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popularperiodieal work among the followers of the Bishop of 
Ypres, entitled, “ Nouvelles Ecclesiastiques ;” on which ac¬ 
count he claims this brief notice. This was a weekly publi¬ 
cation, and at first consitsed chiefly of extracts of letters re¬ 
ceived from the different provinces; but after the year 1729 
it assumed a more methodical form, and, besides ecclesias¬ 
tical affairs, discussed a variety of topics interesting to theo¬ 
logical students. In the year 1767, a table of the contents 
of these papers, from the year 1728 to 1760, both inclusive, 
was published at Paris in 2 large 4to. volumes- To render 
the series complete, he published another 4to. vol. at the 
same place in 1731, entitled, 11 Les Nouvelles Ecclesias¬ 
tiques,” relating to the state of things from the arrival of the 
constitution TJnigenitus in France, towards the close of 
the year 1713, till the year 1760. 
ROCHE (John de la), a celebrated French preacher in 
the 17th and at the commencement of the 18th century, was 
born at Nantes, in the year 1657. He became a member of 
the congregation of the Oratory, and distinguished himself 
early in life by the superiority of his pulpit talents. Hence 
he was frequently called to address respectable audiences, 
both in provincial cities and at Paris, where he was con¬ 
sidered as excelling particularly in funeral eulogies. He 
died in 1711, in the 55th year of his age. He published eight 
volumes of sermons in 12mo., consisting of courses of Advent 
and Lent sermons, discourses on the mysteries of religion, 
and panegyrics. They are said to be recommended by the 
solidity of their matter, as well as by the nobleness and 
elegance of their composition. Nouv. Diet. Hist. 
ROCHE, a small river of England, in Lancashire, which 
runs into the Irwell, at Pilkington Park. 
ROCHE, or Stony River. See Rocky River. 
ROCHE, LA, a small inland town of the Netherlands, in 
the province of Liege, on the river Ourthe. It was formerly 
a strong place, having earthen ramparts, surrounded by the 
w'aters of the Ourthe, and a strong castle on a rock, in a 
commanding situation. Population 1400; 33 miles south 
of Liege. 
ROCHE, a smalltown in the south-west of Switzerland, 
canton of Vaud. It has extensive salt-works, of which Haller 
the celebrated German naturalist, was for several years 
superintendant. It was here that he composed his great 
works on physiology and botany. There is a marble quarry 
in the neighbourhood; 40 miles east-by-north of Geneva, 
and 3 north-north-west of Aigle. 
ROCHE, a town of Savoy, situated 'on a hill. Population 
2300 ; 12 miles south-by-east of Geneva. 
ROCHE L’ABEILLE, a town of France, department of 
the upper Vienne. It is remarkable for its quarries of serpen¬ 
tine stone ; Population 900 ; 17 miles south of Limoges. 
ROCHE-ALUM, s. \roche , Fr. a rock.] A purer kind 
of Alum.— Rochc-alum is also good. Mortimer. 
ROCHE-BERNARD, a town of France, department of 
the Morbihan, on the river Vilaine, with 1300 inhabitants; 
25 miles south-east of Vannes, and 45 north-west of Nan¬ 
tes. 
ROCHE EN BREME, a town of France, department of 
the Cote d’Or. Population 1700; 6 miles north-west of 
Saulieu. 
ROCHE- CHALAIS, a town ofFrance, department ofthe 
Dordogne, on the small river Drome. Population 1000; 34 
miles west of Perigueux 
ROCHE-CHOUART, a town of France, department of 
the Upper Vienne. 'It stands on the declivity of a steep hill. 
Population 1500 ; 22 miles west of Limoges, and 34 north¬ 
east of Angouleme. 
ROCHE-DERRIEN, a walled town of France, depart¬ 
ment of the Cotes du Nord, on the river Treguier. Popula¬ 
tion 800; 9 miles east of Lannion. 
ROCHE-GUYON, a town ofFrance, on the Seitfe, with 
a large castle, and some petty manufactures of leather, stock¬ 
ings, and caps. Population nearly 1000; 8 miles north-by- 
west of Nantes. 
