RIG 
Riga has at different times suffered both by 'fire and sieges. 
Of the latter, the most remarkable were those sustained from: 
the Russians in 1656; from the Saxons and Poles in 1700; 
from the Russians in 1701; and from the French in 1812, 
when its suburbs were burned. Its situation on a plain 
exposes it to frequent inundations; and after the intense 
winter of 1814, it suffered greatly from the breaking up of 
the ice on the Dwina; 285 miles west-south-west of St. 
Petersburg, and 235 south-south-east of Stockholm. Lat. 
56. 5.1. N. long. 24. 7. 45. E. 
RIGA, Gulf of, a considerable bay of the Baltic, be¬ 
tween the coasts of Courland, Livonia, and Esthonia. It 
takes its name from the. town of Riga on the Dwina, and is 
sometimes called the gulf of Livonia. 
RIGADOO'N, .s. [rigadon, Fr.] A kind of brisk dance, 
performed by one couple, said to be brought from Provence. 
—I led him by the hand into the next room, where we 
danced a rigadoon together. Guardian. 
Rousseau affirms, that he has been told by an old dancing- 
master, that it had its name from its inventor, Rigaud. 
At the beginning of the last century, there were three 
dances which every eminent master taught, and every noble¬ 
man’s and gentleman’s child learned, in the course of their 
education: these were the minuet, rigaudon, and l’ouvre, 
all natives of France, during the reign of Louis XIV. 
RIGA'TIQN, s. [rigatio, Lat.] The act of watering. 
—In dry years, every field that has not some spring, or 
aqueduct, to furnish it with repeated rigations, is sure to 
fail in its crop. Swinburne. 
RIGAUD (Hyacinth), a very eminent portrait-painter, 
was born in 1663 at Perpignan. His grandfather and father 
were both painters, and although w'hen the latter died, he 
was very young, he had imbibed so much of the family 
taste, that it was thought proper to bring him up to the same 
profession. He first studied under two indifferent masters at 
Montpellier, but afterwards received instructions from Ranc, 
a painter who approached the manner of Vandyke. This 
manner was the principal object of Rigaud’s imitation; and 
by attentive study and assiduous practice he acquired a free¬ 
dom of hand,- a truth of colouring, and force of expression, 
which raised him to the summit of reputation. He visited 
Paris in 1681, and obtained the first prize from the Academy 
of Painting. It was his wish to improve himself by a journey 
to Italy; but Le Brun, who had seen and admired some of his 
productions, advised him to remain at Paris and cultivate 
his talent for portrait-painting, as the surest road to distinc¬ 
tion and fortune. This advice, which perhaps might be given 
through jealousy, he followed with a success that placed him 
among the most conspicuous in that branch of the art; for 
he is recorded as having painted five monarchs, and all the 
princes of the blood royal of France, besides a great number 
of illustrious and eminent persons of his own and foreign 
countries. His likenesses w'ere extremely striking and 
characteristic, and his portraits often approached the histo¬ 
rical style by appropriate accompaniments. Nature was his 
great study, and he carried his accuracy of imitation to the 
material of his draperies, and all the subordinate parts; 
judging, perhaps.rightly, though contrary to the opinion and 
practice of some other eminent painters, that where the 
appeal is made to common observation, it is advantageous 
that the truth of resemblance should be as manifest in one 
part as in another. He is, however, justly blamed for 
attracting the attention too much to his draperies by an artifi¬ 
cial disposition, and a kind of flutter that makes them look as 
if agitated by the wind. 
Rigaud, though a man of gallantry towards the fair sex, 
did not love to paint women, saying, that if he represented 
them as they were, they would not think their portraits hand¬ 
some enough, and if he flattered them, they would not be 
resembling. He was once painting a lady whom he observed 
taking great pains to screw up her mouth, which was one of 
the widest: “ Do not fake all that trouble with your mouth 
Madam (said he); if you choose,I will give you none at 
all.” To another, who .was highly rouged, and who com¬ 
plained to him that his colours were not bright enough, and 
RIG 90 
asked him where he bought them; “ Lbelieve,• Madam , (he 
answered) we are both supplied at the same shop.” His 
native city, Perpignan, thought itself so much honoured by him, 
that, enjoying the privilege of yearly nominating a person to 
be ennobled, it conferred upon him this distinction in 1709, 
and the nomination was confirmed by the king. He was 
again ennobled, and was created knight of the order of St. 
