72 RIB 
vessels only. This place is the chief town of a bailiwick, and 
the see of a bishop, with a large diocese, but its population 
is only 2600. Its trade in grain, cattle, and horses, is con¬ 
siderable. The decline of Ribe is attributed to the effects of 
fire, and repeated indundations; 80 miles south of Wiborg, 
and 120 north of Hamburgh. Lat. 55. 21. N. long. 8. 
46. E. 
RIBEAUVILLER, or Rappolzweiler, a town in the 
east of France, department of the Upper Rhine, on the 
Strengbach, near which is the now ruinous castle of Rap- 
polzstein. It contains 4600 inhabitants, and has some 
manufactures of linen and leather. Wine is cultivated in 
the neighbourhood; 7 miles south-west of Schelestadt, and 
9 north-by-west of Colmar. 
RIBEIRA GRANDE. See Jago, St. 
RIBEMONT, a town in in the north-east of France, de¬ 
partment of the Aisne, situated on an eminence near the 
Oise, with 2400 inhabitants, who manufacture woollens and 
linen. It gave birth to the unfortunate Condorcet; 9 miles 
south-east of St. Quentin, and 21 north-west of Laon. 
RIBENSKOI, a village of Asiatic Russia, on the Tunguska; 
72 miles east-south-east of Yeniseisk. 
RIBENZA. See Reiffnitz. 
RIBERA (Francis de), a learned Spanish Jesuit in the 
sixteenth century, was born in the year 1537. He pursued 
his academical studies at the university of Salamanca, and 
acquired a high reputation for his intimate acquaintance, 
not only with the Latin, but with the learned languages 
also. Having been ordained priest, he retired to his native 
place, that he might prosecute his theological studies in 
uninterrupted privacy, and at the same time assist his 
brethren in the neighbouring country churches. In the year 
1570, when he was thirty-three years of age, he was per¬ 
suaded to unite himself with the disciples of Loyola, and 
become a member of their society. He now spent most of 
his time in interpreting the scriptures, and filling the chair 
of professor of divinity, in their seminary at Salamanca, 
till his death, which happened in the year 1591. He was 
author of numerous works which are still in estimation with 
the Catholics; among these may be mentioned “ Commen- 
tarii in XII. Prophetas minores, sensum eorundem Prophe- 
tarum historicum et moralem, seepe etiam Allegoricum com- 
plectentes,” 4to. “ Commentarii Historici selecti in XII. 
Prophetas minores,” 8vo. De Templo, et iis qua: ad Tem- 
plum pertinent Lib. V.” 8vo. And “ The Life of St. 
Theresa, Foundress of the reformed Order of the barefooted 
Carmelites,” written in the Spanish language. 
RIBERA (Joseph), called Lo Spagnoletto, an eminent 
painter, was born at Xativa, in Valencia, about 1589. There 
is some doubt concerning the place in which he spent his 
early years; for while the Spanish writers affirm that he was 
a pupil of Francisco de Ribalta, in Valencia, the Italians say 
that his father, being an officer in Castel-nuovo at Naples, 
sent him to the school of Caravaggio. There seems no doubt, 
however, that he was a disciple of the latter, and that from 
him he went to Rome, where he acquired the appellation of 
Lo Spagnoletto, the Little Spaniard. He there studied with 
great application the works of Raphael, the Carracci, and 
other masters, in the midst of extreme penury, and occasion¬ 
ally employed in mean tasks for his subsistence. As he was 
one day painting some outside ornaments of a house, a car¬ 
dinal passing through the street stopped to admire his work, 
and seeing the artist young, ragged, and half-starved, took 
compassion on him, and gave him a home in his palace. 
The ease and affluence of his new situation rendered him in¬ 
dolent and voluptuous: but perceiving these faults to gain 
ground upon him, he had the strength of mind to tear him¬ 
self from temptation, by silently withdrawing from the house 
of his protector, and returning to labour and indigence. He 
then went to Parma and Modena to view the works of Cor¬ 
reggio, from which he derived a softer manner than that of 
the school of Caravaggio. To the latter, however, he return¬ 
ed, as the best calculated to attract popular admiration, when 
he revisited Naples, in which capital he first worked for a 
dealer in pictures. This man, who was rich, struck with the 
R I B 
talents of Ribera, gave him his daughter in marriage; and 
from this period he rose to distinction in his profession. His 
picture of St. Bartholomew flead was so much admired by the 
viceroy, that he nominated Ribera his own painter, and gave 
him a considerable pension and apartments in his palace. 
