ROE 



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who appointed him profeflor of aftronomy, at the univerfity 

 of Copenhagen, and gave him the flattering title of his own 

 mathematician, with a confiderable falary. He was alfo em- 

 ployed in reforming the com ; improving the pnbhc build- 

 ings ; regulating the weights and meafures ; and in furvey- 

 ing and laying out the high roads throughout the kingdom. 

 In 1687 the king directed him to travel through Germany, 

 France, England, and Holland, in order to colled! fuch in- 

 formation, on a variety of points, as might be applied to 

 beneficial purpofes in Denmark. Upon his return home in 

 the following year, he was made couniellor of the chancel- 

 lery, and in 1693, affefl" 01 " of the fupreme tribunal of jultice. 



Chriftian V. was fucceeded by Frederic IV. who ap- 

 pointed Roemer, in 1705, burgomafter of Copenhagen, and 

 in 1706, honoured him with the dignity of counfellor of 

 ftate. Roemer died in 17 10, jult as he was about to give 

 the world the refult of his obfervations. Thefe, however, 

 were publifhed under the title of " Bafis Aftronomix," in 

 1 '/53> by Peter Horrebow, who had been his difciple, and 

 was, at the time, profeflor of aftronomy at Copenhagen. 

 Accounts of Roemer's aftronomical obfervations, and fome 

 other of his pieces, will be found in the different volumes of 

 the " Memoires" of the Royal Academy at Paris, particu- 

 larly vols. i. and x. 



ROENBERG, in Geography, a town of Brandenburg, 

 in the New Mark ; 8 miles E. of Zullichau. 



ROENENG, a long meafure in Siam, equal to one league, 

 containing 4.204 Englilh yards, or 2 j miles nearly. 



ROENSEL, in Geography, a river of the county of Mark, 

 which runs into the Wipper, about a mile above Wipperfurt. 



ROER, a river of Germany, which rifes near Winter- 

 burg, and runs into the Rhine at Roerort. — Alfo, a river of 

 France, which rifes S. of Montjoe, in the department to 

 which it gives name, and runs into the Meufe at Ruremond. 



Roer, one of the three departments of the region of 

 France, caHed the Reunited country j compofed of the duchy 

 of Juliers and a portion of the electorate of Cologne, fitu- 

 ated in N. lat. 5 1 J , on the left hand of the Rhine. It con- 

 tains 6697 kiliometres, or 259 fquare miles, and 516,246 

 inhabitants. It is divided into 4. circles or diftrifts, 40 

 cantons, and 993 communes. The diftriet9 are Aix-la- 

 Chapelle, including 165,261 inhabitants ; Cologne, with 

 157,215; Crevelt, with 137,605; and Cleves, with 76,206 

 inhabitants. According to Haflenfratz, this department is 

 23 French leagues in length and 13 in breadth; and com- 

 prehends 4 circles, 40 cantons, and 324,960 inhabitants. 

 Its capital is Aix-la-Chapelle. Its contributions, in the 

 nth year of the French era, were 4,564, 150 fr. and its 

 expences for adminiftration and public inftruttion were 

 33 1.936 fr. 66 cents. Interfperfed with heaths and marfhes, 

 this territory is, in general, fertile in grain, fruits, and paf- 

 tures. It has mines of copper, iron, lead, and coal, with 

 cold and hot mineral fprings. 



ROERMONT. See R t kemond. 



ROERORT, a town of the duchy of Cleves, at the con- 

 flux of the Roer and the Rhine ; 15 miles N. of Dufleldorf. 



ROESBACH, a river of the duchy of Berg, which 

 runs into the Rhine at Dufleldorf. 