ROCHE MAL-VALAISE, a town of France, department 
of the Creuse. Population 1200. 
ROC 
ROCHE ST. MICHEL, the name given to the summit of 
Mount Cenis, a very lofty mountain of the Alps. Elevation 
9250 feet. 
ROCHE MILLAY, a town of France, department of the 
Nievre, with 1500 inhabitants. In the vicinity are quarries 
of black marble; 12 miles south-east of Moulins. 
ROCHE LA MOLIERE, a village ofFrance, department 
of the Loire. Population 1400. 
ROCHE EN REIGNIER, a town of France, department 
of the Upper Loire. Population 1500; 11 miles north-west 
of Ysseageaux, and 14 north of Le Puy. 
ROCHEA, in botany, a genus of Decandolle’s, in his 
Plantes Grasses, n. 103, dedicated to the memory of Daniel 
de la Roche, a physician of Geneva, whose inaugural dis¬ 
sertation, printed at Leyden in 1766, contains descriptions 
and plates of many plants of the natural order of ensata?, 
and is often cited by writers on the genera and species of 
that tribe. De Theis. 
ROCHEFORT (William de), amodem French writer, 
was born in 1730 at Lyons. He had a small employment 
in the finances; but finding in himself a greater propensity 
to letters than to business, he went to Paris, and devoted 
himself to poetry and Greek literature. His taste for anti¬ 
quity led him to compose three tragedies upon the Greek 
models, which had too much dryness to please; and a 
comedy which he brought upon the stage was not more suc¬ 
cessful. In prose he published a “ Refutation of the Systeme 
de la Nature;” a “ Critical History of the Opinions of the 
Ancients concerning Happiness;” and a “ Complete Trans¬ 
lation of the Plays of Sophocles;” this last work gained him 
much credit by the elegance and fidelity of the version, and 
the judicious notes annexed to it. He then undertook the ar¬ 
duous task of a complete translation of Homer’s Iliad and 
Odyssey (apparently in verse) of which the preliminary dis¬ 
courses and notes seemed to have obtained more applause 
than the version itself.. Nouv. Diet. Hist. 
ROCHEFORT, a town in the west of France, department 
of the Lower Charente, situated in a marshy track on the 
right bank of the Charente, about five miles from its influx 
into the Atlantic. Though founded only in the latter half 
of the 17 century, it is a place of size, containing above 
15,000 inhabitants. Its form is nearly that of the segment 
.of a circle, of which the walls form the circumference, and 
the river the chord. The interior of the town is pleasant. 
The streets are broad, straight, and laid out on a plan of 
perfect regularity. Nearly in the centre of the town is a 
spacious square called the Place d'Armes. The principal 
objects of interest are the arsenal, the cannon foundry, the 
barracks, the extensive magazines of naval stores, and the 
docks; likewise the civil and marine hospital, and the 
navigation school. The harbour, one of the great naval 
stations of the kingdom, is protected by five forts. It is 
formed by the Charente, which, if not wide, is secure, and 
capable, from its depth, of admitting vessels of great size. 
Even at low water the vessels are seldom in less than four 
fathoms depth. No storms can affect, and no hostile bombs 
can reach them; but the ground adjacent to the harbour 
being soft and marshy, is liable to be damaged by floods in 
the river. The docks for the building and refitting of vessels, 
and the stores for the equipment both of ships of the line 
and frigates, are very complete. The trade of Rochefort is 
limited, and is confined, in a "great measure, to the coasting 
and colonial traffic. Here are, however, several manufactures, 
viz. cordage, stoneware, and oil; also refining of sugar. The 
approach to the town up the river is well defended bv 
several forts. The ramparts of Rochefort are planted with 
trees, and form an agreeable walk; but as a residence this 
town is far from healthy, fevers being very common in 
summer and autumn. They are occasioned by bad water, 
and the extent of marshes that surround the town. Since 
draining a part of the latter, they have become less frequent 
and dangerous; 20 miles south-east of La Rochelle, and 
100 north of Bourdeaux. Lat. 45.56. 10. N. long. 0. 57. 
34. W. 
ROCHEFORT, 
