11 O M 



RON 



ferves particular notice, was formerly annexed to the abbey. 

 The whole prefects a feries of interefting ttudies and details 

 to the architectural antiquary. It confills of a nave, with 

 aides, a north and fouth tranfept, a choir, or chancel, with 

 aifles, three fmall chapels or oratorios at the eaft end, where 

 is alio an aide, two imall femicircular chapels at the angles 

 of the tranfepts with the choir, and a low tower riling on 

 four lofty arches, at the itterfeftion of the tranfepts with 

 the nave and choir. The eaftern part of the church is cer- 

 tainly the moll ancient, and is faid by Dr. Latham to have 

 been erected anterior to the Norman conquett. At the 

 weft end are fome arches of a later age, probably about the 

 era of king Stephen. In the fouth tranfept is an ancient 

 ftatue of a female, probably one of the nuns. Near the 

 fouth door is a crucifixion in bold ballo relievo, clofe to 

 which is a fquare niche, or cupboard, in the wall. At the eaft 

 end of the north and fouth aifles of this church are two pil- 

 lars, the fculptures on the capitals of which form the fub- 

 jeft of fume papers in the 14th and 15th volumes of the 

 " Archoeologia." Tint in the north aide exhibits four 

 human figures, betides two birds, a horfe, and teveral mu- 

 tilated bodies, &c. ; the whole reprefenting a field of battle. 

 Two of the human figures are crowned, and one of them 

 holds the other by the beard. Both have fwords in their 

 right hands, and feem in the aft of linking with them ; but 

 each is reftraincd by a winged figure feizing his Iword. To 

 the right, at bottom, is a horfe faddled ; and in each cor- 

 ner, above, a bird of prey, loaded with mangled limbs, 

 many of which are likewife difperfed in various places. 

 The oppolitc pillar to this reprefents a more peaceable 

 icene. In the centre (lands a crowned perfonage in a loofe 

 robe. On the left is another crowned man, fitting bare- 

 legged, and fupporting one fide of an angular label, the 

 other fide of which is held by a winged figure ; and on the 

 right is a fimilar label, held by two fitting figures habited 

 in mantles. The legend on the firft label is " Robert me- 

 fec' ;" and that on the fecond, " Robe't tuteconfule f- D.S." 

 Dr. Latham makes the former refer to the battle and con- 

 fequent peace between king Alfred and Guthrum, the 

 Daniih chief, who oppoled him ; and the latter to the 

 foundation of the monaftery. The figures of the two kings 

 he fuppofes to reprefent Edward and Edgar; and the le- 

 gend to mark the name of the conlularius, or mailer ma foil 

 of the buildings. Other capitals in this church are alio or- 

 namented with fculpturcd figures, &e. (See Carter's 

 " Ancient Sculpture and Painting," folio.) Some ancient 

 tomb-ftones commemorate the names of abilities buried be- 

 neath ; and there is alfo a flat ftone in remembrance of the 

 celebrated fir William Petty, author of " A Treatife on 

 Taxes and Contributions," " A Survey of Ireland," and 

 feveral other works, who died in 1687. I le was the fon of 

 a clothier at Romfcy, and aneellor to the prefent marquis 

 of Landfdown. Another eminent native of this town was 

 Mr. Giles Jacob, author ot Jacob's Law Dictionary, and ol 

 a work, entitled " Lives and Characters of Englifli Dra- 

 matic Poets." According to the parliamentary return; of 



1X11, Romfey parilh, including Romfey Infra et Extra, 

 contained 933 houfes, and 4297 inhabitant!. 



About half a mile to the fouth-weft ot' Romfey ia Broad- 

 lands, the feat of lord vifcount Palmerlton, whole father, 

 the late lord, purchalcd it from the family of St. Barbe, 

 which had poflefled it for more than two centuries. The 

 houie is cmbellifhed with a line collection of paintings, by 

 the mod eminent mailer . Paultons, a (eat of lord vifcount 

 Mendip, is lituated about three mik's to the fouth-eaft. 

