ROB ROY, the popular name of ROBERT a celebrated Scottish outlaw, singular adventures entitle him to be considered the Robin Hood of Scotland. He was b. between the years 1657 and 1660, and was the second son of Donald .M'Grcgor of Glcngyle, by a daughter of Campbell of Glenlyon. Rob Roy, in conse quence of the outlawry, in 1660, of the clan M'Gregor by the Scottish parliament, assumed The name of Campbell. In Gaelic, the name Roy signifies red, and was Applied to him from his ruddy complexion and color of hair. Rob Roy received a fair education, and in his youth was distinguished for his skill in the use of the broadstvord, in which the uncommon length of his arms was of much advantage. It was said that he could, without stooping, 'tie the garters of his Highland • hose, which are placed two inches below the knee. Like many of the Highland proprie tors of the period, Rob Roy dealt in grazing and rearing black-cattle for the English market. He took a tract of land for this purpose in Balqullidder; but his herds were so often stolen by banditti from Inverness, Ross, and Sutherland, that, to protect him self, he had to maintain a party of armed men, to which may be attributed the warlike habits he afterward acquired. He also protected his neighbors' flocks, in return for which he levied a tax, which went under the name of." black mail." Rob Roy married A daughter of the laird of Glenfalloch, shortly after which he acquired the estates of Craig Royston and Inversnaid, near the head of Loch Lomond. In consequence of losses incurred in unsuccessful speculations in cattle, for which he had borrowed money from the duke of Montrose, -Rob Roy lost his estates, which were seized by the duke, on account of this debt. Rob Roy rendered desperate by his misfortunes, collected a band of about twenty followers, and made open war upon the duke, sweep ing away the whole cattle of a district, and intercepting the rents of his tenants. That this could happen at so late a period, and in the immediate neighborhood of the garri sons of Stirling, Dumbarton, and Glasgow, appears almost incredible; but Rob Roy enjoyed the protection of the duke of Argyle and the respect of the country people, who gave him timely information of the designs of his enemies. Numberless stories are still
current in the neighborhood of Loch Lomond and Loch Katrine of his hairbreadth escapes from capture by the troops. At one time, a reward of £1000 was offered for his head, in consequence of which he was obliged to take shelter in a cave at the base of Ben Lomond, on the banks of the lake, which had in former times afforded a secure retreat to Robert the Bruce. Many instances have also been recorded of his kindness to the poor, whose wants he often supplied at the expense of the rich. Rob Roy was not the commonplace cateran that many people think him. He gave his sons a good educa tion, and died peaceably in his bed about the year 1738. His funeral was attended by all the people of the district, with the exception of the partisans of his enemy, the duke of Montrose. Rob Roy's exploits have been immortalized by sir Walter Scott in his celebrated novel of Rob Ray, written in 1817.
A circumstance little known in connection with Rob Roy's literary tastes is, that in the list of subscribers to Keith's History of the Affairs of Church and State in Scotland, published in'1734, there occurs the name "Robert Macgregor, alias Rob Roy." ROC, or HOCK, a fabulous bird, represented as of immense size, and "able to truss an elephant" in its talons. It is perhaps enough to refer to the Arabian Entertain ments as to the size and power of the roc. A belief in its existence prevailed through out the middle ages, and it is noticed in many works of that period. The fables con. cerning the roc may have originated in exaggerated stories of some of the great eagles, or of the Lam inergeier.