professedly written in imitation of Shakspeare; both of them long

kept possession of the stage, and still find readers in the closet. Both are effective pieces, like all Rowe's plays distinguished by the melody of their verse, and one character in the former, Lothario, has given his name to a genus. Rowe's whiggism recommended him to the duke of Queensberry, and when his grace was for three years secretary of state Rowe was undersecretary, the same post as that filled by Addison. With the accession of the tories to power Rowe's political prospects suffered eclipse. Of Rowe is told the story that when he paid his court to Harley, he was asked whether he understood Spanish, and taking what he thought to be a hint, applied himself to the study of that language. After a time he waited on Oxford and professed himself now acquainted with Spanish. Harley asked him if he was sure he understood it thoroughly, and being answered in the affirmative, contented himself with the disappointing rejoinder—"How happy are you, Mr. Rowe, that you can have the pleasure of reading and understanding Don Quixote in the original." With the accession of George I., however, he was made poet-laureate, and received other and more lucrative appointments, but died soon afterwards in December, 1718. Pope, who has praised his "vivacity and gaiety of disposition," wrote his epitaph; not that, however, on his monument in Westminster abbey, where in Poets' Corner he was buried. He left behind him a translation of Lucan's Pharsalia, which was considered by Johnson in his day "one of the greatest productions of English poetry," and was published by Welwood with a life of the translator. Perhaps it is by his life of Shakspeare that Rowe will be chiefly remembered. In 1709 he published what may be called the first of the modern editions of Shakspeare, preceding that of Pope by sixteen years, and in which Johnson himself confesses, "without the pomp of notes or boasts of criticism, many passages are happily restored." To this edition Rowe prefixed "Some account of William Shakspeare," the first formal biography of the great dramatist, and valuable, were it merely as embodying the then extant traditions of Shakspeare's life. Rowe learned them from Davenant, perhaps from Dryden, but most of all from Betterton the actor, who visited Stratford to gather what he could of anecdotes of Shakspeare still floating in the poet's native place—F. E. ROWE, Thomas, an English author, husband of Mrs. Elizabeth Rowe, was born in 1687, and died in 1715. He was well versed in Greek and Roman history, and wrote a supplement to Plutarch's Lives, published at London in 1728, in 1 vol. 8vo, containing the lives of Tullus Hostilius, Aristomenes the Elder, Tarquin, Junius Brutus, Cyrus, Jason, &c. The work was translated into French. Rowe had some reputation as a poet; a selection of his best pieces was published along with the miscellaneous works of his wife in 1739.—J. T. ROWLANDSON, Thomas, a celebrated caricaturist, was born in Old Jewry, London, in July, 1756. In his sixteenth year he was sent to Paris, and entered as a student in the École des Beaux-arts. At the end of two years he returned to London, and became a student in the Royal Academy, where he distinguished himself by his studies in chalk. His father failing in trade, he was thrown on his own resources, and began to make designs for the booksellers. An aunt, a French lady, however, came to his assistance, supplied him with money, and at her death bequeathed him the sum of £7000. All this he quickly wasted in gambling and debauchery, and only when his means were exhausted would he sit down to work. Then he threw off his satirical sketches almost without effort, and with surprising rapidity; and, being free from all restraint, and, however coarse, full of animation and cleverness, they were eagerly purchased. Rowlandson's etchings include both social and political caricatures, and are very suggestive to the student of the manners of the latter part of the eighteenth century. Those which bad the greatest contemporary success were—"The Travels of Dr. Syntax in Search of the Picturesque;" the "Dance of Death;" and the "Dance of Life;" and one or two other series, for which the notorious Mr. Coombe wrote suitable commentaries. Rowlandson's drawings—all farcical, but very clever caricatures—were made with a reed pen, and tinted with water-colours. Some of them are of large size, and all indicate great skill of hand and keen observation. Altogether his productions are said to number some thousands, so that with all his dissipation he must have possessed considerable industry. He died April 22, 1827.