ROESCHILD, Roschild, Roejhild, or Rojiild, a town 

 of Denmark, in the ifland of Zealand, erefted into a bi- 

 fhojjric in the year 1012. In the year 1 150 it was firft en- 

 compaffed with a rampart and ditch, and in 1268 or 1278 it 

 obtained the privileges of a city. It gradually increafed to 

 fuch an extent as to contain 27 large churches and convents 

 within its walls. Some of the churches of the neighbouring 

 villages were included within its circuit, and its ftreets ex- 

 tended as far as the fea-fhore. The kinjrs of Denmark were 



formerly elected and crowned in this city, and made it the 

 place of their refidence. Its fubfequent decay has been 

 owing to frequent fires, to the tyranny of its bifhops, and 

 alfo to the flourilhing ftate of Copenhagen. The reforma- 

 tion contributed alfo to its decline, as the monks and clergy 

 who fpent a great part of their revenues in this place, were 

 obliged to quit the country. At prefent Roefchhd is a 

 mean place, containing about 200 houfes ; the cathedral, 

 built A. D. 930, where the royal families of Denmark have 

 for many ages been buried ; and the ruins of a royal palace. 

 Here are fome monuments worthy of attention, particularly 

 four elegant maufolea in alabafter, of late kings and queens. 

 The firit king who was buried here was Harol Blaacland, 

 A. D. 980, and the laft was Frederic V. furnamed the 

 Great, A. D. 1766. The inhabitants fupport themfelves 

 chiefly by agriculture, and the planting of tobacco. In the 

 year 1658, the famous peace of Roefchild, between the 

 Swedes and Danes, was concluded here : 16 miles W. of 

 Copenhagen. N. lat. 55 39'. E. long. 12 6'. 



ROESCHULT, a town of Sweden, in the province 

 of Smaland, faid to be the native place of the famous 

 Linnaus. 



ROESENDAEL, a town of Brabant ; 8 miles E. of 

 Berg-op-Zoom. 



ROESSEL. See Rossel. 



ROETTVIK, or Raettvik, a mountain of Sweden, 

 which, according to Bergman, is calcareous, and the height 

 of which he eftimates at 6000 feet above the fea ; obferv- 

 ing, as a Angularity, that upon this mountain and that of 

 Rode'oerg, are found vaft blocks of reddifli felfpar, mingled 

 with quartz and brown mica. 



ROEVAERT, a river of Brabant, which runs from 

 Breda into the fea. 



ROEULX, La, a town of France, in the department 

 of Gemappe ; 8 miles N.E. of Mons. 



ROEUX, a town of France, in the department of the 

 ftraits of Calais ; 9 miles E. of Arras. 



ROFANI, a cape of European Turkey, on the S. coaft. 

 of Romania. N. lat. 40 35'. E. long 24 14'. 



ROFFENSIS Textls. See Textus. 



ROFRANO, in Geography, a town of Naples, in Prin- 

 cipato Citra ; nine miles N.W. of Policaltro. 



ROGA, a town of Naples, in the province of Otranto ; 

 feven miles N. of Otranto. 



Roga, p-, «, in Antiquity, a donative, or prefent, which 

 the Augulti, or emperors, made to the fenators, magiftrates, 

 and even the people ; and the popes, or patriarchs, to their 

 clergy. 



The word is derived bv fome from the Latin erog.tre, to 

 give, ov diflribute ; according to others from rogo, I ajh ; 

 hence, fay they, it is that St. Gregory the Great calls fuch 

 diftributions precaria, as being to be demanded in order 

 to be had. Others, again, derive it from the Greek 

 pop j, fometimes ufed for corn ; becaufe it anciently con- 

 lifted in corn, diftributed among the populaee, the fol- 

 diery, &c. 



The emperors ufed to diflribute thefe rogse on the 

 firft day of the year, or on their birth-day, or on the na- 

 talis dies of the cities. The popes and patriarchs in Paf- 

 fion Week. 



This cuftom of roga?, or largeffes, was introduced by the 

 tribunes of the people, to gain the populace more effec- 

 tually over to their intereft. The emperors at length took 

 it up, and made fuch diftributions to the people, and even 

 to the foldiery, who are hence called by the Greek writers 

 of the middle age pbyaTofE?. 



Roga is alfo ufed for the ordinarv pay of the foldiery. 



ROGA- 