Michael in 1727, with a pension. He was successively madq. 
a professor, rector and director of the Academy; and was 
frequently consulted by sovereigns in furnishing their cabinets 
with pictures, inthechoice of which he displayed great judg¬ 
ment. His private character was highly estimable: he was 
punctual in the performance of his duties; generous, charitable, 
and pious. He lived in great harmony with his wife, by 
whom he had no children; but he had numerous relations 
to whom he acted as a parent. He died in 1743, at the age 
of 80. The works of this master are dispersed in the family- 
galleries of France and several other countries. A great 
number of his portraits have been engraved by the best mas¬ 
ters of the time: many of them were greatly improved by 
touches of his own hand. D'Argenville. 
RIGAUD, a seigniory of Lower Canada, on the south 
side of the Utawas river, in the county of York. 
RIGAULT (Nicholas), a French man of letters, the son 
of a physician at Paris, was born in 1577. He was 
educated at the Jesuits’ college, where attempts were in vain 
made to induce him to enter into the society. He first, 
made himself known by a satirical work entitled “ Funus 
Parasiticum,” published in 1596, with which the President, 
de Thou was so well pleased, that he made him the associate 
of his studies, a.*.d confided to him the education of his soh. 
Rigault embraced the profession of an advocate, but his 
predilection for polite literature caused him to neglect the 
bar, for which he was little calculated. When the learned 
Casaubon, who had the care of the royal library, removed to 
England, Rigault succeeded him in that employment. His 
services were so well approved, that he was created attorney- 
general of. the sovereign chamber of Nanci, counsellor to the 
parliament of Metz, and, finally, intendant of that province.. 
He died at Toul in 1654, at the age of 77, with a character 
for generosity, modesty, and benevolence, that contributed 
as much to his reputation as his numerous writings. It was 
chiefly as an editor of Greek and Latin authors that he made 
himself known to the learned world. Of these were, “ Mi¬ 
ll utius Felix,” 1643; “ St. Cyprian,” 1648; and “ Ter- 
tullian,” 1664, enriched with useful notes, corrections, and" 
observations. lie displayed many sentiments not very 
favourable to the doctrines of the Roman Catholic church, 
and marked with care every thing, in the ancients which 
appeared adverse to them. He gave translations of the Greek 
writers “ Qnosander,” “ Artemidorus,” and others; but 
these versions are judged by the learned Iluet to be negligent 
and inaccurate; and he edited with notes “ Phaedrus;” 
“Martial;” “ Accipitrariaa Rei Seriptores;” <c Rei Agrarice 
Scriptores;” and “ Barathier de Feudis.” He also wrote and 
edited some works on juridical subjects; and he was ap¬ 
pointed, together with Peter Dupui, by the will of the President 
de Thou, to give a complete edition of his history, which 
appeared at Geneva in 1620. To this, Rigault wrote a Latin- 
preface, which remained in MS. till 1734, when it was given 
in French with a French translation of the history; and lie 
added three books to that work, containing the affairs of 
France to the death of Henry IV., but in a style inferior to 
that of the rest. He likewise published in Latin a life of Peter 
Dupui. Moreri. 
RIGG, or Hunter’s Bay, a small bay of Scotland, on the 
coast of Wigtonshire. 
RIGGEN-TREE, the piece of timber.laid along the ridge 
of a roof, to support the heads of the spars or rafters, but 
which in modern buildings, is found unnecessary. 
RI'GGER, s. [from rigi] One that rigs or dresses. 
RI'GGING, 5. [foom ppijjen; that with which a ship, 
or any thing else is ppigjeb, or covered. H. TooJce.] The 
sails or tackling of a ship. 
His 
