guished as an administrator, traveller, and na- more difficulties lying in the way than he imagin turalist, was the son of Benjamin Raffles, captain chiefly from the backwardness of the poor, and th in the West India trade, and was born at sea off indifference to send their children. A begin Jamaica, 1781. He gradually rose from the posi- however, was made with a few, others soon tion of a clerk in the India House to that of lieu-lowed, and the schools began to prosper. Re tenant-governor, first of Java, and afterwards of ing, being marched to church under the can Fort Marlborough in Sumatra. In 1819 he estab- their teachers, and after church, the repetitio lished the British settlement and free port of the catechism for an hour, constituted the reg Singapore, and founded a college there for the en-routine he established. 'With regard to the couragement of Anglo-Chinese and Malay literature. His principal work is a 'History of Java,' but he sent home to England valuable collections of objects in natural history, and on his return founded the Zoological Society, of which he was first president. Died 1826.

RAIKES, ROBERT, the founder of Sunday schools in England, was a native of Gloucester, where he was born in 1735. He succeeded his father as proprietor of the Gloucester Journal, a paper in extensive circulation. He was a man of great piety, and, besides attendance on the ordinary diets of public worship, was long in the habit of frequenting early morning prayers every week-day at the Cathedral. As might be expected from a person of such devout and eminently Christian character, he was distinguished for his benevolent support of every scheme and institution which was directed to ameliorate the condition or advance the interests of humanity. To him belongs preeminently the high distinction of originating Sunday schools; and the idea of those institutions was first suggested to his mind by witnessing the painful spectacle of youthful profligacy and dissipation, which the streets of Gloucester as well as other large towns in England, exhibited on the Lord's day. At that time, it had long been a subject of complaint among farmers and others that they suffered more from the depredations of juvenile delinquents on that day, than on all the other days of the week together. The lower classes universally allowed their children to roam at large on the highways and the fields, where they came in such numbers that the country people were obliged to remain at home to watch their property. Mr. Raikes himself was unexpectedly led to witness a similar scene, for having occasion, early one morning, to go to a plebeian part of the town of Gloucester, where was a large pin manufactory, he was greatly shocked by multitudes of poor children running wild and riotous in the streets, and swearing such horrid oaths, as afforded sad evidence of the ignorance and depravity that prevailed amongst the class to which they belonged. He resolved on making some attempt to reclaim them from this state of moral degradation, which seemed so extensively prevalent, and to give those wretched little creatures the benefits of, not only a secular, but a moral and religious education. After revolving the subject long and anxiously in his mind, he at length prepared to reduce his scheme to practice. Having engaged the services of four women, accustomed to teach poor children, at the rate of one shilling a-day, and who were to receive and instruct as m he should bring every Sunday, he began tions of his school. But there were

to be observed, all the children were require come to school as clean as possible. Many we first deterred, because they wanted decent cloth but this was not to be supplied. Although with shoes or in a ragged coat, all were welcomeonly condition being clean hands, a clean face the hair combed.' Numbers pressed to the sch the children varying from six years old to tw or fourteen. Little rewards were distrib amongst the younger, and good places were cured for the older children, and both of produced the effect of exciting emulation. S was the scheme which this Christian philanthro devised for the moral and religious improvem of the poor; and it soon drew general attention England, from the beneficial results it produ Similar institutions were ere long commenced most of the large towns of England. A Sun School Association was formed for the benefit the poor children in the metropolis, and Mr. Rai in consequence of his zeal and merits, was enro an honorary member. A far higher honour awai this benevolent gentleman, in its being publi certified after a long series of years, that not of the scholars at his institution in Gloucester, 1 ever been either in the city or the county priso Mr. Raikes died in 1811.

RAIMBACH, ABRAHAM, a native of Lond celebrated for his line engravings of Sir Da Wilkie's pictures, 1776-1843.

RAINBOW, E., an English prelate, 1608-10 RAINOLDS. J., a learned Eng. div., 1549-16 RALEGH, CAREW, son of the great histori character noticed below, was born in the Tower London 1604, and made several fruitless effor to regain the forfeited estates of his father. received a pension of £400 a-year, however, an in 1659 became governor of Jersey, by favour General Monk. He wrote a vindication of father. Died 1666. His cousin, WALTER RALEGI became chaplain to Charles I., and was stabbed þ his gaoler 1646.

