NICOLAITANS NICOPOLIS. 



231 



born in 1733, in Berlin. His father, a bookseller, 

 educated him strictly. In 1749, he was sent to 

 Frankfort on the Oder, in order to learn the book 

 trade, and, by the greatest industry and economy, 

 was enabled to study several sciences and languages 

 in the then existing university of Frankfort. In 1752, 

 he returned to Berlin, and wrote his Letters on the 

 Present State of Belles-Lettres, in 1756. He soon 

 united with Lessing and Mendelssohn, and the three 

 pursued their labours for the advancement of litera- 

 ture, without submitting to the existing rules of taste. 

 In 1759, supported by other literati, they began their 

 Letters on the most recent German Literature (24 

 vols., Berlin, 1759 to 1765). In 1765, Nicolai exe- 

 cuted his plan of the General German Library a 

 critical work, which was continued forty years, and 

 had an important influence upon German literature. 

 Nicolai ceased to edit it at the end of the 107th vol- 

 ume, in 1792. The severity of this work, in which 

 the criticisms were written in a cold, prosaic tone, 

 involved him in many disputes ; among others, with 

 Wieland, Fichte, Herder, arid Lavater. After 1770, 

 he devoted himself to the study of the finances and 

 commerce of Prussia. He published Anecdotes of 

 Frederic the Great and the Persons around him, in 

 six numbers, from 1788 to 1792, which have histori- 

 cal value. His Topographical and Historical Ac- 

 count of Berlin (third edition, Berlin, 1786, 3 vols.) 

 is an excellent work. His novels have little merit, 

 yet his Life and Opinions of Sebaldus Nothanker 

 (fourth edition, 1799), with engravings by Chodo- 

 wiecki, was translated into French, Danish, Dutch, 

 and Swedish. His journey through Switzerland and 

 Germany a work containing much statistical infor- 

 mation, and written in a bold tone amounted, in 

 1796, to twelve volumes. Fichte attacked him in 

 his Frederic Nicolai's Life and strange Opinions, 

 edited by A. W. Schlegel (Tubingen, 1801). Nico- 

 lai often misunderstood the direction of the public 

 mind in Germany ; and this was the case when that 

 bright star appeared on the horizon of German litera- 

 ture Goethe. He also attacked Kant's philosophy. 

 In 1791, some causes which violently agitated his 

 mind produced such an effect on his nerves, that for 

 several weeks he appeared to himself continually sur- 

 rounded with beings, whom he distinctly knew, how- 

 ever, to be mere creations of his imagination. He 

 died in 1811. He wrote many eulogies, and other 

 works not enumerated here, on Freemasonry, the 

 Templars, &c. Gockingk wrote his Life, published 

 in 1820. 



NICOLAITANS, according to the general and 

 literal explanation of the passage in the Apocalypse 

 (chap. v. 6), where they are mentioned, and accord- 

 ing to the statements of the fathers Irenasus and 

 Clement of Alexandria, were heretics, who extended, 

 in the first century, over Asia Minor and Syria. 

 Nicholas of Antioch, mentioned in the Acts of the 

 Apostles as one of the seven deacons at Jerusalem, 

 is said to have given rise to this sect, by the perver- 

 sion of his advice to abuse the flesh ; i. e., to sup- 

 press sensual feelings, which was interpreted by 

 some in a sense directly contrary to his intention. 

 These indulged in pagan sacrifices and the pleasures 

 of sense. This sect, if it really existed, which is 

 doubted by several, soon perished. The Gnostics 

 (q. v.) may have received among them the remains 

 of the sect. The same name was given to the fol- 

 lowers of the Anabaptist Nicolai. 



NICOLAUS PISANUS, of the city of Pisa ; the 

 first true restorer of sculpture and the fine arts in 

 Italy, in the thirteenth century. His principal work, 

 in Bologna, is the Area di S. Domenico, with fine 

 reliefs. He also ornamented the basilica of St John, 

 erected in Pisa, in 1153, with fine sculpture. He died 



in 1275. The first period of the history of revived 

 sculpture is dated from his time to that of Donatello. 

