ROD 



Jl O D 



On the enemy's line, within three (hips of tlie centre, and 

 fucceeded in breaking through it in a moil mafterly ityle. 

 As foon as he had accomplished this, the other fliips of his 

 divifion followed him, and they all wore round, doubled on 

 the enemy, and thus they placed between two fires thofe 

 veflels which, by the firft part of the manoeuvre, they had 

 cut off from the reft of the fleet. As foon as admiral 

 Rodney, and the veflels which followed him, wore, he 

 made the lignal for the van to tack, by which means they 

 gained the windward of the French, and completed the 

 difordcr and coiifufion, in which the breaking of the line had 

 thrown them. One confequence of the breaking of the 

 line was, that opportunities were given for defperate actions 

 between fingle (hips. The whole lofs of the enemy on this 

 occafion amounted to eight fliips ; one had been funk, and 

 another blown up after (he had been taken, and fix (hips 

 remained in poflefllon of the conquerors. It was elleemed 

 remarkably fortunate, and glorious for the victors, that de 

 Grade's (hip, the Ville de Paris, was the only firlt rate 

 man-of-war that had ever, at that time, been taken and 

 carried into port by any commander of any nation. And 

 this (hip was on /the prefcnt occafion fought fo well, that 

 when it ltruck there were but three men left alive and unhurt 

 on the upper deck. 



The Britifli nation were fo fenfible of the bravery dif- 

 played both by officers and men in this action, and of the 

 importance of it as the only means of preferving the re- 

 mainder of the Welt India iflands, that they manifefted the 

 molt excefllve joy when intelligence of the victory arrived. 

 It came extremely feafouable in other points of view. 

 Neither by land, nor by fea, except where admiral Rodney 

 had been engaged, had we been able to meet the enemy, on 

 any occafion, with great and decifive advantage ; and, in too 

 many inftances, we had retired from the conteit not in the 

 mod honourable manner. As the means of obtaining more 

 favourable terms of peace, this important victory was hailed 

 with joy and exultation ; and as admiral Rodney was looked 

 up to as the caufe of it, the gratitude of the nation towards 

 him was deeply felt, and expreffed in warm and glowing 

 language. It was recollected that the fortune of fir George 

 Rodney had been peculiarly Angular, as well as highly 

 glorious in the war. Within little more than two years he 

 had given a fevere blow to each of our three powerful con- 

 tinental enemies, the French, Spaniards and Dutch. He 

 had in that time taken an admiral of each nation ; added 

 twelve line of battle (hips, all taken from the enemy, to the 

 Britifli navy ; and deltroyed five more. He received the 

 unanimous thanks of both houfes of parliament ; and his 

 majefty added dignity to the peerage of the realm, by 

 calling the victorious admiral to a feat in the upper 

 houfe. 



It has been obferved, that the victory of the nth of 

 April was gained by putting in practice an entirely new 

 fyltem of naval tactics, the adoption of which formed an 

 era in our naval hiltory, and may be regarded as the caufe 

 of the glorious victories, by winch the fame of Britifli lea- 

 men has been railed to inch a pitch of glory ; and the 

 maritime power of our enemies in the late war, has not 

 only been crippled, but abfolutely annihilated. It has been 

 faid, in order to derogate Irom the honour of the admiral, 

 that, in the inltance of the 12th of April, it was the effect 

 of chance, and not efleCted by the forefight of fir George 

 Rodney. This idea has been fatisfactorily expofed and re- 

 futed. The only queition on the fubject is, and into which 

 we (hall enter at large under the word Tactics, Naval, 

 whether the honour of the plan is due to admiral Rodney or 

 Mr. Clerk, the author of atrcatihon " Naval Tactics." 



With the brilliant victory of the 12th of April fir George 

 doled his profeffional career ; to his title was added a penfion 

 of 2000I. to defcend to his heirs. He died in London the 

 24th of May, 1792. For his important fervices to the Weft 

 Indian iflands in particular, a temple was built to receive his 

 itatue at Spauifli Town, Jamaica. 



A contemporary of the noble admiral faid, that as an 

 officer of nautical abilities, none were his fuperiors, and but 

 few his equals. He poflefled a bold and original genius, 

 which always carried him directly to the object he had in 

 view. As a man, he was benevolent, generous, and friendly. 

 He has been known to be writing his private letters, and 

 dictating to three fecretaries at the fame time. " In private 

 life he difplayed the manners of an accompliflied gentleman; 

 and he who, when called by his country, could hurl its 

 thunders againlt the foes, and lead it's navies to almoft unde- 

 viating victory, was, in peace, the ornament of domeftic 

 fociety, and a pattern of that elegant and poliflied beha- 

 viour, which almolt always diftinguiflies the higher orders 

 among us." Stbckdalc's edition of Campbell's Lives of the 

 Admirals. 



Rodney, Cape, a cape of New Zealand, being the N.W. 

 point of the entrance into the river Thames. S. lat. 36 

 15'. W. long. l84°53'. 



Rodney Point, the N. point of Norton Sound, on the 

 N.W. coaft of North America, fo called in honour of 

 admiral Rodney. N. lat. 64 30'. W. long. 166° 3'. 



RODOE, a fmall ifland near the coall of Norway ; four 

 miles E.N.E. of Chriltianfand. 



. RODOLDESCO, a town of Italy, in the department 

 of the Mincio ; 10 miles S.E. of Mantua. 



RODOLPH I., in Biography, emperor of Germany, 

 founder of the imperial houie of Aultria, born in 12 iS, 

 was the eldelt fon of Albert IV., count of Hapfliurgh and 

 landgrave of Alface. He was brought up in the court and 

 camp of the emperor Frederic II., and early diltinguiflied 

 himfelf by his courage and dexterity in martial exercifes. 

 On the death of his father, in 1240, he fucceeded to a terri- 

 tory of moderate extent, which he endeavoured to augment 

 by military enterprife. Pie entertained a band of adven- 

 turers of different nations, whom he employed either in de- 

 fending him from his enemies, or in attempts to aggrandize 

 himfelf at their expence. In 1245 he married a daughter 

 of Burcard, count of Hohenburgh, with whom he obtained 

 fome acceflion of eltates. Some years afterwards he ferved 

 under Ottocar, king of Bohemia, again It the Pagan Pruffians. 

 In 1273, as he was encamped before the walls of Badl, 

 with whole bifhop he was at enmity, he received the very 

 unexpected intelligence, that he was unanimoully elected 

 king of the Romans. 



Rodolph, then in his 55th year, willingly accepted the 

 offered elevation, though fenfible of the arduous talk he was 

 undertaking againlt the oppolitlon of two unfuccefsful can- 

 didates. He was crowned at Aix-la-Chapelle, and immedi- 

 ately Itrengthened himfelf by marrying two of his" daughters 

 to the count palatine of Bavaria, and duke of Saxony. He 

 alio took meafures (or ingratiating himfelf with the | 

 Gregory X., who gave Ins lanction to the election. Al- 

 phonfo, one of the unfuccefsful candidates, was induced by 

 the pope to renounce his pretentions ; but Ottocar, tin- 

 other, king of Bohemia, refilled to acknowledge the new 

 emperor, and mamtcllcd the bitterelt auimolity againlt him. 

 The kin_; of Bohemia was, at this timi 1 the moll 



powerful princes in Europe, and was diltinguiflied by his 



abilities and military (kill. Befules Bohemia and Bavaria, 



he poflclled territories in the north of Germany and Hun- 

 gary ; and had lately acquired Aullria, with C.innthia and 

 2 Carniola. 



