perceiving himself to be grown considerably infirm, he resigned a benefice, of a very moderate income, which he had at Beauvais; and after remaining for about two years more in a very languishing state, died of the second stroke of an apoplexy, Nov. 16, 1695, aged 70 years.

He lived all his life with great simplicity, loved retirement and quiet, and was very little versed in the manners of the world, in which, however, he acquired great fame for his excellence in metaphysics. His judgment was solid; and he was more than commonly learned. Yet he is said to have been so credulous, that he believed every thing he heard, however improbable, being unable to imagine that any one would deceive him. His conversation was agreeable, but not prompt; he was slow in producing reasons for what he advanced. This occasioned him to say of M. de Treville, a man of genius, and a fluent speaker, "He is too hard for me in the chamber, but by the time I get to the stairs-foot, I have puzzled him." Nicole was also a man of such timidity, that he scarcely dared to stir from his house, for fear of unforeseen accidents, by which thousands, he said, had been killed or wounded.

His arduous application to polite literature enabled him to imitate the style of the best Latin authors, particularly that of Terence; but he is most admired as an elegant writer in his own language. In France he suffered much by undertaking the defence of Jansenius, whose opinions were condemned by the Sorbonne, the clergy of France, and indeed the whole church. His works are very numerous, consisting of not less than an hundred articles: the principal are, 1. "Moral Essays," 14 vols. 12mo, among which are three volumes of "Letters and Reflections on the Epistles and Gospels," 5 vols. which joined to the "Theological Instructions on the Sacrament," 2 vols. ; "on the Creed," 2 vols. ; "on the Lord's Prayer," 1 vol.; "on the Decalogue," 2 vols.; and the "Treatise on Prayer," 2 vols. form the 23 volumes of what are called "Moral Essays." 2. "Lettres imaginaires et visionaires," 1667, 2 vols. 12mo. 3. The small "Perpetuity of the Faith," with a defence of it. 4. The large "Perpetuity," written in conjunction with M. Arnauld, 3 vols. 4to, but almost entirely by M. Nicole. 5. "Les Préjuges légitimes contre les Calvinistes," 12mo. 6. "Tr. de l'Unité de l'Eglise," against Jurieu. 7. "Les Pretendes Réformés convaincus de Schisme; Réfutation des principales erreurs

des Quiétistes." Besides many other controversial pieces in defence of Jansenius and M. Arnauld, he published a selection of Latin epigrams, entitled "Epigrammatum Delectus," 1659, 12mo, and a Latin translation of the "Provincial Letters," with notes, &c. under the assumed name of Wendrock. A history of the life and writings of M. Nicole was published in 1733, 12mo.1

NICOLIÑO (GRIMALDI), commonly known by the name of Nicolini, a great singer, and still greater actor, arrived in England in 1708, which, says Dr. Burney, forms an era in the annals of our lyric theatre; as he was the first vocal performer of the highest class from Italy that trod our stage, and promoted a taste both for fine singing and fine acting. He was a native of Naples; his voice was at first a soprano, but afterwards descended into a full and rich contralto. The first operas in which we have met with his name in Italy were "Tullo Ostilio," and "Xerse," two dramas composed by John Bononcini for Rome, in 1694. In 1697 and 1698 we find him the principal singer in the Neapolitan operas; and in 1699 and 1700 again at Rome. From this period till his arrival in England, he sung at Venice, Milan, and other cities of Italy, where the musical drama was established. When he arrived in England, where geniuses of this description are always more fondly caressed than any where else, the opera prices were raised to 15s. for the boxes on the stage, half a guinea the pit and other boxes, and first gallery five shillings. Nicolini indeed appeared a phenomenon worthy of occupying the attention of the whole nation; not only sir Richard Steele celebrated the majesty of his appearance on the stage in the "Tatler;" but Mr. Addison, who on other occasions so justly ridiculed the absurdities of the Italian opera, celebrated the abilities of Nicolini as an actor in the Spectator, No. 13. In 1712 he went abroad, but returned to England, and in the year 1715 we find him performing in Handel's opera of "Rinaldo," and receiving his accustomed applause. According to the ideas which tradition gives us of the abilities of this performer, his part in "Rinaldo" must have drawn out all his powers both as a singer He continued here till 1717, when he returned to Italy for the last time; but continued in favour there as an actor, after his vocal powers were faded, and a new style

and actor.

Niceron, vol. XXIX.-Moreri,-Gen, Dict.

of singing was established; for in 1723 we still find him at Rome with the Tesi, in Leo's "Timocrate.""

NICOLO See ABBATI

NICOLSON (WILLIAM), a learned English prelate and antiquary, was both by the father and mother's side of Cumberland extraction. His grandfather was Joseph Nicolson, of Averas Holme in that county, who married Radigunda Scott, heiress to an estate at Park Broom, in the parish of Stanwix; which estate descended to Catherine eldest surviving daughter of our prelate. His father, who married Mary daughter of John Brisco of Crofton, esq. was a clergyman, of Queen's college, Oxford, and rector of Orton near Carlisle. He was born at Orton in 1655, and in 1670 was entered of Queen's college, under the tuition of Dr. Thos. Barlow, afterwards bishop of Lincoln, and took his degree of B. A. in 1676. While here he became known to sir Joseph Williamson, then secretary of state, the great benefactor to Queen's college, and the patron of many of its scholars, who in 1678 sent him to Leipsic to learn the septentrional languages. While there he translated into Latin an essay of Mr. Hook's, containing a proof of the motion of the earth from the sun's parallax, which was printed at Leipsic by the professor who had recommended the task.

