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A NEW AND GENERAL

BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY.

NAVIUS (CNEIUS), of Campania, an ancient Latin poet, was bred a soldier, but quitted the profession of arms, in order to apply himself with more leisure to poetry. Accordingly, he prosecuted that art with great diligence, and gave the first specimen of a heroic poem in Latin, in a description of the first Punic war, and the Iliad of Cyprus, mentioned by Cicero. He wrote also some tragedies, a few fragments of which are extant with Livius Andronicus, and some comedies, the first of which appeared in the year 235 B. C., but this, it is said, when played at Rome, so highly incensed Metellus by the satirical strokes in it, that this nobleman, who was then very powerful, procured him to be banished from the city. In this condition, he retired to Utica in Africa, where he died in the year 203 B. C. We have only some fragments of his works; unless his epitaph, which is said to have been composed by himself, may be ranked among them. Of these fragments there is an edition by Henry Stephens, Paris, 1569, 8vo.1

NAIN DE TILLEMONT. See TILLEMONT.

NALSON (JOHN), an historical writer, was born probably about 1638, and educated at Cambridge, of which he became LL. D. We have discovered very few particulars of his life. He appears to have been zealous in the royal cause during the usurpation, and became rector of Doddington cum March, in the Isle of Ely. He was also in 1684 collated to a prebend in that cathedral. Wood and Bentham say that he died March 24, 1685-6, aged forty

1 Voss. de Poet. Lat.-Fabric. Bibl. Lat.-Clark's Bibl. Dict. VOL. XXIII.

B

eight years, and was buried in Ely cathedral. If Bentham did not copy this date from Wood, but took it from the registers of Ely, we know not how to reconcile it with a letter from Dr. Nalson, printed in Gutch's "Collectanea,' and dated 1688, at the time the bishops were sent to the Tower by the infatuated James II. Be this as it may, he published "An Impartial Collection of the Great Affairs of State, from the beginning of the Scotch rebellion in 1639, to the murder of king Charles I, &c." Lond. 1682-3, 2 vols. fol. This collection was intended as an antidote to that of Rushworth, whose prejudices were in favour of the parliament; and contains many authentic and curious circumstances not to be found in other writers. Nalson's statements are reviewed by Roger Coke, esq. in his "Treatise of the Life of Man," 1685, fol. Besides this historical collection, Dr. Nalson wrote, 1. "The Countermine: or, a short, but true discovery of the dangerous principles, and secret practices of the dissenting party, especially the presbyterians; shewing, that religion is pretended, but rebellion intended," &c. Lond. 1677, 8vo. 2. "The Common Interest of King and People, shewing the original, antiquity, and excellency, of monarchy compared with aristocracy and democracy, and particularly of our English monarchy; and that absolute, papal, and presbyterian popular supremacy are utterly inconsistent with prerogative, property, and liberty;" ibid. 1678, Svo. 3. "A True Copy of the Journal of the High Court of Justice, for the trial of Charles I. as it was read in the House of Commons, and attested under the hand of Phelps, clerk to that infamous court," with an introduction, ibid. 1684, fol. He also translated Maimbourg's "History of the Crusade," &c. ibid. 1685, fol.'

NANCEL (NICHOLAS DE), so called from the village of Nancel, his native place, between Noyon and Soissons, was born in 1539. He studied at the college de Presles at Paris, and was employed to teach Greek and Latin there when scarcely eighteen years of age, probably by the interest of Peter Ramus, principal of the college, who conceived very highly of his talents. He was afterwards professor in the university of Douay, where he made two speeches "On the excellence and importance of the Greek Language." Being invited to return to Paris, he was

Bentham's Ely.-Ath. Ox. art. Rushworth.

