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son or any of his countrymen, would have made more 

 discoveries in chemical and physical science, had they 

 been more profound mathematicians, we venture with 

 much deference to doubt its accuracy. The history of 

 British science will, we think, establish the opposite 

 opinion ; and the names of Priestley, Watt, Black, 

 James Hutton, Herschel, Dollond, Blair, Ramsden, 

 Troughton, Wollaston, and Sir Humphry Davy, none 

 of whom ever pretended to be great mathematicians, re- 

 quire only to be mentioned, to give this opinion the 

 character of demonstration. That a profound know- 

 ledge of pure mathematics would have been useful to all 

 these illustrious men, after they had begun their career 

 of invention and discovery, and fairly grappled with the 

 difficulties of original investigation, it would be idle 

 to deny ; but we humbly conceive that there is in 

 that turn of mind which disposes it to seek its gratifi- 

 cation in the abstractions of the higher mathematics, 

 something incompatible with that genius for invention 

 and discovery which limits its ambition to the study of 

 the material universe. 



We shall conclude this account of Dr. Robison's life 

 with a brief sketch of his character, as drawn by Dr. 

 Brewster, in his preface to the work above mentioned. 

 " Although Dr. Robison's name cannot be associated 

 with the great discoveries of the century which he 

 adorned, yet the memory of his talents and his virtues 

 will be long cherished by his country. Imbued with 

 the genuine spirit of the philosophy which he taught, 

 he was one of the warmest patrons of genius, wherever 

 it was found. His mind was nobly elevated above the 

 mean jealousies of rival ambition ; and his love of sci- 

 ence and of justice was too ardent to allow him either 

 to depreciate the labours of others, or transfer them 

 to himself. To these great qualities as a philosopher, 

 Dr. Rpbison added all the more estimable endowments 

 of domestic and social life. His friendship was at all 

 times generous and sincere. His piety was ardent and 

 unostentatious. His patriotism was of the most pure 

 and exalted character ; and, like the immortal Newton, 

 whose memory he cherished with a peculiar reverence, 

 he was pre-eminently entitled to the appellation of a 

 Christian patriot and philosopher." 



Dr. Robison was survived by Mrs. Robison, and a 

 family of three sons and a daughter. His daugh- 

 ter, who died a few years ago, was married to the late 

 Lord Kinedder. His eldest son, who has return- 

 ed from India, inherits the talents of his father, and 

 now fills the situation of Secretary to the Society of 

 Arts for Scotland, and Secretary to the Physical Class 

 of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 



ROCHDALE, a market town of England, in the 

 county of Lancaster, is situated at the foot of the 

 Blackstone edge hills, occupying two valleys formed 

 by the Roche and Spaddon rivers ; over the first of 

 which there is a good stone bridge of three arches. 

 It consists of three principal streets, and several small 

 and irregular ones, which are paved. The houses, 

 which are in general well built of stone, are covered 

 with slates. The chief public buildings are the church 

 and chapel of the parish, a cloth hall, a theatre, an 

 assembly room ; besides chapels for presbyterians, bap- 

 tists, and methodists. The church, which is an ancient 

 building with a square tower, stands on an eminence 

 which is ascended by 126' steps. Another church, in 

 the Gothic style, has recently been built of stone. The 

 manufactures, which have increased very rapidly, are 

 baize, flannels, kerseys, coatings, cloths, muslins, and 

 cottons. The parish is rich in slate, stone, and coal. 



The Rochdale canal, which has contributed great- 

 ly to the prosperity of the town, has been already 

 described in our article NAVIGATION INLAND, Vol. XV. 

 p. 249, col. 1. Population 14 ; 000. See the Beauties 

 of England and Wales, vol. ix. p. 98. 



ROCHEFORT, a town of France, in the department 

 of Lower Charente, is situated on the right bank of the 

 river Charente, about five miles above its influx into the 

 Atlantic. The town has the form of a circular segment, 

 the river forming the chord, and the walls the arch. 

 The streets, which are built after a regular plan, are 

 broad and straight. The Place d'Armes is a spacious 

 square, nearly in the centre of the town. Besides se- 

 veral churches and convents, Rochefort has an arsenal, 

 a cannon foundry, barracks, magazines of naval stores, 

 docks for building, careening and refitting vessels, a 

 civil and marine hospital, and a marine academy. The 

 harbour, which is one of the greatest naval stations in 

 the kingdom, is defended by five forts. Even at 1'ow 

 water large vessels float, and it is protected from all 

 hurricanes, and from all attacks of bombs. It is said 

 that the worms, which are so destructive to ships' bot- 

 toms, do not affect them here. Rochefort carries on a 

 coasting and colonial trade. Its manufactures are those 

 of oil, earthen-ware, cordage, and the refining of sugar. 

 There is a good promenade on the ramparts, which are 

 planted with trees. Population 15,000. 



ROCHEFOUCAULT, FRANCIS DUKE DE, Prince of 

 Marsillac, was born in 1613. Having formed a con- 

 nection with the Duchess de Longueville, he was at 

 her instigation involved in the civil war of the Fronde ; 

 and he distinguished himself at the battle of St. Antoine, 

 where he received a musket shot which for some 

 time deprived him of his sight. After his return home, 

 his house became the resort of all the French wits, 

 Boileau, Racine, Sevigrie, and Fayette, &c. He dis- 

 played great firmness of mind under his domestic cala- 

 mities, particularly when one of his sons was killed, 

 and the other wounded, at the passage of the Rhine. 

 In his latter days he was much afflicted with the gout, 

 and he died at Paris in 1680, in the 6'8th year of his 

 age. 



The work by which he obtained his reputation, is 

 entitled Reflexions et Maximes, which has been fre- 

 quently printed and translated. Its style and general 

 character have been greatly admired; but though it is 

 admitted that he painted very exactly the world in 

 which he himself lived, it is still considered by some as 

 a satire upon the human race ; though we fear this is 

 one of those cases where the profound observer sees the 

 proofs of the law, and the superficial one only its ex- 

 ceptions. He wrote also Memoir -ea de la Regence d' Anne 

 d'Autriche, in two vols. 12rao. 1713, which is said to 

 exhibit much talent. 



In his History of the French Academy, the Abbe* 

 Olivet assures us, that though Rochefoucault was very 

 anxious to be an academician, and could at any time 

 have been made one, the necessity of making a speech 

 of thanks on the day of his admission, prevented him 

 from becoming a candidate. With all his personal cou- 

 rage, and all his superiority of birth and talents, he is 

 said never to have been able to bear the look of an au- 

 dience, and could never pronounce four lines in public 

 without fainting. 



ROCHELLE, LA, a seaport town of France, and 

 capital of the department of Lower Charente, is si- 

 tuated in a marshy plain at the bottom of a small gulf 

 of the Atlantic. The town, which is nearly of an oval 

 form, is about three-fourths of a mile long, and half a 



