ROLLOCK, ROBERT, first principal of the Uni versity of Edinburgh, was born 1555, and died at the age of forty-three. In 1583, when that univer sity was founded, he was invited to take the chief management of it, and in 1585 the magistrates of the city—the founders and patrons of the univer sity—testified their sense of the value of his labours by constituting him principal. He seems to have taught philosophy at first, but ultimately his chief work was the tuition of the students in theolou. In addition to his labours as principal and professor in the university, and in spite of his natural dispo sition for a retired and studious life, he exerted himself in various ways for the public interests of religion in Scotland, and was chosen in conse quence, on one occasion, moderator of the General Assembly. Observing the crowds that gathered early, in one of the churches, on the mornings of the Lord's day, he began a course of lectures to them at 7 A. M. His subject was the Epistle to the Ephesians, and when he had finished the course, he published, in 159o, a Commentary on the Epistle. About the same time he published a logi cal analysis of the Epistle to the Romans. The learned Beza held these works in the highest esteem : I have never read,' he says, in this kind of interpretation, anything exceeding them in elegance and sound judgment united with brevity.'
Besides sermons and treatises, other works by this author appeared both before and after his death : a Commentary on Daniel,1591; Conzmentaries on the ist and 2ei Epistles to the Thessalonians, with an Analyse's of the Epistle to Philemon,1598; upon the following fifteen Psalnis, vi., xvi., xxxii., xxxix., xlix., lxv., lxxxiv. , cxvi., cxxx., and cx.xxvii., in r599 ; upon the Gos pel of yohn, 1599 ; upon the Epistle to the Colas sWits, 1600 ; upon the Epistles to the CorinthWns, 1600 ; Analysis Logica of the Eputle to the Gala tians, 1602; and Analysis Logica of the Epistle to the Hebrews, r6o5. It may be added that all these works are in Latin, and that they were fre quently reprinted. Some of them were printed or reprinted at Geneva and in other continental cities. The precise object of most of the author's produc tions is the simple and lucid illustration of the course of thought and reasoning pursued by the sacred writers, with a brief but clear and compre hensive explanation of the verses and clauses sepa rately, and the more important words. Dr. M'Crie (Lift of ii. 3o8) commends them as per spicuous, succinct, and judicious.' They are not disfigured by any logical formalism. For the pur pose they were intended to serve—analytical expo sition—they are of considerable value.—W. H. G.