George IV.), then in his eighteenth year, that he began a correspondence with her, signing himself “Florizel.” She was for about two years his mistress, but he then deserted her, even dishonouring his bond for £20,000, payable when he came of age, and left her to obtain a pension of £500 in exchange for it from Charles James Fox. Owing to the hostility of public opinion, she feared to return to the stage, but she published some more volumes of her writings. There are numerous charming portraits of “Perdita”; two in the Wallace Collection, by Reynolds and by Gainsborough, reveal “her grave, refined beauty.” Hoppner, Cosway and Romney also painted her.
See Memoirs of Mary Robinson, “Perdita,” with introduction and notes by J. F. Molloy (1894).
ROBINSON, THEODORE (1852–1896), American artist, was
born at Irasburg, Vermont, in 1852. He was a pupil of J. L.
Gérôme and Carolus-Duran in Paris, and worked with Claude
Monet. He received the Webb Prize in 1890 for his “Winter
Landscape,” and the Shaw Fund in 1892 for his “In the Sun,”
a study of a peasant girl. He became a member (1881) of
the Society of American Artists. He died in New York City
on the 2nd of April 1896.
ROB ROY (1671–1734), the popular designation of a famous
Highland outlaw whose prowess is the theme of one of Sir
Walter Scott’s novels, was by descent a Macgregor, being the
younger son of Donald Macgregor of Glengyle, lieutenant colonel
in the army of James II., by his wife, a daughter of
William Campbell of Gleneaves. He received the name Roy
from his red hair, and latterly adopted Campbell as his surname
on account of the acts proscribing the name of his clan. Though
in stature not much above the middle height, he was so muscular
and thickly set that few were his equals in feats of strength,
while the unusual length of his arms gave him an extraordinary
advantage in the use of the sword. His eyes were remarkably
keen and piercing, and with his whole expression formed an
appropriate complement to his powerful physical frame. He
inherited a small property on the Braes of Balquhidder, and
at first .devoted himself to the rearing of cattle. Having
formed a band of armed clansmen, he obtained, after the
accession of William III., a commission from James II. to levy
war on all who refused to acknowledge him as king, and in the
autumn of 1691 made a descent on Stirlingshire to carry off
the cattle of Lord Livingstone, when, being opposed by the
villagers of Kippen, he also seized the cattle from all the byres
of the village. Shortly afterwards he married Helen Mary,
daughter of Macgregor of Comar. On the, death of Gregor
Macgregor, the chief of the clan, in 1693 he managed, though
not the nearest heir, to get himself acknowledged chief, obtaining
control of the lands stretching from, the Braes of Balquhidder
to the shores of Loch Lomond, and situated between the possessions
of Argyll and those of Montrose. To assist in. Carrying
on his trade as cattle-dealer he borrowed money from the 1st
duke of Montrose, and, being unable to repay it, he was in
1712 evicted from his property and declared an outlaw. Taking
refuge in the more inaccessible Highlands, Rob Roy from this
time forward supported himself chiefly by depredations committed
in the most daring manner on the duke and his tenants,
all attempts to capture him being unsuccessful. During the
rebellion of 1715, though nominally siding with the Pretender,
he did not take an active part in the battle of Sheritfmuir
except in plundering the dead on both sides. He was included
in the Act of Attainder; but, having for some time enjoyed
the friendship of the duke of Argyll, he obtained, on making
his submission at Inveraray, a promise of protection. He now
established his residence at Craigroyston, near Loch Lomond,
whence for some time he levied blackmail as formerly upon
Montrose, escaping by his wonderful address and activity
every effort of the English garrison stationed at Inversnaid
to bring him to justice. Ultimately, through the mediation of
Argyll, he was reconciled to Montrose, and in 1722 he made
submission to General Wade; he was carried off, and imprisoned
in Newgate, and in 1727 was pardoned just as he, was to be
transported to Barbados. He then returned to Scotland.
According to a notice in the Caledonian Mercury he died at
Balquhidder on the 28th of December 1734. He was buried
in Balquhidder churchyard.
The best lives are K. Macleay, Historical Memoirs of Rob Roy (1818; new ed., 1881); A. H. Millar, Story of Rob Roy (1883). See also Sir W. Scott’s introduction to the novel Rob Roy. An early account, The Highland Rogue, &c. (1723), is ascribed to Defoe.
ROBSART, the maiden name of Lady Amy Dudley (1532–1560), wife of Lord Robert Dudley, afterwards earl of Leicester. She was the daughter of Sir John Robsart of Norfolk, and was married to Lord Robert on the 4th of June 1550. The marriage was apparently arranged by. the family for business reasons, and there is no ground for supposing that it was a love match, or that she was beautiful. Her attraction lay in her, estate,
which was a provision for a younger son. During the early years of the marriage her husband was entangled in the rebellion
of his family against Queen Mary, and was imprisoned in the
Tower. She visited him there, and acted for his interests.
After his release she saw little of him. When Elizabeth
became queen in 1559 Lord Robert was soon known to be her
favourite, and it was believed that she would marry him if
he were free. His wife never came to court and was never, in
his company. Stories were set about to the effect that she
was suffering from cancer and would soon die. Quadra, the
Spanish ambassador, reported to the king of Spain that the
queen had repeated this rumour to him. In. 1560 she went
by her husband’s directions to Cumnor Place, a house near
Oxford, rented by his agent Anthony Forster or Forrester,
member of parliament for Abingdon. Here she was found
lying dead on the floor of the hall on the 8th of September
1560 by her servants, whom she had allowed to go to Abingdon
Fair. The circumstances of her death never have been, and now cannot be cleared up. A1coroner’s jury, which her husband did his best to pack and influence, attributed her end to accident There is no evidence against Dudley, unless it be evidence that he was a most unscrupulous man, and that he was generally believed to have murdered several other persons who stood; in his way.
See G. Adlard, Amy Robsart and Leycester (London, 1870), and W. Rye, The Murder of Amy Robsart (London, 1885).
ROBSON, STUART (1836–1903), American actor, whose
real name was Robson Stuart, was born in Annapolis, Maryland, on the 4th of March 1836. An unintentionally humorous appearance in a serious part in 1852 showed him that his forte was comedy; and in partnership. with W. H. Crane from 1877 to 1889 he was very successful as a comedian, The Henrietta being one of their best productions. He died on the 29th of April 1903. His wife, May Robson, also became well known as an actress.
ROBY, HENRY JOHN (1830–), English classical scholar
and writer on Roman law, was born at Tamworth on the 12th
of. August 1830. He was educated at St John’s College, Cambridge
(senior classic, 1853; fellow, 1854). From 1866 to 1868
he was professor of jurisprudence at University College, London,
and from 1872 to 1874 commissioner of endowed schools. From
1890 to 1895 he was member of parliament in the Liberal interest
for the Eccles division of Lancashire. The book by which. he
is perhaps best known is his Grammar of the Latin Language
from Plautus to Suetonius, a storehouse of illustrative quotations
from Latin literature, but his most important works deal
with Roman law—Introduction to Justinian’s Digest (1884).
and Roman Private Law (1902).
ROC, or more correctly Rukh, a fabulous bird of enormous size which carries off elephants to feed its young. The legend of the roc, familiar to every one from the Arabian Nights, was widely spread in the East; and in later times the home of the monster was sought in the direction of Madagascar, whence gigantic fronds of the Raphia palm very like a quill in form
appear to have been brought under the name of roc’s feathers (see, Yule’s Marco Polo, bk. iii. ch. 33, and Academy, 1884, No. 620). Such a feather was brought to the Great Khan, and we, read also of a gigantic stump of a roc’s quill being