—J. T—e. ROWLEY, Sir Josias, Bart., a distinguished naval officer, was born in Ireland in 1765. His father, Clotworthy Rowley, was a barrister, and member of parliament for Downpatrick; and his grandfather, Sir William Rowley, was a vice-admiral and lord of the admiralty. Sir Josias entered the navy in 1777, and obtained his lieutenancy in 1783, a post-captaincy in 1795, and commanded the Raisonable in the action off Ferrol, in July, 1805. The same year he accompanied the expedition against the Cape of Good Hope, and then proceeded with Sir Home Popham to South America. Rowley distinguished himself by his gallant and successful attack on the harbour of St. Paul's, in the Isle of Bourbon; having recaptured two richly laden Indiamen, besides taking a frigate, a brig, and three merchantmen of the enemy, and destroying all the defences of the harbour. The result of this exploit was, that a squadron was placed under the command of Rowley. A capitulation ensued, and the whole island became subject to the British crown. After signalizing himself in various actions in these waters, and taking several prizes, he returned to England, and was appointed to the America, seventy-four guns, in which he proceeded to the Mediterranean, where he subsequently commanded the squadron off the coast of Naples and Sicily. Rowley was now recognized as one of the most promising officers in the service; was created a baronet in 1813, and colonel of the royal marines, and in 1814 rear-admiral. In 1818 he was appointed commander-in-chief on the Irish station; in 1821 he represented the borough of Kinsale, and was advanced to a vice-admiral. In 1833 he was appointed commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean, in 1834 he was made G.C.M.G., and in 1837 was made admiral of the blue and K.G.C.B. He was for some time equerry to the duchess of Kent. He died at his maternal estate, Mount Campbell, county Leitrim, January 10, 1842.—J. F. W. ROWLEY, William, a second-rate English dramatist, who flourished in the reign of James I., and possibly in the last years of that of his predecessor, if the comedian of that name mentioned by Meres in his Wit's Treasury, published in 1598, be the same with the subject of this notice. Scarcely anything is known of his life. In 1615 he was included in a summons addressed to the leading actors in the different companies, calling upon them to appear before the lord chamberlain to answer for having performed plays in Lent. Before the death of Anne, James I.'s queen, the company to which Rowley belonged had the designation of the Queen's players; after her death, in 1619, it took the title of the Princess Elizabeth's players. On the accession of Charles I. a new patent was issued to certain actors who were to compose the company of the King's players, and in this patent Rowley's name occurs. Six of his plays are extant; among them are—"A Match at Midnight;" "The Witch of Edmonton;" the "Birth of Merlin;" and "All's Lost by Lust." The names of five others which were never printed have been preserved.—T. A. ROXANA, a Bactrian princess, became a prisoner of war on the invasion of that country by Alexander the Great, 327 b.c. He, whose constant policy it was to conciliate the regard of his oriental subjects, soon after married Roxana, by whom he had a posthumous son, named Alexander Ægus. The claims of the son of Roxana to the empire of his father were favoured by some of the Macedonian generals; but, after various changes of fortune, the young Alexander and his mother were put to death by Cassander at Amphipolis, 311 b.c. Roxana is one of the principal characters in Lee's tragedy, The Rival Queens.—G. ROXBURGH, William, an eminent Indian botanist, was born in Scotland about the middle of the eighteenth century, and died in 1815. He received his medical education in his native country, and proceeded to India in the medical service of the East India Company. He was stationed at Samalcotta in 1781, and there devoted attention to the cultivation of pepper. He introduced many valuable plants, such as the bread-fruit tree, coffee, cinnamon, and nutmeg. He introduced also the culture of silk, and improved the preparation of sugar. His attention was specially directed to the development of the productive resources of India. Botany was his favourite pursuit, and in this he was encouraged by König, a pupil of Linnæus. In 1793 he went to Calcutta to superintend the botanic garden, and he continued in this office till 1814. He was assiduous in his labours, and his health suffered much. He had to make three voyages on this account, once to Malaga and twice to Europe. He died during the last of these voyages. He described a large