The Nuttall Encyclopaedia Part 377

RIO GRANDE DO SUL (645), the southmost state in Brazil, lies N. of Uruguay, fronting the Atlantic; capital, Rio Grande (18).

RIO NEGRO, 1, One of the larger tributaries of the Amazon, rises as the Guainia in SE. Columbia; crosses Venezuela and Brazil in a more or less SE. direction, and joins the Amazon (the Maranon here) near Manaos after a course of 1350 m.; some of its tributaries connect the Orinoco with the Amazon. 2, Has its source in a small lake in the Chilian Andes, flows NE. and E. to the Atlantic, is some 500 m. long, and easily navigated.

RIOJA (80), a province of W. Argentina, embraces some of the most fruitful valleys of the Andes which grow cereals, vines, cotton, &c.; some mining in copper, silver, and gold is done. The capital, Rioja (6), is prettily planted in a vine and orange district at the base of the Sierra Velasco 350 m. NW. of Cordoba.

RIOM (10), a pretty little French town in the dep. of Puy-de-Dome, noted for its many quaint old houses of the Renaissance period; does a good trade in tobacco, linen, &c.

RIP VAN WINKLE, a Dutch colonist of New York who, driven from home by a termagant wife strolls into a ravine of the Katskill Mountains, falls in with a strange man whom he a.s.sists in carrying a keg, and comes upon a company of odd-looking creatures playing at ninepins, but never uttering a word, when, seizing an opportunity that offered, he took up one of the kegs he had carried, fell into a stupor, and slept 20 years, to find his beard and all the world about him quite changed.

RIPLEY, 1, a manufacturing town (7) of Derbys.h.i.+re, situated 10 m.

NE. of Derby, in a busy coal and iron district; manufactures silk lace.

2. A Yorks.h.i.+re village on the Nidd, 3 m. NW. of Harrowgate; has an interesting castle, old church, &c.

RIPLEY, GEORGE, American transcendentalist, born in Ma.s.sachusetts; a friend of Emerson's and founder of BROOK FARM (q. v.); took to Carlyle as Carlyle to him, though he was "grieved to see him" taken up with the "Progress of Species" set, and "confusing himself" thereby (1802-1880).

RIPON, FREDERICK JOHN ROBINSON, EARL OF, statesman, younger son of Lord Grantham, entered Parliament in 1806 as a Tory; rose to be Chancellor of the Exchequer, and was for a few months in 1827 Prime Minister; was subsequently in different Cabinets Colonial Secretary, Lord Privy Seal, and President of the Board of Trade; created an Earl In 1833 (1782-1859).

RIPON, GEORGE FREDERICK SAMUEL ROBINSON, MARQUIS OF, statesman, born in London, son of preceding; entered House of Commons in 1852 as a Liberal; became Secretary for War (1863), and three years later for India; was President of the Council in 1868, a popular Viceroy of India (1880-84), First Lord of the Admiralty in 1886, and Colonial Secretary in 1892-95; was created Marquis in 1871; went over to the Catholic Church in 1874, resigning in consequence the Grand-Masters.h.i.+p of the Freemasons; _b_. 1827.

RISHANGER, WILLIAM ("Chronigraphus"), an annalist and monk of St.

Albans; wrote what is in effect a continuation of MATTHEW PARIS'S (q. v.) "Chronicle," and practically a history of his own times from 1259 to 1307, which is both a spirited and trustworthy account, albeit in parts not original; _b_. 1250.

RIs.h.i.+S (i. e. seers), a name given by the Hindus to seven wise men whose eyes had been opened by the study of the sacred texts of their religion, the souls of whom are fabled to be incarnated in the seven stars of the Great Bear.

RISTORI, ADELAIDE, distinguished Italian tragedienne; was one of a family of strolling players; her career on the stage was a continuous triumph; the role in which she specially shone was that of Lady Macbeth; she was married in 1847 to the Marquis del Grillo, and is known as Marquise; _b_. 1821.

RITSCHL, ALBRECHT, Protestant theologian, born at Berlin; studied at Rome, where in 1853 he became professor extraordinarius of theology, and in 1860 ordinary professor; after which he was in 1864 transferred to Gottingen, where he spent the rest of his life, gathering year after year around him a large circle of students, and enriching theological literature by his writings; the work which defines his position as a German theologian is ent.i.tled "The Christian Doctrine of Justification and Reconciliation," in which he seeks to draw the line between Christianity as exhibited respectively in the theology of the Reformation and that of modern Pietism; by his lectures and his writings he became the founder of what is called the Gottingen School of Theology, and exercised an influence on the religious philosophy of the time, such as has not been witnessed in Germany since the days of Schleiermacher; his teaching is distinguished by the prominence it gives to the ethical side of Christianity, and that it is only as exhibited on the ethical side that it becomes the exponent and medium of G.o.d's grace to mankind (1822-1889).

