ROS 



R O S 



(kins, which are much efteemed by people of fortune for 

 robes, as being variegated with very bright colours, re- 

 fembling flowers. See UnsUS Gu/o. 



ROSOSZE, in Geography, a town of Auttrian Li- 

 thuania ; 30 miles S.W. of Brzefk. 



ROSOY. See Rozoy. 



ROSPORDEN, a town of France, in the department 

 of the Finifterre, and chief place of a canton, in the dif- 

 trift of Quimper. The place contains 560, and the canton 

 4413 inhabitants, on a territory of 127^ kiliometres, in four 

 communes. 



ROSPUS, a name ufed by fome authors for the ftrange 

 tifh called the ratm pifeatrix, or frog-fi(h. See SsA-devil. 



ROSS, Alexander, in Biography, was born at Aber- 

 deen, and became matter of the grammar-fchool at South- 

 ampton, and chaplain to king Charles I. His works are 

 numerous, of which the bed known is " A View of all Re- 

 ligions :" and a curious performance, called " Virgilius 

 Evangelizans," taken wholly from the iEneid. He died in 

 1654., aged 61. 



Ross, JOHN, a learned prelate, was born in Hereford- 

 fhire, and educated at St. John's college. Cambridge, 

 where he took his degree of D.D. in the year 1756. 

 He had fome years previoufly to this publiflied a pamphlet 

 in defence of Dr. Middleton againft the criticifms of Dr. 

 Markland, and in 1749 an edition of Cicero's " Epiftols 

 ad Familiares," in two vols. 8vo. He was prefented to the 

 vicarage of Frome, in Somerfetfhire, and in 1778 he was 

 advanced to the bifhopric of Exeter. He died in 1792. 



Ross, John Lockhart, the fifth fon of fir James 

 Lockhart, was born in November 1721, and having mani- 

 felled an inclination for the fea-fervice, he was, at the age 

 of 14, placed under captain Ofborn, who then commanded 

 his majefty's (hip the Portland of 50 guns, which failed in 

 September 1735, for Conftantinople. He ferved in feveral 

 different fliips, and under different commanders, till 1743, 

 when he was advanced to the rank of lieutenant. It was 

 not till 1755 that he was appointed to a command, which 

 was in the Savage (loop of war, of 12 guns and jo men. 

 In a very fliort time he took a St. Domingo merchant-man, 

 valued at 30,000/. In the following year he was appointed 

 to the command of the .Tartar (loop of 24 guns, and 200 

 men. War was now declared againft the French, and on 

 the 20th of September he chafed and engaged two French 

 frigates of 28 guns, and drove them into Morlaix. With- 

 out particularizing the inftances of his fuccefs, we may ob- 

 ferve that, between the 20th of September 1756 and the 

 19th of October 1758, betook nine privateers, containing 

 220 guns, and about 2500 men, with the lofs of only five 

 men killed and two wounded in the different engagements. 

 At length the name of captain Lockhart was almott iufficient 

 to terrify the enemy to ftrike. The following faft, which 

 flands upon the moil indubitable authority, mews in what 

 manner he was regarded on the feas. A privateer belonging 

 to Briftol, called the King George, and commanded by a 

 Mr. Read, having fallen in with an enemy's fliip of far fu- 

 perior force, during the night, and finding that the exi- 

 gencies of her fituation demanded the moll prompt and 

 vigorous exertions to preferve herlelf from capture, the 

 commander ran with great fpirit along-fide, and hailing the 

 •enemy, commanded her to ftrike to the Tartar, captain 

 Lockhart, and was inftantly obeyed without the fmalleit 

 hefitation. Captain Lockhart's eonduft in protefting the 

 trade of the country was fo meritorious, that the magiftrates 

 of Plymouth, immediately after his return to port, voted 

 him the freedom of their corporation to be prefented him in 

 a gold box. A prefent equally honourable was made him 



the enfuing year, by the merchants and underwriters of 

 London, which confiited of a filver cup and falver, curioufly 

 chafed, and emboffed with his arms, and the reprelentation 

 of the Tartar, and the feveral privateers which had been 

 captured by him. 



