366 ROCHESTER ROCK surrounding country, which is now largely oc- cupied by nurseries, some of them being among the most extensive in the world. In March, 1865, owing to encroachments upon the bed of the river, a sudden freshet overflowed the banks, and for three days almost the entire business portion of the city was from three to six feet under water. Several large build- ings were undermined and destroyed ; the to- tal damage was estimated at $250,000. ROCHESTER, a city of Kent, England, on the right bank of the Medway, near Chatham, 12 m. from the Nore, and 28 m. S. E. of Lon- don; pop. in 1871, 18,352. On an abrupt em- inence are the ruins of Rochester castle, and along the shores of the river are works con- necting with the Chatham fortifications. The city has no manufactures of consequence, but considerable trade, and it is a port of entry. Many of the inhabitants find employment in the adjoining naval establishments, and there is some ship building. Among the public institutions are a cathedral grammar school, founded by Henry VIII. in 1542, and the " Poor Traveller's House," founded by Richard Watts in the reign of Elizabeth. The cathedral, ori- ginally a priory founded about 004, rebuilt about 1076, and recently restored, is principally Nor- man and early English in style. St. Nicholas church dates from 1420, and was partially re- built in 1624. Among the interesting ruins is Bishop Gundulph's keep. ROCHESTER, John Wilmot, second earl of, a wit of the court of Charles II., born at Ditch- ley, Oxfordshire, in 1647 or 1648, died July 26, 1680. He travelled in France and Italy, and in 1665-'6 served at sea, distinguishing himself on several occasions ; but on returning to Lon- don he would not fight duels and lost reputa- tion. The king made him a gentleman of the bedchamber and ranger of Woodstock park. He became addicted to intemperance, and was famous for debauchery and buffoonery. When prostrated by disease, he was converted from infidelity, and on his deathbed directed the destruction of all his profane and licentious writings. But shortly after his death appeared a volume of his " Poems on several Occasions " (reprinted in 1685, '91, and '96), followed by his " Familiar Letters " (1697). In the edition of 1731-'2, which includes poems byRoscommon, Dorset, and others, much that is attributed to Rochester is probably spurious. Dr. Burnet published " Some Passages of the Life and Death of John, Earl of Rochester" (1681), and Dr. Johnson wrote his biography in "Lives of the Poets." His only son died a minor in 1681, when the title became extinct. ROCHESTER, Nathaniel, an American pioneer, born in Westmoreland co., Va., Feb. 21, 1752, died in Rochester, N. Y., May 17, 1831. In early life he became a merchant at Hillsboro, N. C., and was a major of militia. In 1775, at the head of his command, he captured the British Gen. McDonald and the thousand Scotch recruits whom he was endeavoring to embark at Wilmington. In 1776 Rochester was a member of the convention which framed the constitution of North Carolina, and was appointed commissary general. After the war he became a merchant and manufacturer at Hagerstown, Md. About 1800 he made large purchases of land in the Genesee valley ; and in 1818 he removed to Rochester, which in 1812 had been named after him. ROCHET, Louis, a French sculptor, born in Paris, Aug. 24, 1813. He studied under David d'Angers, and exhibited his first work in 1835. Among his principal works are : " Madame do S6vign6," at Grignan (1857) ; a colossal statue of Pedro I. of Brazil, unveiled at Rio de Ja- neiro in 1862; an equestrian statue of Charle- magne (1867); and "Raphael" (1868). ROCHETTE, Desire Raonl (called RAOCL-RO- OHETTE), a French archaeologist, born at St. Amand, near Bourges, about 1790, died in Paris, July 5, 1854. He was educated at the college of Bourges, went to Paris at the age of 21, and became substitute for Guizot in the professorship of modern history at the faculty of letters in 1815, member of the academy of inscriptions and editor of the Journal des Sa- vants in 1816, keeper of the cabinet of med- als in the royal library in 1818, royal censor of newspapers in 1820, assistant of Quatre- mere de Quincy in the chair of archroology in 1824, and his successor in 1826, a member of the scientific commission to the Morea in 1828, and perpetual secretary of the academy of fine arts in 1839. A volume of his lessons was translated into English by H. M. Westropp ("Lectures on Ancient Art," London, 1854). Among his numerous other works are: Ilis- toire critique de Vetablmement de colonies grecquet (4 vols. 8vo, 1815); Lettres sur la Suisse (3 vols. 8vo, 1820-'22, and fol., with plates, 1823-'7) ; Monument* inedits d'anti- quitefiguree grecque, etrusque et romaine (fol., 1828) ; Peintures antiques inedites (4to, 1836) ; and Sur les antiquites chretiennes des cata- combes (4to, 1839). KO< k. L A S. county of Wisconsin, bor- dering on Illinois, intersected N. and S. nearly in the middle by Rock river, and drained by its branches ; area, about 750 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 39,030. Its surface is nearly level, with much prairie, especially E. of Rock river, which is nearly all occupied by Rock prairie; and the soil is very fertile. It is intersected by the Wisconsin division of the Chicago and Northwestern railroad, the Western Union, and the Prairie du Chien division of the Mil- waukee and St. Paul railroad. The chief pro- ductions in 1870 were 865,048 bushels of wheat, 120,965 of rye, 1,137,304 of Indian corn, 1,173,714 of oats, 204,998 of barley, 26,- 864 of buckwheat, 442,151 of potatoes, 52,- 122 tons of hay, 645,508 Ibs. of tobacco, 264,- 446 of wool, 1,043,169 of butter, 36,110 of cheese, 12,785 of hops, and 20,653 of honey. There were 13,995 horses, 12,852 milch cows, 14,861 other cattle, 62,193 sheep, and 23,438