again professor in the college de Presles, and took a doctor's degree in physic. He went afterwards to practise at Soissons; but principally at Tours, which he found an eligible situation. He was lastly appointed physician to the abbey of Fontevrauld, in 1587; and died there in 1610, leaving a son, who wrote some sacred tragedies. His principal works are, 1. "Stichologia Græca Latinaque informanda et reformanda," 8vo. In this work he endeavours to subject the French poetry to the rules of the Greek and Latin, for the purpose, as he says, of rendering it more difficult and less common; a whimsical project, which, it may be supposed, did not succeed. 2. A treatise "On the Plague," 8vo. 3. "Tr. de Deo, de immortalitate animæ contra Galenum, et de sede animæ in corpore," 8vo. 4. "Declamationum Liber, eas complectens orationes quas vel ipse juvenis habuit ad populum, vel per discipulos recitavit," &c. 8vo. 5. "Petri Rami vita," 8vo. This Life is curious and interesting, and the best of Nancel's works.'

NANGIS (WILLIAM OF), a French historian, who flourished in the fourteenth century, was a Benedictine monk of the abbey of St. Denis, and supposed to have taken his name from the place where he was born. He wrote the lives of St. Lewis, and of Philip le Hardi, and two chronicles; the first from the creation to 1300, the second a chronicle generally of the kings of France. The lives were printed, for the first time, in Pithou's collection in 1596, and the chronicle from 1113, in the "Spicilegium" of D. Luc d'Archery. The life of St. Lewis was again reprinted along with Joinville's history of the same prince, with a glossary, &c. by J. B. Mellot, Ch. Sallier, and J. Capperonier, at Paris in 1761, fol.

NANI (JOHN BAPTIST), a noble Venetian, and proctor of St. Mark, was the son of John Nani, once possessed of the same post, and born Aug. 30, 1616. He studied polite learning under Peter Renzoli of Arezzo, a secular priest; and went through his course of philosophy among the Dominicans of St. Paul and St. John at Venice. brother, Augustine Nani, being made commandant of Vicenza, he followed him to that city, and continued his studies there. Upon his return to his own country, in

Niceron, vol. XXXIX.-Moreri.

2 Moreri.-Niceron in Guilleaume.-Fabric. Bibl. Lat. Med.

His

1637, he was one of the thirty who are drawn every year by lot, to assist at the election of magistrates. His father, who was a person of good abilities, formed his son for business himself; and, in that view, carried him to Rome, where he went ambassador from the republic of Venice to Urban VIII. That pontiff, a man of discernment, predicted, that John Baptist Nani would make an extraordinary person and his holiness's prediction was verified. He was admitted into the college of senators in 1641; and not long after went ambassador to France, which character he sustained at Paris for the space of five years, with great reputation. Mazarine, who then was prime minister there, had frequent conferences with him, and received some excellent advice from him, upon the affairs discussed in the treaty of Munster, which was concluded in 1648; in which year Nani returned home, having obtained from France considerable succours both of men and money, for carrying on the war against the Turks in Candia. His merit raised him soon after to be a member of the grand council of the republic, in which he was appointed superintendant of the marine and the finances. In 1654 he was sent ambassador to the imperial court of Germany; did the republic considerable services; and made a second journey to that court, upon the election of the emperor Leopold. While he was here, he received orders to go again to France, in 1660. He was there at the marriage of Lewis XIV. after the Pyrenean treaty, and obtained fresh succours for the war of Candia. The Venetian senate were greatly satisfied with his conduct, and appointed him proctor of St. Mark. Not long after, in 1663, the great council nominated him captain-general of the marine; but, the air of the sea not at all agreeing with his constitution, it was resolved not to expose a life so valuable, and even necessary to the republic, to such imminent danger; and the nomination was withdrawn.

He continued, however, to serve his country upon many considerable occasions, and was appointed by the senate to write the "History of Venice;" an employment which is given only to the principal nobility of that republic. He published the first part; and the second was in the press, when he died, Nov. 5, 1678, in his 63d year. His "History of Venice" was much esteemed, and translated into French. There is an English translation of the first part, by sir Robert Honeywood, 1673, fol. There are some