R V F 
434 ^ R U F 
RUFFIAN, s. [from ruffiano, Italian; roffver, Danish, 
to pillage; or perhaps rqfwa, Su. Goth, to rob. Our 
word, in its elder form, ruffin, or rouffin. Some have 
thought it formed from the word ruff, the bullies and 
swaggerers of old time wearing enormous ruffs. —A 
brutal, boisterous, mischievous fellow ; a cut-throat; a rob¬ 
ber ; a murderer. 
Have you a ruffian that will swear ? drink? dance ? 
Revel the night? rob ? murder ? Shakspeare. 
Every fiddler sings libels openly : and each man is ready 
to challenge the freedom of David’s ruffians , “ Our tongues 
are our own, who shall control us?” Bp. Hall. 
The boasted ancestors of these great men, 
Whose, virtues you admire, were all such ruffians. 
This dread of nations, this almighty Rome, 
That comprehends in her wide empire’s bound 
All under heaven, was founded on a rape. Addison. 
RU'FFIAN, adj. Brutal; savagely boisterous. 
Should’st thou but hear I were licentious. 
And that this body,, consecrate to thee, 
By ruffian lust should be contaminate, 
Would’st thou not spit at me ? Shakspear£. 
To RUTFIAN, v. n. To rage; to raise tumults; to play 
the ruffian. 
A fuller blast ne’er shook our battlements; 
.If it hath ruffian d so upon the sea, 
What ribs of oak, when mountains melt upon them, 
Can hold the mortise ? Shakspeare. 
RU'FFIANLIKE, or Ru'ffianly. adj. Like a ruf¬ 
fian ; dissolute; licentious; brutal.—Sir Ralph Vane’s bold 
answers, termed rude and ruffianlilie, falling into bars apt 
to take offence, furthered his condemnation. Hay-ward. 
—Misconstrue me "not as one that affects to be a patron of 
ruffianly and dissolute fashions. Bp. Hall. 
RUFFIBERG. See Rossberg. 
RUFFIEUX, a small town of Savoy, with 1100 inhabi¬ 
tants ; 20 miles north of Chamberry. 
RUFFINUS, or, according to the more generally received 
ojrthography, Rufinus, surnamed by some Toranius, a 
celebrated Italian ecclesiastical writer and Scripture com¬ 
mentator, who flourished towards the close of the 4th and at 
the commencement of the 5th century. About the year 371, 
Rufinus resolved to devote himself to the austerities of the 
monastic life, and■ to study the ascetic discipline under the 
monks in the deserts of Egypt. Coming to Rome on his 
way thither, his design recommended him to the confidence 
of Melania, a Roman widow of a noble family and great 
wealth, who resolved to accompany him to that country, and 
to expend her riches on the establishment of monastic and 
charitable institutions. In Egypt, Rufinus spent eight 
months in conversing with the monks whose solitary cells 
were scattered throughout the deserts of Nitria, and in attend¬ 
ing the lectures of Didymus, masterofthe famous catechetical 
school in Alexandria. The Arians being at this time in the 
possession of power, under the reign of the Emperor Valens, 
Rufinus was persecuted by them, thrown into prison, in 
which he met with cruel usage, and sentenced to be banished 
to a distant desert. Melania, however, found means to 
purchase his redemption, and removed with him from Egypt 
into Palestine, where they visited the holy places, and took 
up their residence at Jerusalem. In this city Rufinus, sup¬ 
ported by the wealth of his patroness, built a convent for 
fifty-two females, who renounced the world and devoted 
themselves to a religious life, over whom Melania presided. 
In the year 197, Rufinus and Melania took their leave of 
Jerusalem, and embarked for Italy. 
Having arrived at Rome, Rufinus soon afterwards published 
a Latin version of the first book of the “ Apology for 
Origen,” which went under the name of Pamphilus; which 
was followed by another piece, intended to prove that the 
works of Origen had been corrupted and interpolated ; and 
a defence of him drawn up from his own letters. Abo ut t he 
R f F 
same time, he published his translation of Origen’s “ Book 
of Principles,” with a preface, in which he took the 
opportunity of praising the high opinion which, in the 
earlier part of his life, Jerome had entertained of that au¬ 
thor and his writings. The publication of these pieces, and 
particularly of that last mentioned, was warmly resented by 
Jerome, who published “ An Apology” for himself, in 
which he attacked Rufinus in the most acrimonious terms, 
treating him as an heretic, and the prototype of Pelagius. 
The controversy between these antagonists excited con¬ 
siderable notice at Rome, where each had his zealous 
advocates; but those of Jerome were so active in creating 
prejudices against Rufinus, that, though he appears to have 
enjoyed the favour of Syricius, who w-as then bishop of that 
city, he thought it advisable to retire to Aquileia. By 
Anastasius, the successor of Syricius, he was summoned to 
return to Rome, and vindicate himself against the accusations 
of Jerome; but he did not choose to obey the summons, 
contenting himself with sending a declaration of the con¬ 
formity of his faith with that of the Catholic church, and 
stating that, with respect to his translation of Origen’s work, 
he had neither approved, nor disapproved, but barely related 
the sentiments of that writer. His original works, besides 
the pieces in controversy with Jerome, already noticed, 
consist of “ De Benedictionibus Judoe et reliquorum XI. 
Patriarcharum, Lib. II.;” “ Commentariorum in Hoseam, 
Lib. III. cum praefatione in xii. minores Prophetas;” 
“ Comment, in Prophetas Joel, et Amos;” “ Expositio 
Symboli, ad Laurentium Episcopum;” “ Historic Eccle¬ 
siastic®, Lib. II.,” added by him to his version of Eusebius, 
and continuing the history of the church to the death of the 
Emperor Theodosius; and he is by some thought to have 
been the author, but by others only the translator from some 
lost work, ot the “ Vitae Patrum,” which constitute the 
second and third books of Rosweide’s collection. He 
translated from the Greek into Latin, a multitude of 
ecclesiastical works. 
To RU'FFLE, v. a. [ruyffelen , Teut. to wrinkle] To 
disorder; to put out of form ; to make less smooth.—Not 
one flower of their crowns was blasted; no, not one hair of 
their heads ruffled. Proceed, against Garnet. —In change¬ 
able taffeties, differing colours emerge and vanish upon the 
ruffling of the same piece of silk. Boyle. 
As she first began to rise, 
She smooth'd the ruffled seas, and clear’d the skies. Dryden. 
To discompose ; to disturb ; to put out of temper. 
Were I Brutus 
And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony 
Would ruffle up your spirits, and put a tongue 
In every wound of Caesar, that should move 
The stones of Rome to rise and mutiny. Shakspeare. 
To put out of order; to surprise. 
The knight found out 
The advantage of the ground, where best 
He might the ruffled foe infest. Hudiliras. 
To throw disorderly together. 
W ithin a thicket I repos’d, when round 
I ruffled up fall’n leaves in heap, and found, 
Let fall from heaven, a sleep interminate. Chapman. 
To contract into plaits.—A small skirt of fine ruffled 
linen, running along the upper part of the stays before, is 
called the modesty piece. Addison. 
To RU'FFLE, v.n. To grow rough or turbulent 
The night comes on, and the high winds 
Do sorely ruffle ; for many miles about 
. There’s scarce a bush. Shakspeare. 
The rising wind a ruffling gale affords. Dryden.— To 
be in loose motion; to flutter. 
The fiery courser, when he hears from far 
The sprightly trumpets and rhe shouts of war, 
On his right shoulder his thick mane reclin’d, 
Baffles at speed, and dances in the wind. 
-To 
