Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 17.djvu/344

* BOTROtr. 312 ROTTI. ague. About 1035 Kiclielieu made him one of tlic famous five em])U)yed to write tragedies from his plots. Rotrou's earlier plays were mostly based on Spanish dramas, cspeciallj' on those of Lo|)e (le Vc^ga; and at a later period he was more clearly under classical influence. Corneille also inllueneed him considerably. The more important of his plays are: La bagiie d'o-ubli (1035); Vlviigenur el Uoristee (1635); Venceslas (1048), a tragedy which long held the stage: and Vosrocs (1048), probably his best tragedy. A complete edition was brought out by Viollet-leDue (Paris, 1820 et seq. ). Consult: Jarry, Ess^ii (Paris, 180S) ; Chardon, La vie de Rotrou (ib., 1884). ROTSCHEK, ret'sher, Heinrich Theodob (1803-71). A tierman dramatic critic. He was born in Mittenwalde. studied at Berlin and Leip- zig, and from 1828 to 1845 was professor in the Oymnasimn of Bromberg. Then he became dramatic critic to the Spenersche Zeitung of Berlin. His principal work is the Kunst der dramutischen Darstellnng (1841-40; 2d ed. 1804). Among his works may be men- tioned Arisloiihanes und sein Zeitalter (1827) and Abhandlungen zur Philosophie der Kiiii.'it (1837-47), both strongly tinged with Hegelian- ism; iS7io/.('speorc in seinen Jwchsten CluiraLlcr- gebilden (1804) ; Dramuturgische und aslhetische Abhandlungen (1864-07) ; and Set/delmanns Leben und Wirkrn ( 1845). ROTTENHAMMER, rot'ten-hiim'er, Johann (1504-1623). A German historical painter, born at Munich. He was a pupil there of Hans Do- nauer from 1582 to 1590, studied afterwards in Venice after Tintoretto, went thence to Rome in 1005, and settled at Augsburg in 1007. His best pictures are those on a small scale, to be found in all the principal galleries of Europe. He sup- plied the figures in .some of the landscapes of Jan Breughel and Paul Bril. A good example of his early style, in which he approaches Tintoretto, is the "Death of Adonis," in the Louvre. Among his best works are those painted for Emperor Rudolph II., including a -'Nativity" (1008), "Battle Between Centaurs and Lapithse," and four others, in the Vienna iluseum. ROTTEN ROW. A fashionable bridle-path in Hyde Park, London, 90 feet wide, extending for a mile and a half from Hyde Park Corner to Kensington Gate, along the south side of the Serpentine. It runs parallel with the driveway, from which it is separated by a promenade fringed with turf. Some of the most brilliant displays of fashion and wealth in London are to be seen here on fine afternoons during the sea- son, and at the church parade on Sundays. The name is supposed to be derived from Route de Roi or King's Drive. ROTTEN-STONE. A soft abrasive material that is used for cleaning and polishing brass and other metals, and wood. It is supposed to be a decomposed siliceous limestone, and consists es- sentially of aluminum silicate with carbonaceous matter. Several localities in Derbyshire, Eng- land, in Wales, and near Albany, N. Y., in the I'nited States, are the principal sources. ROT'TERDAM, Dutch pron. rot'ter-dam'. The second largest city and chief commercial port of the Netherlands, situated in the Province of South Holland, on the Jleuse at the mouth of the Rotte, about 15 miles southeast of The Hague and 44 miles south-southwest of Amsterdam (Map: Netherlands, C 3). It is divided into two parts by the Hoog Straat (Higli Street) and is intersected by an iron railway viaduct. Adjoin- ing the old city on all sides are the new quarters which have sprung up on the southern as well as on the northern bank of the river and are gen- erally well laid out. Along the Meuse extends the beautiful quay known as the Boompjes, on account of its many trees. The principal square is the Groute Markt. Rotterdam has few eccle- siastical buildings of interest. The Groote Kerk is a fifteenth-century brick edifice, built in the Gothic style and containing an organ notable for its size, and many monuments to Dutch naval heroes. Among the secular buildings the following de- ' serve mention: the exchange, a sandstone build- ing of the beginning of the eighteenth century, with an exterior court, and a tower containing a set of chimes; the town ball; the court-house; and the post-office. On the northern side of the town is the Delft Gate, the only one remaining of the old city. Beyond it is situated the fine zoological and botanical garden, founded in 1857. West of the city is a fine park. The principal collection of Rotterdam is the large picture gal- lery in the Boyman's Museum, containing numer- ous excellent paintings and drawings by Dutch masters. In the ground fioor of the museum are the municipal archives and library. There are also interesting collections in the maritime mu- seum. The municipality operates gas and elec- tric plants and maintains a pawnshop. The water supply is obtained from the Meuse and is purified by filtration. The principal industry is shipbuilding; of some importance are the manufactures of cigars, spirits, paints, and other chemicals, and sugar. The Rotterdam system of docks and harbors is among the most extensive in the world. A canalized arm of the Jleuse known as the Nieuwe Waterweg extends from Rotterdam to the North Sea. The position of Rotterdam makes it the centre of the maritime as well as of the Rhine and Meuse trade of the Netherlands. Its com- merce shows an extraordinary increase from 1850 to 1900. Its share in the shipping of the country in 1900 amounted to 133 per cent, (or 5,810,928 tons) of the tonnage entered and 47 per cent, (or 2,191,614 tons) of the tonnage cleared. The chief imports are grain, ores and metals, petroleum, coft'ee, tobacco and cigars, tea, and skins. The exports consist chiefl.v of the above mentioned articles and include also timber and animal products. Rotterdam has regular steam communication with the principal seaports of Europe as well as with the t'nited States, Dutch East Indies, and Africa. The population in- creased more than 50 per cent, from 1890 to 1900, on account of the annexation of the adjacent com- munities. It rose from 203,701 in 1889 to 318,507 in 1900, The inhabitants are mostly Protestants. Rotterdam received nnniicipal rights in 1299 and grew so rajiidly that its boundarv lines were repeatedly extended. It gained its commercial ascendency during the nineteenth century. ROTTI, rot'te. An island of the Dutch East Indies, situated near the southwestern end of Timor (Map: East India Islands, F 7). It has an area of 037 square miles. It is fertile and well watered, producing rice, tobacco, sugar, cotton, and indigo. The island is still ruled by- native chiefs under the supervision of a Dutch resident