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fair for fiannch, of which there is a confidcrable manufafture. 

 The adjoining country is very intcrefting, and the Wicklow 

 copper-mines are not far diftant. Rathdrum is 29 miles S. 

 from Dublin. 



RATHENAU, or Ratemao, a town of the middle 

 mark of Brandenburg, on the Havel ; 38 miles W. of 

 Berlin. N. lat. 52 38'. E. long. 12° 30'. 



RATHER, or Neitheu, a river of England, which 

 runs into the Lune, four miles N. of Kirkby Lonldale, in 

 the county of Wcilmoreland. 



RATHERIUS, in Biography, a very learned prelate in 

 the tenth century, commenced his ecclefiailical career by 

 embracing a monailic life at the abbey ot Lobbes, or Laubes, 

 ia Flanders. Here he dillinguifhed himfelf by his abilities 

 and acquirements. In the year 928, after Hilduin had been 

 driven out of the fee of Liege, he accompanied him into 

 Italy; and in 931 he was, by the exprefs order of the 

 pope, put in pofleffion of the fee of Verona. As, however, 

 this was in direft hoftility to tlie king of the country, he 

 was expofed to much perlecution, and at length bani(hed 

 from Italy. After fpending five years in exile, he returned 

 with the hope of regaining his bifhopric : but he was un- 

 fuccefsful, and was ordered to withdraw. He obeyed, and 

 retired into Provence : from this place he went to the abbey 

 of Lobbes, where the recolleClion of the honour, which he 

 had formerly refiefted on that eilablifhment, fccured him a 

 welcome reception. Shortly after this, he was fent for by 

 the emperor Otlio, who placed him near the perfon of his 

 brother Bruno. This prince, having been made archbifhop 

 of Cologne in the year 953, prefented Ratherius to the 

 biftiopric of Liege ; from which, however, he was driven 

 in about two years. As the emperor Otho was at this time 

 in Italy, our prelate made an effort to recover his former 

 fee of Verona. Accordingly he laid his cafe before a fynod 

 aflembled at Pavia, which pafled a decree that he fliould be 

 re-eftabh(hed in that bifhopric. His peace was foon inter- 

 rupted by controverfies with the clergy, vv' o could not en- 

 dure his reproofs of their irregularities and corruptions ; till 

 at length they became fo irkfome to him, that he determined 

 to take his hnal leave of Italy. He accordi:)gly went to 

 France, where he purchafed fome eftates, and obtained the 

 abbies of St. Amand, Aumont, and of Aunay. He died 

 at Namur, about the year 973. Hia works are numerous, 

 fome of which are inferted in father d'Achery's " Spici- 

 legium." They are faid to afford evident proofs of great 

 fagacity and judgment, while they breathe throughout an 

 ardent love of virtue. They alfo fticvv, that he was mod 

 zealous and intrepid in expofing the irregularities and vices 

 of the times, and particularly the corrupt morals of ec- 

 clefiaftics. Moreri. Moflieim. 



RATHFRILAND, in Geography, a poll-town of the 

 county o'^ Down, Ireland. It is lituated on a rifing ground, 

 and has four great itraigiit roads leading up to it, and cen- 

 tering in the town. It is on the road to Downpatrick, and 

 much frequented. The neighbourhood abounds with gra- 

 nite of a clofe texture, and fit for building. On the fummit 

 of the hill are the ruins of a cattle, formerly one of the re- 

 fidences of the Magennifes, lords Iveach. Rathfriland is 

 57^ miles N. from Dublin, and 7^ miles N. E. from 

 Newi-y. 



RATHKEALE, a poft-town of Ireland, in the county 

 of Limerick. It is fituated on the river Deel, and was for- 

 merly a corporation town, and of much more confequence 

 than at prefent. It has feveral fairs, one of which for 

 horles is much frequented, as are alfo its races. In the 

 reign of queen Elizabeth, it fuftained an attack of the Eng- 

 lifh army. The ruins of a priory, founded by a perfou of 



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the name of Harvey, are flill remaining. Rathkeale ij 

 108 mik's S.W. from Dubhn, and 14 miles W.S.W. from 

 Limerick. 