RÁLEGH, SIR WALTER, born A.D. 1552, wa the most remarkable man of that remarkabl period, which is commonly called the Elizabetha age. He was of an ancient Devonshire family, an was educated at Oxford and the Temple. He the served for some years as a volunteer under Colign and Condé, in France, and afterwards under the prince of Orange in the Netherlands. In 1579 first displayed that zeal for maritime discovery and colonization, which is the most brilliant feature in his character. He joined an expedition to America, which was designed to found a colony in Newfoundland, but was beaten back by a superior Span ish force. He then served in Ireland, and highly

guished himself against the Irish rebels and Spanish mallacies. la 1582 he appeared at beth's court, and was very graciously received.

and he had the evil gratification of witnessing his rival's ruin and death, little thinking that he was himself to experience the retribution of a similar fate. James I. on his accession, at first treated Ralegh with favour; but Cecil, who had in the late queen's reign overthrown Essex by Ralegh's aid, was now determined to put down Ralegh; and the king's mind was soon poisoned against Sir Walter. Deprived of his dignities and lucrative appointments, Ralegh seems to have listened to the schemes of other disaffected men for sitering the line of succession to the crown; but the charge on which he was tried and convicted in 1603 of being a traitor in the pay of Spain, was unproved and unfounded. He was sentenced to death, and his property was confiscated; but James kept him close prisoner in the Tower for twelve years, during which time he wrote his great work, the History of the World.' In 1615 James released him, and permitted him to sail on an expedition to Guiana. This enterprise proved disastrous, and on Ralegh's return home he was arrested, and James resolved to put him to death under the old sentence of treason that had been passed on him in 1603 reputation for soldiership, his learning, which There can be no doubt that James was mainly led varied and profound, his eloquence and ready to commit this disgraceful act by his desire to wia and the personal advantages and accomplish- the favour of the Spanish court, which never had ats in which he was pre-eminent, all combined forgotten the services that Ralegh had done for nising him high in his sovereign's favour. In England against Spain, and now clamoured loudly 6 he accompanied his half-brother. Sir Hum-for the blood of the English hero. Sir Walter Gilbert, in another voyage to North America, was beheaded on the 28th October, 1618, in the hich proved most calamitous, and in which Gilbert sixty-sixth year of his age. The versatility of the led. Ralegh still persevered in his schemes genius of this great man is almost unparalleled. extending England's dominions beyond the At-He was an excellent classical scholar, and well tic, and in 1585 he sent out another expedition, read in metaphysics and divinity, besides being ich discovered Virginia. He was one of the generally conversant with the literature of his trusted and most trustworthy of the naval own and other modern countries. His prose cs of England, who defended her in 1588 writings are eloquent and vigorous; and he was ist the Spanish Armada. In 1589 he served the author of several poems, small in length, but the expedition against Portugal under Drake great in beauty. He was eminent in the mechan Norris. The young earl of Essex was also ical arts; and was the originator of many imporwith the troops employed on this occasion, and it tant improvements in ship-building. He was a in a quarrel between him and Ralegh as to daring navigator and explorer of new countries; operations of the forces, that the unhappy and he was unwearied in his zeal for extending sy between those two originated. A short the commerce, and for creating the colonial power me afterwards Ralegh fell under Queen Eliza- of England. He was a sage, as well as a bold Beth's displeasure on account of certain love- captain by sea and by land; he was a skilful ges between him and Miss Throgmorton, (though not always a successful) politician; and whom he subsequently married. He was im- he was pre-eminent in all personal accomplishprisoned for a time, but was soon released, and ments and courtly graces. He was also a liberal radually recovered the queen's favour. In 1595 promoter of intellectual energy and eminence in organized and led an expedition to Central others; and he was the patron and personal South America, in the hope of discovering friend of many of the most distinguished writers Eldorado, the golden land, in the existence of who adorned that bright epoch of English literwhich all of that age firmly believed; nor can ature. [E.S.C.] we who have witnessed the discoveries of gold in California, deride that belief as visionary and wholly unfounded. Ralegh sailed to Guiana and the neighbouring districts; he explored the river Orioco for 400 miles from its mouth; and he wrote account of his voyage and the new countries explored by him, which is remarkable for the eloquence and graphic beauty of style which it disays. During the latter years of Elizabeth's life Ralegh joined Cecil in intriguing against Essex;

RALPH, J., a miscellaneous writer, died 1762. RAMMOHUN ROY, RAJAH, a philosopher and reformer of British India, was born at Bordouan in the province of Bengal, 1774, or between that and 1780. He belonged to the Brahmin caste, of the class esteemed for their learning and purity of blood, and seems to have devoted himself when quite young to the study of the sacred literature of the Hindoos. His endeavour was to discover the pure theism of the primitive

