Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 07.djvu/490

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RADNORSHIIIE 412 RAFFLES of any plant. In pharmacy, the root of a medicinal plant, as Rhei radix=rhu- barb root. In mathematics, any number which is arbitrarily made the fundamen- tal number or base of any system. Thus 10 is the radix of the decimal system of numeration, and also in Briggs' or the common system of logarithms. RABNORSHIE-E, a county of Wales, Great Britain, almost in the center of the principality. Very mountainous, save in the S. E., where agricultural products abound with considerable market gar- dening. Radnor forest is an interesting natural feature, being over 2,000 feet high. There are several rivers, the largest being the Wye, which separates the county on the S. from Brecknock. Capital, Radnor. Pop. about 20,000. EADOM, -a town of Poland, sixty miles S. of Warsaw. The city and its environs was the scene of heavy fighting during the German drive for Warsaw, in 1916, and, with Warsaw, fell into the hands of the Germans, where it remained until the retirement of the German armies from Poland, after the conclusion of hos- tilities. Pop. about 50,000. RADOSLAVOV, VASILE, a Bulga- rian statesman, bom in Bulgaria in 1850; educated in Germany; returned home and entered politics, becoming leader of the anti-Russian Liberal party. Having once served as Minister of the Interior, King Ferdinand, at the outbreak of the World War, in 1914, appointed Rad- oslavov Premier, on account of his well known sympathy toward Austria and Germany. It was Radoslavov, one of the wiliest politicians of the Balkans, who guided the policy of Bulgaria in her double dealing with the Allies, until ready to throw her lot in with the Cen- tral Empires, in the fall of 1915, when a treacherous attack was made on the Serbians, while they were defending themselves against the Austro-German invasion. On the collapse of the Bul- garian front in Macedonia, Radoslavov v/as dismissed from office and sent into retirement. RADOWITZ, JOSEPH VON, a Prus- sian statesman; born in Blankenburg, Feb. 6, 1797; entered the Westphalian army in 1813. After the peace of 1815 he taught m the military school of Cassel; btit in 1823 he entered the Prussian serv- ice, and in 1830 became chief of the gen- eral staff of artillery. In 1836 RadoAvitz was sent as Prussian military commis- sioner to the German Diet at Frankfort, and held diplomatic posts. He was the confidant and adviser of King Frederick William IV. After the revolution of 1848 the endeavors of Prussia to give a constitution to Germany, by means of the alliance of the three kings, was princi- pally his work. He wrote several works, mainly political, and died Dec. 25, 1853. RADZIVIL, or RADZIWILL, the name of an ancient Polish family of Lithuania, which commenced to figure in history in the 14th century. Nicholas Radzivil, the first of the name, was cre- ated by Jagellon, Grand-Duke of Lithu- ania, palatine of Wilna. The most cele- brated of his descendants were: Nich- olas, palatine of Wilna and governor of Livonia, under Sigismund Augustus, King of Poland. He signalized himself by his valor against the Teutonic order in 1557, and against the Russians, whom, in 1565, he completely defeated. He ab- jured the Catholic for the Protestant re- ligion. Born about 1500. He died in 1567. Charles Radzivil, palatine of Wilna. Nominated, in 1762, governor of Lithuania, by Augustus III., King of Poland, he energetically combated Rus- sian influence; but, not succeeding in preventing the dismemberment of his na- tive country, he went into exile. He died in 1790. RAEBURN, SIR HENRY, a Scotch painter; born in Edinburgh, Scotland, March 4, 1756. Bound apprentice to a goldsmith, he was no sooner free than he devoted himself to portrait painting. In 1787, he established himself in Edin- burgh, and soon rose to the head of his profession in Scotland. He was knight- ed by George IV., in 1822, and died in Edinburgh, July 8, 1823. RAFF, JOACHIM, a German com- poser; born in Lachen, on Lake Zurich, May 27, 1822. He began life as a school- master, but encouraged by Mendelssohn, he devoted himself to music. From 1850 to 1856 he lived near Liszt in Weimar, then taught music as Wiesbaden till 1877; and from that year till his death, June 24, 1882, he was director of the musical conservatory at Frankfort-on- Main. He published more than 200 musical productions. The symphonies "Leonore" and "In the Forest" ax-e re- puted his best works. RAFFLES, SIR THOMAS STAM- FORD, an English naturalist; born at sea, July 5, 1781. He entered the East India Company's civil service, and in 1811, on the reduction of Java by the British, he was made lieutenant-gover- nor of the island. In this post he con- tinued till 1816, when he returned to England with an extensive collection of the productions, etc., of the Eastern Ar- chipelago. The year following appeared his "History of Java." Having been ap- pointed to the lieutenant-governorship of