 His son John was also an able sculptor (magister 

 lapidum). Works of merit executed by him are to 

 be seen in the mausoleum of Benedict XI., and at the 

 altar of the cathedral at Arezzo. 



NICOLO, properly N1COLO ISOUARD, one of 

 the most favourite theatrical composers of France, 

 was born at Malta, 1777. His father, who was 

 chamberlain to the grand master, paid great atten- 

 tion to the education of his children, and had several 

 of them brought up in France. Constant de Cam- 

 pion, commander of the order of Malta, placed young 

 Isouard at a school in Paris, where his father intended 

 that he should prepare himself for the navy. His 

 leisure was devoted to the pianoforte. He had 

 already entered the navy'as a midshipman, when the 

 commencement of the revolution induced him to re- 

 turn to Malta (1790). Although his father now 

 destined .him for the commercial career, he still con- 

 tinued to study music with great success, and even 

 became acquainted with counterpoint. From Malta 

 he went to Palermo, where he spent some years as 

 clerk in a counting-house, and employed his leisure 

 hours in the study of music. He went afterwards to 

 Naples, where he completed his study of the art of 

 composition. The famous Guglielmi instructed him 

 in dramatical composition. He now determined, 

 against the wish of his parents, to devote himself 

 entirely to his favourite art, and wrote his first opera 

 at Florence L'Avviso ai Maritati the favourable 

 reception of which confirmed him in his determina- 

 tion. However, out of regard to his parents, he 

 published his works under the name of Nicolo only, 

 not adding his surname until some time afterwards, 

 in Paris. He next composed the serious opera of 

 Artaserse, at Leghorn. The grand master of the 

 order of Malta appointed him organist of the church 

 of the order, after the death of the famous Vincenzo 

 Alfosso, and chapel-master of the order, which situa- 

 tion he held, until, on the arrival of the French in 

 Malta, the order was abolished. He still remained 

 at Malta, where he wrote some small French operas, 

 which were translated into Italian // Tonneliere ; 

 L 1 Improvvisata in Compagna; UBarbiere di Seviglia. 

 When the French evacuated Italy, general Vaubois 

 took him to Paris as his private secretary. Here he 

 formed himself on the compositions of Monsigny 

 and Gre*try, and connected himself with the dramatic 

 writer Etienne. Both wrote with ease and rapidity. 

 Of all Nicolo's compositions, none was more popular 

 than the opera of Cendrillon, which was first pro- 

 duced at Paris, in 1810, and repeated in succession a 

 hundred evenings a result which is unparalleled in 

 the annals of the thtatre de I'opera comique. This 

 was followed by Joconde ; and these two operas 

 brought him in 160,000 francs. Amongst his other 

 compositions are Un Jour a Paris, La Ruse Inutile, 

 L' Intrigue aux Fenetres, Les Rendez-vous bourgeois, 

 and the pretty opera of Jeannot et Colin. In this 

 light dramatical composition, Isouard is distinguished 

 for the ease and sweetness of his melodies, the fer- 

 tility of his imagination, and the happy combination 

 of the modern Italian school with the French. He 

 died at Paris, 1818, leaving his opera Aladin, ou la 

 Lampe Merveilleuse, unfinished. 



NICOMEDES; the name of four kings of Bithy- 

 nia, the third of whom was engaged with the Ro- 

 mans in the war with Mithridates the Great, king of 

 Pontus. He was intimate with Julius Caesar when 

 young, which drew upon the latter much censure. 



NICOMEDIA ; the chief city of Bithynia, named 

 after its founder, Nicomedes the First. 



NICOPOLIS (city of victory) ; the name of many 

 ancient cities ; of two in Egypt, and two others in 



