NICHOLS, JOHN QOUQU. 



NICIAS. 



by him with tho management of hi* printing-office. In 



17M he was taken into partnership by Mr. Bowyer, and on Mr. 

 BowTM-'f death in 1777, the whole business fall into hii hands. 



From thii period may be dated the commencement of that career 

 of literary exertion which via pursued with an ardour that wa* 

 uubating to the cloe of bis life. We cau only enumerate a few of 

 UM prominent and celebrated work* of which be wu the author or 

 editor a* well aa printer (for according to hi* own enumeration they 

 had amounted, in 1812, to fifty-wen). In 1782 be published a quarto 

 volume, entitled ' Biographical and literary Anecdotes of Williaui 

 llowj-er, Printer, F.S.A., and of many of his Leaned Friends,' a work 

 which, far more than aiiy other work of hU time, and far mote than 

 any work which had appeared since the ' Athena) Oxonienses' of 

 Anthony Wood, abounded in biographical information at once for the 

 most part authentic and original This work, many yean after, was' 

 recast and greatly enlarged, appearing in six octavo volumes, entitled 

 4 1. iU-iary Auecdotta of the Eighteenth Century,' in 1812, to which 

 two supplementary volumes weie added, and they have teen followed 

 &t interval* by fire large octavo volumes more, of the name kind of 

 material, with the new title, ' Illustrations of Literary History.' 

 These works form a fund on which critics in time to come will draw 

 for accounts of the men in the Ibth and beginning of the 1'Jth cen- 

 ti;i its, just us the ' Atheu&e ' is the fund of biographical knowledge for 

 the men of the ICth and 17th centuries. But after all something 

 mi re U wanted than both these works supply. This however is the 

 work on which Mr. Nichols's literary reputation will chiefly rest ; and 

 la-it to it may be placed his ' History of the County of Leicester,' 

 which ia in six large folio volumes, and was in course of publication 

 from IT'.'i to 1S11. The work is in general exact and accurate, but the 

 author sceu.s not to have known so well what might be omitted in a 

 work of that nature, as what ought to find a place in it. To the 

 people of the county it must be invaluable. In 1788 he published, iu 

 two voiuu.es quarto, 'The Progresses and Processions of Queen 

 Klizabeth,' an original and happy conception, affording an opportunity 

 for the introduction of much minute historical information, and much 

 that illustrates the manners of a period on which we always look 

 with a peculiar kind of interest In 1797 he published ' Illustrations 

 of the Manners and Expenses of Autient Times in England.' 



It will be seen by what has been said that the turn of Mr. Nichols's 

 mind was to that species of literature which is called antiquarian, but 

 which is in fact minute history, dealing with equal attention, and 

 often it must be admitted with little power of selection or discrimiua- 

 ti'.n. witli things of modern and of ancient date. The same turn of 

 miuil is perceptible in two other publications of Mr. Nichols's. The 

 first of these was entitled by him ' Bibliotheca Topugraphica Britau- 

 iiica,' It consists of tracts in English history and topography, printed 

 by him from originals, and extends, when the set is complete, to eight 

 or ten quarto volumes, bound vaiiously ; and there is a Supplement, 

 which may or may not be regarded aa port of the work. The other 

 wotk, which was strictly periodical is 'The Gentleman's Mago/.ine,' 

 which pasted, in a great meuaure, into the hands of Mr. Nichols in 

 1778, remained under his direction till the time of bis death; and 

 was then continued in like manner by bis son. He greatly raised the 

 reputation of the work, and during the more vigorous period of his 

 management it was remarkable for the value of some of the articles 

 which it contained, and for the preservation of a multitude of minute 

 ] ieci s of infoi mation, likely to be of great value to the future inquirer 

 into the literary or political history of the period. 



Mr. Nichols parsed a life honourable as it was useful, and happy as 

 it was industrious ; experiencing only one calamity besides such as 

 (pidinarily fall to the lot of human nature, but that a severe one, the 

 destruction by fire of his priutiog-ollice und' warehouses, with the 

 whole of their contents, on the 8th of February 1804. He died in 

 1826. 



NICHOLS, JOHN DOUGH, the grandson of the preceding, was 

 born in London about 1807, and was educated at St. Paul's School. 

 Ho inherited a taste for antiquarian and topographical researches, and 

 became early a fellow of the Antiquarian Society, to whose publications 

 be has been a frequent and valuable contributor. His first separate 

 publication was a collection of Facsimiles of Autographs of Uoyal, 

 Noble, Learned, and Kemarkablo Personages, conspicuous in English 

 History, from the Iteign of Richard II. to that of Charles II., with 

 Biographical Memoirs,' 4to, 1829. In 1834 he issued a new edition, in 

 8 vols. 8vo, of the 'Collectanea Topogrsphica et Genealogies,' first 

 edited by Sir F. Madden. In 1841 he prepared for the Ashmolean 

 Society ' The Uutou Inventories,' with a memoir of the Untou family. 

 HU m-xt publications were' Examples of Encaustic Tiles,' 4 to, 1842 ; 

 1 The Fishmongers' 1'ageant on Lord Mayor's Day,' foL, 1844 ; and 

 "The Topographer and Genealogist,' 1846. He then commenced 

 editing a serin of interesting work* for the Camden Society, among 

 which are ' The Chronicle of Calais,' 1846; ' Inventories of the 

 Wardrobe, to., of H. Fitzroy, Duke of Kichmond ; and of the Ward- 

 lobe Stuff at Baynard's Castle of the Princess Dowager,' 1847 ; ' The 

 Diary of H. Machy,' 1848; 'The Chronicle of Queen Jane,' 1850; and 

 'The Chronicle of the Grey Friars of London,' 185 2. He also published 

 in 184 a translation from Erasmus of his Pilgrimage to St. Mary of 

 Wahnngbaiu,' and in 1862 he edited and published The Literary 

 Remains of J. S. Hardy.' For many yean also he was the chief 



manager of, and an active contributor to, ' The Gentleman's Magazine,' 

 in which the valuable obituaries ore said to have owed much to his 

 care in selection and in obtaining correct information. This position 

 ha resigned iu 1856, but has since furnished its pages with ' The 

 Autobiography of Sylvauus Urban, lC*q.,' an interesting detail of 

 matters and persons connected with that long-established periodical, 

 particularly in the earlier stage of its existence. 



