a market-town of England, in the county of Warwick, stands on a hill on the left bank of the Avon, 16 miles N.E. of Warwick and 83 N.W. of London. Part of the town is old, and part recently erected; the former somewhat irregular, and the latter consisting of straight streets lined with good brick houses. The parish church is an old building with a massive square tower. There was at one time a castle in the vicinity, but only a few traces of it are now to be seen. The chief importance of the place is derived from its being the seat of one of the great English public schools. This institution was founded in 1567 by Lawrence Sheriff, a London tradesman and native of Rugby. Its reputation as a place of education dates from the act of Parliament regulating it, passed in 1777, and was raised to a still higher degree under Dr Arnold, who, while head-master (1827-1842), effected great improvements in Rugby school, which were subsequently adopted in most of the other schools of England. The amount of the endowment is estimated at L5,000 a year, and the number of pupils averages 400. There are thirteen assistants under the head-master, and twenty-one exhibitions to the universities, each of L60 for seven years. The buildings are of brick, in the Elizabethan style, and form a quadrangle 90 feet by 75. In the chapel are monuments to Dr Arnold and other celebrated masters of the school. The town contains, besides the parish church, two other Established churches; also places of worship belonging to Wesleyans, Baptists, and Roman Catholics; parish and infant schools, various benevolent institutions, &c. Many of the inhabitants are employed in an iron foundry, the only manufactory of any importance. The trade is considerable, and several fairs are held for corn and cattle. Rugby is the place of junction of several RUGGELEY, or RUGGELEY, a market-town of England, in the county of Stafford, on the Trent, 7 miles N.W. of Lichfield and 123 N.W. of London. It is irregularly laid out; but the streets are clean, and the houses generally neat and well built. The parish church still retains a tower and chancel of considerable antiquity, but was almost entirely re-built in 1822. The chancel is now used as a school-room. The other churches in the town belong to Independents and Roman Catholics. For education there are here a grammar school, endowed, national, infant, and other schools. The manufactures comprise hardware, ropes, hats, agricultural implements, &c. Coal-pits are worked in the neighbourhood; and several fairs are held in the town. Pop. 3054.

RÜGEN, the largest island of Germany, lies in the Baltic and forms part of the Prussian monarchy, being included in the province of Pomerania. It is separated from the mainland by a narrow channel varying from half a mile to 2 miles in breadth, and has an area of 388 square miles. Its outline is very irregular; and as it is penetrated on all sides with arms of the sea, it has the appearance of several peninsulas joined together. Unlike the low coasts of the neighbouring mainland, those of this island are, except in the west, formed by steep chalk cliffs, and the whole bears a considerable resemblance to the Isle of Wight. The surface is varied with hill and dale, luxuriant woods and wild ravines, and the scenery is very beautiful and romantic. Many visitors resort hither in summer on account of the beauty of the island and its advantages for sea-bathing. The soil is fertile and well cultivated; cattle are reared in great numbers; and the fisheries are very productive. In the peninsula of Jasmund, on the eastern side of the island, stands a large beech forest called the Stubbenitz, which contains an oval lake, supposed to have been sacred in heathen times to Hertha, the goddess of the earth and patron deity of Rügen. There are also many sepulchral mounds of large size in the island. Rügen was originally independent of all the surrounding countries, under princes of its own; but in 1169 it was conquered by the Danish king Waldemar I., who made these princes his vassals, and on the extinction of their line gave Rügen as a fief to the dukes of Pomerania. By the peace of Westphalia it was ceded to Sweden, but in 1815 it was transferred to Prussia. Pop. (1852) 43,525.