ROSKILDE, or Roeskilde, a town of Denmark in the amt (county) of Kjöbenhavn (Copenhagen), 20 m. by rail W. of Copenhagen, on the great lagoon-like inlet named Roskilde Fjord. Pop. (1901) 8368. It has a small port, and is an important railway junction, from which lines diverge W., S.W. and S. through the island of Zealand. Its interest, however, is historical. It was the capital of the kingdom until 1443, and the residence of the bishops of Zealand until the Reformation. The cathedral, a beautiful church, was consecrated in 1084, but of this early building only foundation walls remain; the present structure of brick was begun in 1215, and enlarged and restored at various later dates. It stands in relation to Danish history somewhat as Westminster Abbey does to English, containing the tombs of most of the Danish kings from Harold I. (987). The most noteworthy architectural details are the Chapel of the Trinity (15th century) and that of Christian IV. (Renaissance, 1617), carved choir stalls, and an altar-piece of the 16th century. Other old buildings are a church of Our Lady, dating as it stands from 1242, a diocesan library (partly of the 15th century), royal palace (1733) and institute for daughters of noblemen (1670).
ROSMEAD, HERCULES GEORGE ROBERT ROBINSON, 1st
Baron (1824–1897), British colonial administrator, was born on the 19th of December 1824. He was of Irish descent on both sides; his father was Admiral Hercules Robinson, his mother a Miss Wood of Rosmead, County Westmeath, from which he afterwards took his title. Passing from Sandhurst into the 87th Foot, he attained the rank of captain; but in 1846, through the influence of Lord Naas, he obtained a post in the Board of Public Works in Ireland, and subsequently became chief commissioner of fairs and markets. His energy in these positions, notably during the famine of 1848, and the
clearness and vigour of his reports, secured for him at the age of thirty the office of president of the island of Montserrat. Subsequently he was governor of St Christopher, from 1855 to 1859, when he was knighted in recognition of his services in introducing coolie labour into the island; of Hong-Kong; of Ceylon (K.C.M.G. in 1869); and in 1872 of New South Wales.
It fell to his lot to annex the Fiji Islands to the British Empire,
and his services were rewarded in 1875 by promotion to G.C.M.G.
In 1879 he was transferred to New Zealand, and in 1880 he
succeeded Sir Bartle Frere as high commissioner of South
Africa. He arrived in South Africa shortly before the disaster
of Majuba, and was one of the commissioners for negotiating
a peace which was personally distasteful to him. It left him
with the task of conciliating on the one hand a Dutch party
elated with victory, and on the other hand a British party
almost ready to despair of the British connexion. He was
called home in 1883 to advise the government on the terms of
the new convention concluded with the Transvaal Boers in
February 1884. On his return to South Africa he found that
a critical situation had arisen in Bechuanaland, where Boer
commando es had seized large tracts of territory and proclaimed
the “ republics” of Stella and Goshen. They refused to retire
within the limits of the Transvaal as defined by the new convention,
and Robinson, alive to the necessity of preserving this
country-the main road to the north-for Great Britain, determined
on vigorous action. John Mackenzie and later Cecil
Rhodes were sent to secure the peaceful submission of the
Boers, but without immediate result, partly owing to the attitude
of the Cape ministry. Robinson's declaration that the
advice of his ministers to patch up a settlement with the filibustering
Boers was equivalent to a condonation of crime, led
to the expedition of Sir Charles Warren and the annexation
of Bechuanaland early in 1885. The difficulties of Robinson's
position were illustrated by the dispute which arose between
him and Warren, who declared that the high commissioner's
duties to the home government were at times in conflict with
the action which, as governor of Cape Colony, he was bound to
take on the advice of his ministers in the interests of the colony.
Sir Hercules Robinson succeeded in winning the confidence of
President Kruger by his fair-mindedness, while he seconded
Rhodes's efforts to unite the British and Dutch parties in Cape
Colony. His mind, however, was that of the administrator as
distinguished from the statesman, and he was content to settle
difficulties as they arose. In 1886 he investigated the charges
brought against Sir John Pope-Hennessy, governor of Mauritius,
and decreed his suspension pending the decision of the home
authorities, who eventually reinstated Pope-Hennessy. In
1887 Robinson was induced by Rhodes to give his consent
to the conclusion of a treaty with Lobengula which secured
British rights in Matabele and Mashona lands. In May 1889
Robinson retired. In his farewell speech he declared that there
was no permanent place in South Africa for direct Imperial
rule. This was interpreted to mean that South Africa must
ultimately become independent—an idea repugnant to him.
He explained in a letter to The Times in 1895 that he had
referred to the “ direct rule of Downing Street over the crown
colonies, as contrasted with responsible colonial government.”
He was made a baronet in 1891. Early in 1895, when he had
entered his 71st year and was not in robust health, he yielded
to the entreaties of Lord Rosebery's cabinet, and went out
again to South Africa, in succession to Sir H. Loch. His second
term of office was not fortunate. The Jameson Raid produced
a permanent estrangement between him and Cecil Rhodes, and he
was out of sympathy with the new colonial secretary, Mr Chamberlain,
who had criticized his appointment, and now desired
Robinson to take this opportunity of settling the whole question
of the position of the Uitlanders in the Transvaal. Robinson
answered that the moment was inopportune, and that he must
be left to choose his own time. Alarmed at the imminent
danger of war, he confined his efforts to inducing the Johannesburgers
to lay down their arms on condition that the raiders
lives were spared, not knowing that these terms had already
been granted to Jameson. He came home to confer with the
government, and was raised to the peerage as Baron Rosmead.
He returned to South Africa later in the year, but was compelled
by ill-health, in April 1897, to quit his post, and died in London
on the 28th of October 1897, being succeeded in the title by
his son.
ROSMINI-SERBATI, ANTONIO (1797–1855), Italian philosopher,
was born at Rovereto in Italian Tirol on the 25th of
March 1797. He belonged to a noble and wealthy family, but
at an early age decided to enter the priesthood. After studying
at Pavia and Padua, he took orders in 1821. In 1828 he founded
a new religious order, the Institute of the Brethren of Charity,
known in Italy generally as the Rosminians. The members
might be priests or laymen, who devoted themselves to preaching,
the education of youth, and works of charity-material,
moral and intellectual. They have branches in Italy, England,
Ireland, France and America. In London they are attached
to the church of St Etheldreda, Ely Place, Holborn, where the
English translation of Rosmini's works is edited. His works,
The Five Wounds of the Holy Churoh and The Constitution of
Social Justice, aroused great opposition, especially among the
Jesuits, and in 1849 they were placed upon the Index. Rosmini
at once declared his submission and retired to Stresa on Lago
Maggiore, where he died on the 1st of July 1855. Before his
death he had the satisfaction of learning that the works in
question were dismissed, that is, proclaimed free from censure
by the Congregation of the Index. Twenty years later, the
word “ dismissed ” (dimittantur) became the subject of controversy,
some maintaining that it amounted to a direct
approval, others that it was purely negative and did not imply
that the books were free from error. The controversy continued
till 1887, when Leo XIII. finally condemned forty of his propositions
and forbade their being taught.
In 1848 Rosmini took part in the struggle which had for its object emancipation from Austria, but he was not an initiator of the movement which ended in the freedom and unity of Italy. In fact, while eager for the deliverance of Italy from Austria, his aim was to bring about a confederation of the states of the country, which was to be under the control of the pope.