He was a quick and keen observer character, and in the ordinary course of life creet and prudent.' It may be added the superiority to the native Hindoos generally, his vast knowledge, his independence of habit, and his well-known patriotism, gained for him the highest consideration in his own country. [E.R

revelation, and to separate it from the corruptions of the priesthood, and though great hopes were entertained of him by Christian missionaries, there can be no doubt that he regarded some parts of their system as equally idolatrous with the changes that had taken place in the religion of the Hindoos. He adopted the philosophy and the pure morality of the precepts of the Saviour, but accept- RAMSAY, ALLAN, with the exception of Burns ing no system of faith that was proffered to him, the most thoroughly national of the Scottish poets he applied himself to the study of the Hebrew was born in 1685, at Leadhills in Lanarkshire Scriptures in the same independent spirit that he His father was in the employment of Lord Hope had examined the Vedas of his own country. toun at the lead mines, and is said to have been Rammohun Roy, however, was not a speculative descended from a branch of the family of the earls believer, but a practical reformer, and in political of Dalhousie, a circumstance of which the poet was sentiments a republican. He had risen from the naturally vain, and which shines out in his works position of clerk in the office of the tax-collector in the form of respect and attachment to the of Rungpore to that of dewan, or chief native claims of 'gude bluid,' and gentle ancestry. His superintendent of the revenue, the highest office father died early, and his mother marrying again that a Hindoo could hold under the British govern- he was sent to Edinburgh, and bound apprentice to ment. In this official situation he acquired such a wigmaker, then a profession of a higher grade a fortune as enabled him to rank with the zem- than in our times. Ramsay continued to purse indars, or proprietors, and applying himself to this humble avocation for several years after his administrative as well as religious reform, he apprenticeship was finished. In 1712, his first eventually effected a change in the English jurispru- poetical production appeared, being an address dence of Bengal. Circumstances led to his resi- To the most happy Members of the Easy Club dence at Calcutta, where he became a political Auld Reekie being then and long after, noted for writer and journalist in his native language, and its commercial clubs and associations. In 1716, boldly adopted revolutionary principles, at the same he published an edition of James the First's poem time not forgetting the reserve of a statesman. In of Christ's Kirk on the Green,' having added a 1830 he was created rajah by the great Mogul, and second canto himself, and in two years after, a sent on a mission to England for the settlement third. He now abandoned his original professi of his claims against the East India Company. He and commenced business as a bookseller in Edineffected this object with great diplomatic skill, and burgh, a more congenial and fitting occupation for while here he took an enthusiastic interest in the the poet and literary man. In 1720, he published progress of the reform agitation, and the hopes it himself, a collection of his poems, by subscription, held out for the better government of India. He and by which he is said to have realized four hunwas claimed at this time as a convert to Christi- dred guineas, a very large sum considering the anity, and though generally considered a Unitar- times, and which establishes the early and wide ian, he usually attended the services of the Estab- popularity which he had acquired. The most of lished Church. His Christianity, it should be re- the pieces in this collection had been issued by membered, was based on a profound acquaintance Ramsay as they were written, in sheets at a penny with the metaphysics of the Hindoos, and on his a-piece, and the good folks of Edinburgh had come researches into the primitive theism; and though to look upon them as a luxury, quite as necessary an ingenious countryman of our own, Thomas as 'caller haddies' or strong ale. Allan issued the Maurice, had long since endeavoured to show the first volume of his well-known 'Tea Table Miscel similarity between the Christian Trinity and the lany' in 1724, and three more volumes at short triad of Brahma, Vishnou, and Shiva, there are intervals afterwards; about the same time he pubfew orthodox Calvinists who would be disposed to lished 'The Evergreen, a collection of Scots poems, agree with him. Rammohun Roy did not survive wrote by the Ingenious before 1600.' The maghis acquaintance with European manners longnum opus of this ancient writer made its appearenough to master the whole of this problem, but ance in 1725, The Gentle Shepherd,' the finest being attacked by sudden illness at Bristol, expired dramatic pastoral ever published. In a soft and there on the 27th of September, 1833. As his bio- gentle sweetness of expression, and in a rich exgrapher in the Gentleman's Magazine observes:- hibition of old Scottish manners and habits, When it is considered that Rammohun Roy was interspersed with dramatic touches of nature and in a great degree self-taught, the extent of his character, no Scottish poem has maintained a more acquirements must be admitted to have been re-permanent or a higher place in the national mind markable. He was a thorough master of the Sans- and affections.-Some of the higher class poems crit language and of the Arabic; he was an exceed-Burns can alone compete with it in this respect. ingly good Persian scholar, and quoted the Persian In 1730 he published his 'Thirty Fables,' in which poets liberally, appropriately, and gracefully; and, the story of The Monk and the Miller's Wife," of course, he well understood the Hindoo and Ben-though somewhat broad in style, and previously gali tongues. He had read a great deal of English told by Dunbar, greatly increased his reputation as literature, chiefly historical; and he wrote in our a poet and painter of national manners. He now language with grammatical accuracy and ability. appears to have withdrawn from the labours of

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