RITSCHL, FRIEDRICH WILHELM, German philologist, born near Erfurt; became professor of Philology successively at Breslau, Bonn, and Leipzig; his influence on philological study was great, and his greatest work was an edition of Plautus (1806-1876).

RITSON, JOSEPH, a whimsical and crabbed antiquary; his industry was great, his works numerous, among them one ent.i.tled "Ancient English Metrical Romances," containing a long and still valuable dissertation (1752-1803).

RITTER, HEINRICH, German philosopher, born in Anhalt; professor successively at Berlin, Kiel, and Gottingen; is distinguished as the author of an able "History of Philosophy" (1791-1860).

RITTER, KARL, celebrated geographer, born at Quedlinburg; the founder of comparative geography; professor of geography at Berlin; his chief works "Geography in its Relation to Nature," and the "History of Man" (1779-1859).

RITUALISM, respect for forms in the conduct of religious wors.h.i.+p, particularly in connection with the administration of the sacraments of the Church, under the impression or on the plea that they minister, as they were ordained in certain cases to minister, to the quickening and maintenance of the religious life.

RIVAROL, a French writer, born at Bagnols, in the department of Var; famed for his caustic wit; was a Royalist emigrant at the time of the Revolution, and aided the cause by his pamphlets; he was styled by Burke "The Tacitus of the Revolution" (1753-1801).

RIVE-DE-GIER (13), a flouris.h.i.+ng town in the department of Loire, France, on the Gier, 13 m. NE. of St. etienne; is favourably situated in the heart of a rich coal district; has manufactures of silk, gla.s.s, machinery, steel, &c.

RIVERS, RICHARD WOODVILLE, EARL, a prominent figure in the reigns of Henry VI. and Edward IV.; was knighted in 1425; espoused the cause of the Lancastrians in the Wars of the Roses, but changed sides on the marriage of his daughter with Edward IV., who created him an earl in 1460; fell out of jealousy into disfavour with the n.o.bility, and was beheaded in 1469; his son ANTHONY, who succeeded to the t.i.tle, after acting on the Council of Regency during Edward V.'s reign, was put to death by Richard (III.), Duke of Gloucester, in 1483.

RIVIERA, an Italian term for coast-land flanked by mountains, especially applied to the strip of land lying around the Gulf of Genoa from Nice to Leghorn, which is divided by Genoa into the Western and Eastern Riviera, the former the more popular as a health resort; but the whole coast enjoys an exceptionally mild climate, and is replete with beautiful scenery. Nice, Monaco, Mentone, and San Remo are among its most popular towns.

RIVIeRE, BRITON, celebrated painter of animals, born in London; among his pictures, which are numerous, are "Daniel in the Lions' Den,"

"Ruins of Persepolis," "Giants at Play," and "Vae Victis"; _b_. 1840.

RIVOLI, 1, town (5) in North Italy, 8 m. W. of Turin; has two royal castles, and manufactures silks, woollens, &c. 2, An Italian village, 12 m. NW. of Verona; scene of Napoleon's crus.h.i.+ng victory over the Austrians in 1797.

RIXDOLLAR, a silver coin current on the Continent, of varying value.

RIZZIO, DAVID, favourite of Mary, Queen of Scots, born in Turin; the son of a dancing-master; was employed by the queen as her secretary, and being offensive to the n.o.bles, was by a body of them dragged from the queen's presence and stabbed to death, 9th March 1566.

ROANNE (31), an old French town in the department of Loire, on the river Loire, 49 m. NW of St. etienne; has interesting ruins, a college flouris.h.i.+ng cotton and hat factories, dye-works, tanneries, &c.

ROANOKE (16), a flouris.h.i.+ng city of Virginia, U.S., on the Roanoke River; has rapidly sprung into a busy centre of steel, iron, machinery, tobacco, and other factories.

ROARING FORTIES, a sailor's term for the Atlantic lying between 40 and 50N. lat.i.tude, so called from the storms often encountered there.

ROB ROY, a Highland freebooter, second son of Macgregor of Glengyle; a.s.sumed the name of Campbell on account of the outlawry of the Macgregor clan; traded in cattle, took part in the rebellion of 1715, had his estates confiscated, and indemnified himself by raiding (1671-1734).

ROBBEN ISLAND, a small island at the entrance of Table Bay, 10 m.

NW. of Cape Town; has a lunatic asylum and a leper colony.

ROBBIA, LUCA DELIA, Italian sculptor, born in Florence, where he lived and worked all his days; executed a series of bas-reliefs for the cathedral, but is known chiefly for his works in enamelled terra-cotta, the like of which is named after him, "Robbia-ware" (1400-1482).