 The houfc is not remarkable, but the grounds, which ex- 

 tend five miles in circumference, difplay the t.illc and (kill 

 of the celebrated Brown. Near this manliou is Tatchbury 



7 



Mount, which tradition reports to have been the fcite of a 

 royal hur.ting feat ; but it appears more probable that it has 

 been an ancient military ltation. The vallations are (till 

 clearly difcernible on the declivity of the hill. Beauties of 

 England and Wales, vol. vi. 8vo., by John Britton and 

 E. W. Brayley. Archteologia, vols. xiv. xv. 



ROMSOE, a fmall ifland of Denmark, in the Great 

 Belt, near the coaft of Funen. N. lat. 55 30'. E. long. 

 io° 48'. 



ROMULEA, in Botany, a name given by Maratti, in 

 honour of the founder of Rome, to the Linnxan Ix'ia 

 Bitlbscadium ; which Mr. Ker, in feparating with other 

 fpecies, from Ixta, has thought proper to call Trichonema ; 

 nor fhall we, by any means, contend for the above, though 

 the original appellation of this genus. See Tkiciionema. 



ROMULUS, in Biography, founder and firft king of 

 Rome. See Rome. 



ROMULUS, in Geography, a military townfliip in the ftate 

 of New York, in Cayoga county, between Seneca and 

 Cayoga lakes. Its northern part is crofted by the road to 

 the ferry at Cayoga lake. The townfliip was incorporated 

 in 1794, and comprehends, within its jurifdiction, the 

 townftiips of Janus and Galen, and that part of the lands 

 referved to the Cayoga nation of Indians, W. of Cayoga 

 lake. Its number of inhabitants is 1025. 



ROMUNDA, a mountain of Carmthia ; 6 miles S. of 

 Mautten. 



RON, a fmall rocky ifland of Denmark, in the Little Belt. 

 N. lat. SS° 7'- E. long. 9 55'. 



Roy, Lynder, a clutter of fmall iflands in the Categat ; 

 12 miles S. from the ifland of Lefoe. 



RONA, one of the weftern iflands of Scotland, is fituated 

 about fixteen leagues N.W. from the Butt of Lewis, and 

 is fuppofed to lie fartheft to the N.W. of any land in 

 Europe. It is about a mile in length, and half a mile in 

 breadth ; and is included in the parilh of Barvas, in the ifle 

 of Lewis. Iu this ifland is an ancient chapel, which is 

 fenced round with a ltone wall, and is kept clean and in 

 good repair by the inhabitants. On the altar lies a large 

 plank of wood about ten feet long, having as many holes 

 in it, each pegged with a ltone, to which the natives 

 afcribe many virtues, particularly the promotion of fpeedy 

 delivery to a woman in travail. The produces of Rona are 

 a few cows and Iheep, and a fmall quantity of barley and 

 oats. The cultom of walking round a perfon funways, to 

 whom it is intended to exprefs high elteem, is yet praftifed 

 by the natives of Rona, all of whom are employed as 

 lervants by the tackfman of the ifland, which was let on 

 leafe about fifteen years ago for the annual rent of four 

 pounds. A Description of the Weftern Iflands of Scot- 

 land, by M.Martin, 1716, 8vo. Carliflc's Topographi- 

 cal Dictionary of Scotland, 4to. [813. The Statillieal 

 Account of Scotland, &c< by fir John Sinclair, bait. 

 vol. xix. Edin. 8vo. 1797. 



RONABEA, in Botany, an unexplained name, Aubl. 

 Guian. v. 1. 154. t. 59. Jufl'. 205. Lam. nek Illuftr. 

 t. 166. This fuppofed genus appears, as Juflieu points out, 



Co very near P EDERIA, lee that article, that we cannot ■ 



fid 1 them as diftinft. Stiil, without examination of f] 

 mens, we durit not pofitively treat "' it under that head. 



Aublet d( fcribes two fpecies, A', latifolia and 'a ; (lirubby 



plants of Guiana, of no remarkable properties) the tirl! 



with a twining Jl'in, the other i-m't. The Jiotcers are 

 fmall and axillan • 



RONALDS'AY, NoHTH, in Geography, the mod 

 northerly of the Orkney iflands, Scotland, is 1" I 'led to 



diftinguifh it from South ELonaldfay, the [ u bj ft of the next 



article, to which,, however, it bears no fort ol refemblance. 



It 



