a poor oppressed people who dwelt on both sides of the Danube, and who, about the year 1594, being weary of the Turkish thraldom, first took 13 of their vessels upon that river; and then drawing together a body of 15,000 men between Buda and Belgrade, twice defeated the pasha of Temeswar with a body of 14,000 Turks. They afterwards took Baczkerek, four miles from Belgrade, and the castle of Ottadt; then laying siege to that of Beche, on the Theissla, the old pasha of Temeswar marched to relieve it with 11,000 men; but the Rascans encountering them, slew near 10,000, and took 18 pieces of cannon. The consequence of this victory was the reduction of Werseitz and Lutz. Then, sending to the archduke for aid and gunners, they offered to put themselves and their country under the emperor's protection.

RASOR bill, a species of alca. See ALCA, ORNITHOLOGY Index.

RASOR-Fish, a genus of shell-fish. See SOLEN, CONCHOLOGY Index.

RASTALL, John, a printer and miscellaneous writer, was born in London, probably about the end of the 15th century, and educated at Oxford. Returning from the university, he settled in the metropolis, and commenced printer, "then esteemed (says Wood) a profession fit for any scholar or ingenious man." He married the sister of Sir Thomas More, with whom, we are told, he was very intimate, and whose writings he strenuously defended. From the title-page of one of his books, he appears to have lived in Cheapside, at the sign of the Mermaid. He died in the year 1536; and left two sons, William and John; the first of whom became a judge in Queen Mary's reign, and the latter a justice of peace. This John Raffall, the subject of the present article, was a zealous Papist; but Bale says, that he changed his religion before his death. He wrote, 1. *Natura naturata*. Pits calls it a copious (*prolifica*) and ingenious comedy, describing Europe, Asia, and Africa; with cuts. What sort of a comedy this was, is not easy to conceive. Probably it is a comicalographical description, written in dialogue, and therefore styled a comedy. 2. The pastyme of the people; the chronicles of diverse realms, and most especially of the realm of England, brevily compiled and emprinted in Cheapside, at the sign of the mermaid, next Pollygate, *cum privilegio*, fol. 3. *Ecclésia Johannis Raffalli*, 1542, was one of the prohibited books in the reign of Henry VIII. 4. *Legum Anglicanarum vocabula explicata*. French and Latin. Lond. 1567, 8vo. And some other works.