NICIAS iNiKias), a distinguished Athenian general and statesman, 

 the rival of Cleon and Aluibiades, was the son of Kiceratun, a lessee 

 of the silver-mines at Laureiuui, from whom he derived great wealth. 

 In early life he obtained a certain amouut of consideration, and 

 acquired some military reputation ; but he seems to have been even 

 then noted for caution rather than daring iu war, and for prudence 

 verging on timidity in civil affair-". According to Plutarch, being 

 afraid of accusers, he purchased their silence by bribes ; and whereat 

 Pericles by his virtue only and great eloquence ruled the people, 

 Nicias, in default of these commanding qualities, sought to wiu their 

 favour by liberality and sumptuousnees in providing public games and 

 entertainments, and by costly sacrifices. When chorrgus, he not only 

 conducted the chorus to Delos with unusual splendour, but, after the 

 ceremonies Wire concluded, erected a bronze palm-tree, which ho 

 dedicated to Apollo, with a tract of Und that cost him 10,000 drachma;, 

 the proceeds of which were to be laid out by the Deliaus u|>ou au 

 annual sacrifice and feast, in which they were to pray for the prosperity 

 uf Niciaa as the founder. 



Having joined himself to the aristocratic party, he on the death of 

 Pericles was put forward as the chief opponent of Cleon, and elected 

 to various offices : but even here he let his wariness overrule his 

 ambition, for not only was he careful not to seek the more prominent 

 posts, but managed even to avoid engaging in any enterprise where 

 much risk was to be run. This is the statement of his gaiusayers ; 

 but, looking at the various accounts of his conduct, it would appear 

 that he shrunk from the danger to which the men distinguished by 

 unusual honours were at that time exposed iu Athens, and was willing 

 to work his way more slowly to the higher dignities, and disarm 

 opposition as far as possible by his mild and apparently unambitious 

 demeanour, rather than by sudden success to challenge general enmity. 

 Perhaps it was with this view that he kept himself from places of 

 popular concourse, and even from indulgence in the usual social 

 intercourse; though we ore told he was careful, through his dependents, 

 to let it be known that it was from his devotion to the public concerns 

 that he was compelled to live so reserved and laborious a life. His 

 gravity of manners extended also to his religion. Every day it was 

 said he sacrificed to the gods, and he kept a soothsayer in his house 

 that he might consult their will as well iu the public as in his private 

 affairs. Many statues of tho gods erected by him were remaining iu 

 Athens even in Plutarch's time. These two qualities of his his 

 prudence and his devotion, or, as they were termed by his enemies, 

 his timidity and his superstition afforded ample materials for the 

 sarcasms of the comic poets from Aristophanes downwards. 



But Nicias' s caution in his earlier years stood him in good stead in 

 his military career. There, being coupled with considerable military 

 skill, constant watchfulness, and a bravery that in action was never 

 wanting, it secured him almost invariably ultimate success. One of 

 the most famous of his early successes wo* his capture of the island 

 of Miuoa, B.C. 427. In B.C. 426 he obtained a considerable victory at 

 Mclos, and ravaged the coasts of Locris. He was one of the board of 

 generals at the siege of Sphocteria, and he it was who urged that 

 Cleon should be called upon to make good his boast of being able to 

 take the island, and bring all the Spartans on it prisoners to Athens in 

 twenty days. [('LEON.] Cleou's success increased the growing feeling 

 against the ditlideuce of Nicias, but he retrieved his popularity by a 

 successful inroad into Corinth (B.C. 425), defeating the Corinthians iu 

 a pitched battle, and extending his ravages to Epidaurus. He next, 

 u.c. 424, captured the island of Cythora, amerced the inhabitants iu 

 a tribute of four talents, and placed over them on Athenian garrison ; 

 then ravaged the coasts of Laconia ; and, having taken Thyrca, he 

 burnt the city, and carried the .'Egiuiteuns, whom the Spartans had 

 settled there, to Athens, whore they were all put to death. The next 

 year, being sent with Nicostratus to Chalcidice, he took Meude, and 

 laid siege to Scione. 



The death of Cleon having removed his most powerful rival, and 

 broken the spirit of the war party, Nicias found little ditiiculty in 

 persuading the Athenians to agree to terms of peace, while the death 

 of Brasidas had removed the chief obstacle to its acceptance by the 

 Spartans. Nicias, as now their chief statesman, and also as being 

 acceptable to the Spartan*, whose esteem he had secured by his 

 generous treatment of the Spartan prisoners, was commissioned to 

 conclude the treaty on the part of Athens. Notwithstanding the 

 efforts of Alcibiades, he succeeded in concluding, 11.0. 421, a treaty iu 

 which the Athenians and Spartans agreed to a suspension of hostilities 

 for fifty years. This, from his shore in bringing it about, was called 

 the Peace of Nicias. 



Alcibiades now come more prominently forward as the head of the 

 great democratic party, and he made it the chief object of hi* policy 

 to induce the Athenians to break through the peace which Nicias and 

 the aristocratic party hod accomplished. For the next five or six 

 yean the history of Athens ia a history of the struggle of the two 