After a short tour into France, he returned to college, and completed his degree of M. A. July 23, 1679, and in the same year was elected and admitted fellow of Queen's college. He received deacon's orders in December. In 1680, he furnished an account of the kingdoms of Poland, Denmark, Norway, and Iceland, for the first volume of Pitt's English Atlas, and be compiled also the principal part, if not the whole, of the second and third volumes. In February of the same year, he was sent by the vicechancellor to wait on George Lewis, prince of Brunswick, afterwards George I. who was then at Tetsworth, in his way to the university, where next day his highness was complimented with the degree of LL. D. In Sept. 1681, Mr. Nicolson was ordained priest, and was in that year collated by bishop Rainbow to a vacant prebend in the cathe dral church of Carlisle, and also to the vicarage of Torpenhow, and in the year following to the archdeaconry of Carlisle, vacant by the resignation of Mr. Thomas Musgrave,

! By Dr. Burney in Rees's Cyclopædia.Tatler and Spectator; see Indexes.

His attachment to the study of antiquities began to appear early, and although we cannot minutely trace the progress of his studies at Oxford, it is evident from his correspondence, that in addition to the ordinary pursuits of classical, philosophical, and theological information, he had accumulated a great stock of various learning. He had, among other branches, studied botany with much attention, and had paid particular attention to the natural history of the earth, the effects of the deluge, the authority of the scripture account of that event, and other subjects connected with it, which at that time were agitated by Dr. Woodward and his contemporaries. He made also great proficiency in ancient northern literature; and in matters of antiquarian research, had a great portion of that enthusiasm, without which no man can form an accomplished or successful antiquary. In one place we find him speaking of a journey to Scotland, where he met with a most ravishing Runic monument;" and it indeed appears that he spared neither labour or expence in investigating the remains of antiquity wherever they could be found. In 1685 he wrote a letter to Mr. Obadiah Walker, master of University college, Oxford, concerning a Runic inscription at Bewcastle in Cumberland, which is printed in the Philosophical Transactions, No. 178, and in Hutchin son's Hist. of Cumberland, with the opinions of subsequent antiquaries. He likewise sent a letter to sir William Dugdale, printed in the same number of the Transactions, concerning a Runic inscription on the font in the church of Bride-kirk. Dr. Hickes, in the preface to his "Thesaurus," acknowledges the able, polite, and prompt aid he received from Mr. Nicolson in preparing that great work. In 1696 he published the first part of his "English Historical Library," a work intended to point out the sources whence all information respecting English history and antiquities, whether printed or in manuscript, was to be derived. The whole, in three parts, was completed in 1699, and was followed by a similar "Library" for Scotland, in 1702; and for Ireland in 1724. These were published together in folio, and more recently in what, if not the best, is the most convenient edition, in 1776, 4to, by T. Evans. Of the controversy which arose from this work, some notice will be taken bereafter.

In 1702, on the eve of Ascension day, our author was elected bishop of Carlisle, confirmed June 3, and conse

crated June 14, at Lambeth. This promotion he owed to the interest of the house of Edenhall. On Sept. 15, 1704, the celebrated Dr. Atterbury, who had reflected with much harshness on some parts of the "Historical Library," waited upon bishop Nicolson at Rose, for institution to the deanery of Carlisle; but the letters patent being directed to the chapter, and not to the bishop, and the date thereof being July 15, though the late dean (Grahme) did not resign till the 5th of August, and some dispute also arising about the regal supremacy, institution was then refused. The bishop, however, declared at the same time that the affair should be laid forthwith before the queen; and that, if her majesty should, notwithstanding these objections, be pleased to repeat her commands for giving Dr. Atterbury possession of the deanery, institution should be given, which was accordingly done in consequence of her intimation to the bishop through the secretary of state. This preferment, however, was followed by many unpleasant consequences, as we shall have occasion to notice, after enumerating the remaining productions of our learned prelate.

In November 1705, bishop Nicolson was elected F. R. S. and published his "Leges Marchiarum, or Border Laws; with a preface, and an appendix of Charters and Records relating thereto," Lond. 8vo, reprinted in 1747. In 1713 he wrote an essay, or discourse, to be affixed to Mr. Chamberlayne's collection of the Lord's prayer in one hundred different languages. Dr. Hickes bestows the highest praises on this essay: "I know not," says he, "which is most to be admired in it, the vast variety of reading, or the putting all his observations together in so short, clear, and easy a discourse, which mightily confirms the history of Moses, and refutes the vain cavils which atheists, and deists, and latitudinarians are wont to make against the truth of it." In 1718 he wrote a preface to the third edition of Dr. Wilkins's "Leges Anglo-Saxonicæ." This appears to be the last of his literary performances, to the list of which may be added seven occasional sermons, published in the course of his life.

In 1715, George I. appointed bishop Nicolson lord high almoner; an office which was resigned in his favour by his friend archbishop Wake. On March 17, 1718, he was nominated to the bishopric of Derry in Ireland, but was allowed to be continued bishop of Carlisle and lord almoner