberdeen, who, with his father and grandfather was a famous Hebraist, but left the Church of Scotland to become an Independent minister. This Historie was published by the Wodrow Society and by the Maitland Club in 1842.

ROWE, NICHOLAS (1674–1718), English dramatist and miscellaneous writer, son of John Rowe (d. 1692), barrister and serjeant-at-law, was baptized at Little Barford in Bedfordshire on the 30th of June 1674. Nicholas Rowe was educated at Westminster School under Dr Busby. He became in 1688 a King’s Scholar, and entered the Middle Temple in 1691. On his father’s death he became the master of an independent fortune. His first play, The Ambitious Stepmother, the scene of which is laid in Persepolis, was produced in 1700, and was followed in 1702 by Tamerlane. In this play the conqueror represented William III., and Louis XIV. is denounced as Bajazet. It was for many years regularly acted on the anniversary of William’s landing at Torbay. The Fair Penitent (1703), an adaptation of Massinger and Field’s Fatal Dowry, was pronounced by Dr Johnson to be one of the most pleasing tragedies in the language. In it occurs the famous character of Lothario, whose name passed into current use as the equivalent of a rake. Calista is said to have suggested to Samuel Richardson the character of Clarissa Harlowe, as Lothario suggested Lovelace. In 1704 Rowe tried his hand at comedy, producing The Biter at Lincoln’s Inn Fields. The play is said to have amused no one except the author, and Rowe returned to tragedy in Ulysses (1706). The Royal Convert (1707) dealt with the persecutions endured by Aribert, son of Hengist and the Christian maiden Ethelinda. The Tragedy of Jane Shore, which was played at Drury Lane with Mrs Oldfield in the title role in 1714, ran for nineteen nights, and kept the stage longer than any of his other works. The Tragedy of Lady Jane Grey followed in 1715. Rowe’s friendship with Pope, who speaks affectionately of his vivacity and gaiety of disposition, led to attacks inspired by the publisher Edmund Curll, the best known of these being The New Rehearsal, or Bays the Younger, containing an Examen of Seven of Rowe’s Plays, by Charles Gildon. Rowe acted as under-secretary (1709–11) to the duke of Queensberry when he was principal secretary of state for Scotland. On the accession of George I. he was made a surveyor of customs, and in 1715 he succeeded Nahum Tate as poet laureate. He was also appointed clerk of the council to the prince of Wales, and in 1718 was nominated by Lord Chancellor Parker as clerk of the presentations in Chancery. He died on the 6th of December 1718, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. He was twice married, and his widow received a pension from George I. in 1719 in recognition of her husband’s translation of Lucan. This verse translation, or rather paraphrase of the Pharsalia, was called by Samuel Johnson “one of the greatest productions in English poetry,” and was widely read, running through eight editions between 1718 and 1807.

Rowe was the first modern editor of Shakespeare. It is unfortunate that he based his text (6 vols., 1709) on the corrupt Fourth Folio, a course in which he was followed by later editors. We owe to him the preservation of a number of Shakespearian traditions, collected for him at Stratford by Thomas Betterton. These materials he used with considerable judgment in the memoir prefixed to the Works. Moreover, his practical knowledge of the stage suggested technical improvements. He divided the play into acts and scenes on a reasonable method,