His fame extended to Rome, where the Pope created him a 
knight of the order of Christ, and the academy of St. Luke 
elected him one of its members. 
The genius of Spagnoletto delighted in subjects of severity 
and even of horror. Hermits, anchorets, and fathers of the 
church, were clothed by his pencil with all the awful dignity 
of age united with sanctity and austerity. His historic pieces 
generally represent martyrdoms, executions, tortures, and 
scenes of suffering, which the force and truth of his painting 
render too painful to the feelings to allow a calm admiration 
of their excellence as works of art. They were, however, 
well suited to the ferocity of Naples and the gloomy devotion 
of Spain, to-which last country many of them were sent by 
the viceroy, where they enrich the royal collections. Few 
of this master’s works were painted for churches, and they 
are mostly easel pieces, which are dispersed in the cabinets 
throughout Europe. 
Ribera, in his prosperous state, was fond of figure and 
splendour, worked only six hours a day, then visited, and in 
the evenings opened his house to company. When Don 
John of Austria visited Naples in 1648, he engaged that’ 
prince to come to his parties, boasting to him of the beauty 
of his daughters. The natural result was an intrigue with 
one of them, whom the prince carried off, and placed in a 
convent. The painter was so much affected by this disgrace, 
and by the reproaches of his wife, that (according to D’Ar- 
genville) one day in 1649, leaving his house near Posilippa 
for the purpose of going to Naples, he was never more heard 
of. Other accounts, however, mention him as dying at Na¬ 
ples in 1656. He left a manuscript tract on the principles of 
painting, said to have been an excellent composition. He 
etched 26 pieces of his own designs, and several engravings 
from his works have been made by other artists. Pithing - 
ton. 
RIBERAC, a town in the south-west of France, depart¬ 
ment of the Dordogne, on the small river Isle. Population 
3000; 20 miles west-by-north of Perigueux. 
RIBERAINY, a village of Abyssinia; 25 miles east-north--' 
east of Axum. 
RIBES, [an Arabic name] in botany, a genus of the class 
pentandria, order monogynia, natural order of pomacere, 
cacti, (Juss.) Generic Character.—Calyx: perianth one- 
leafed, half-five-cleft, ventricose; segments oblong, concave, 
coloured, reflex, permanent. Corolla: petals five, small, 
obtuse, erect, growing to the margin of the calyx. Stamina: 
filaments five, subulate, erect, inserted into the calyx. An¬ 
thers incumbent, compressed, opening at the margin. Pis¬ 
til : germ roundish, inferior. Style bifid. Stigmas obtuse. 
Pericarp : berry globular, uriibilicated, one-celled; recepta¬ 
cles two, lateral, opposite, longitudinal. Seeds very many, 
roundish, somewhat compressed. Essential Character .— 
Petals five, inserted with the stamens into the calyx. Style 
bifid. Berry many-seeded, inferior. 
I. Unarmed species. Ribesia, or Currants. 
1. Ribes rubrum, or common currant.—Branches smooth. 
Leaves on longish petioles, doubly serrate, sub-pubescent. 
Racemes simple, nodding, when in fruit pendulous. Bracte 
ovate, small, shorter than the pedicels. Corolla yellowish 
green, with obcordate petals. Berries acid, shining.—Na¬ 
tive of Europe, chiefly in the northern parts, in hedges and 
woods; flowering in May. Wild in the northern coun¬ 
ties of England. There are several varieties of this species of 
currant; of these the most remarkable are the common red 
and common white sorts. A third variety with blotched 
leaves is kept in some plantations; but as the variegation is 
apt to go off when the plant is vigorous, it scarcely deserves 
notice. 
2. Ribes petraeum, or rock currant.—Racemes somewhat 
hairy, erect, when fruiting pendulous, petals obtuse, bractes 
shorter 