RATHLACKEN, a poft-town of the county of Mayo, 

 Ireland, on the fea-coalt, nor far from Rathlacken or Re- 

 lakin head, and weft of the entrance to Killala bay. It is 

 132 miles W.N.W. from Dublin, and c miles N. from 

 Killala. 



RATHLIN, Raghlin, or Raghery, an idand fituated 

 between the north coart of Antrim, in Ireland, and Scot- 

 land, and confidcred as belonging to the former. It is 

 about five miles in length, and three quarters of a mile in 

 breadth, being bent in an angle towards the middle. This 

 angle lies oppofite to BallycatUe, and forms a tolerable bay, 

 called Church bay ; but in a wcftirly wind, though the an- 

 chorage is good, few veffels can ride it out, from the fwell 

 along the coatt. The number of plantation acres is about 

 2000, which fupport a population of about 130 or 140 fa- 

 milies, amounting to about iioo perfons. The cultivated 

 land is kindly enough, and products excellent barley. But 

 kelp is the great iource of wealth to this ifland, 100 tons 

 of which have been exported from it in one year. The 

 horfes, as well as the fheip, are fmall, but ferviceable ; and 

 the black cattle are not large, though they do well when 

 brought to the main land, and better foil. The inhabitants 

 are a fimple, laborious, and honeft race of people, much at- 

 tached to their own idand, and regarding Ireland as a fo- 

 reign country. The monuments of antiquity are fmall tu- 

 muli, in one of which, when opened, a ftone coffin was 

 found, befide which an earthen vcffel ftood. Within the 

 tumuli lay a confiderable number of human bones, wliich 

 might have been the remains of more ignoble men than the 

 perfon whofe remains the coffin covered. Brazen fwords 

 and fpear-heads have alfo been found. The remains of a 

 fortrefs are vifible, where Robert Bruce is faid to have de- 

 fended himfelf for fome time, when obliged to fly from his 

 country. N. lat. 55^ 20'. W. long. 6° 6'. 



RATHMANSDORF, a town of Silefia, in the princi- 

 pality of Neifs ; 4 miles N.N.W. of Weidenau. 



RATHOWEN, a poft-town of the county of Weft, 

 meath, Ireland, near the borders of Longford ; 48 miles 

 W.N.W. from Dublin. 



RATHSCHACH, or Radesche, a town of the duchy 

 of Carniola, on the Save ; 9 miles W.N.W. of Gurck- 

 feld. 



RATHSPR^SENTGERS, in Commerce, filver coins 

 of Aix-la-Chapelle, being double, fingle, or half pieces of 

 22, 16, and 8 marks. 13y the affay, the rathfprxfentger 

 is worfe than the Englilh ftandard of 1 1 oz. 2 dwts., by 

 4 oz. 2 dwts. Its weight is 4 dwts. I^ gr. ; its content in 

 pure filver 56.9 grs. ; and its value in fterling %d. The 

 double of the fame is worfe by 2 oz. i j dwts. ; its weight 

 6 dwts. 23^: grs. ; its content in pure filver 1 16.3 grs. ; and 

 its value in fterling is. \\d. This coin bears on one fide 

 an eagle within a circle, marked 16 on his breaft, (32 on 

 the double piece,) and within anotlier circle the legend, 

 REGUM cuiUA PRINCIPALIS PRIMA ; and next the edge, 



URBS AQUENSIS. URBS REGALIS. REGNI SEDES : OU the Other 



fide, or reverfe, an altar, with two fwords and a crown 

 over it, on the double piece ; but on the fingle, a crown 

 and the date within a circle : the legend on both is LOCUS 

 CjEsakea coiiONATiONis ; Casfar being a general title for 

 the emperor. Kelly's Un. Canibitt. 



RATI, in Geography, a fmall ifland in the Grecian 

 Arciiipflago, near the S. coal! of Nicaria. 



RATIBOR, a town of SiL'fia, in a principality of its 

 name, on the Oder, which here becomes navigable ; 70 



mile* 