In 1759 he was promoted to the Chatham of 50 guns, 

 and had two fmaller veffels put under his command. In a 

 fhort cruife he took the Arethufa, a French frigate of 32 

 guns! In the following year he was promoted to the Bed- 

 ford, a third rate, but did not long retain the command. 

 In the fame year, by the death of a brother, he changed 

 his name to Rofs, and was elefted a reprefentative in parlia- 

 ment. It was not till 1777 that he was called again to 

 ferve his country in the fea-fervice. In that year he was 

 employed under the orders of admiral Keppel, in the fa- 

 mous battle on the 27th of July. (See Keppel.) In 

 1779 he was railed to the rank of rear-admiral of the blue, 

 and appointed fourth in command of the Channel fleet, 

 having hoifted his flag on board the Royal George of 100 

 guns. About this period he fucceeded his brother to the 

 dignity of a baronet. He next accompanied fir George 

 Rodney on his fortunate expedition, undertaken for the re- 

 lief of Gibraltar. After his return he went but little to 

 fea ; but in 1787 he was advanced to the rank of vice- 

 admiral of the blue ; and here clofed the profeflional career 

 of fir John Lockhart Rofs, who, confidering his great zeal 

 and activity in the profecutien of the duties of his profef- 

 fion, and the vail benefits which the commercial interefts of 

 his country reaped from his exertions, mud be allowed to 

 rank very high in his profefiion. His coolnefs and intre- 

 pidity in the hour of battle were never furpalied ; and, in 

 the courfe of a very long fervice, to fight and to conquer 

 were alike habitual to him. He died in June 1790, after a 

 lingering and painful illnefs ; and his remains were interred 

 in the Rofs aide, forming the eaft end of the church of 

 Fearn, which had been the burying-place of all the refpedl- 

 able families of the name of Rofs lor many ages. Stock- 

 dale's edition of Campbell's Lives of the Admirals, vol. vi. 

 Charnock's Biographia Navalis, vol. vi. 



Ross, in Geography, a borough and market-town in the 

 lower divifion of the hundred of Grey tree, county of Here- 

 ford, England, is feated on a commanding eminence, over- 

 hanging the river Wye, at the diftance of 15 miles S.E. by 

 E. from the city of Hereford, and 121 W. by N. from 

 London. This town was made a free borough by king 

 Henry III., and feems to have been a place of more im- 

 portance formerly than at prefent. In the time of Camden 

 it was famous for its cyder, and for the manufacture of iron 

 wares. Its celebrity for cyder yet continues, but the lall- 

 mentioned branch of trade has much declined. According 

 to the parliamentary returns for 181 1, Rofs contained 558 

 houfes, and a population of 2261 perfons. The market- 

 day is Thurfday, weekly ; and the fairs are on Holy Thurf- 

 day, Corpus Chrifti, 20th July, Thurfday after 10th Oc- 

 tober," and 1 ith December. The petty feffions for the 

 hundred of Greytree are held here. The government of 

 this borough is veiled in a ferjeant and four conftables, but 

 their powers are extremely limited. Here are two charity 

 fchools, and an alms-houfe ; the latter of which owed its 

 eftablilhment to John Kyrle, whom Pope has characterized 

 and inverted with deathlels and truly merited fame, by the 

 name of " the Man of Rofs." This truly benevolent cha- 

 racter was born at White Houfe, in the parifh of Dymock, 

 Herefordfliire, in 1637 ; ferved the office of (heriff for the 

 county in 1683, and died in 1724. Though poffeffed only 

 of an annual income of 500/., he not only lived in happinefs 

 and refpedlability himfelf, but diffufed around him innu- 



5 merable 



