N I C 
fitor-general of the kingdom of Arragon, in the year 1356, 
by pope Innocent VI. In the year 1371, he came to 
Avignon, and was created his chaplain, and judge of he- 
refies, by pope Gregory XI. He died at Girone in 1393, 
having held the poll: of inquifitor-general during nearly 
forty-four years, and when he was about the age ofeighty. 
He was the author of an extraordinary work, entitled 
Dire&korium Inquijltorum, divided into three parts. The 
firft part treats concerning articles of faith. The fecond 
concerning the punilhments of heretics, inflifted by the 
canon-laws and decretals; the difference between herefy 
and error ; the different kinds of herefies ; of thofe who 
are fubjeft to the jurifdiftion of the inquifition; and of 
fuch crimes as are beyond its cognizance. The third 
part defcribes the manner of carrying on the proceffes be¬ 
fore the tribunals of the holy office, the power and privi¬ 
leges of the officers, and the witneffes, criminals, and the 
manner of executing judgment upon them. This work 
was firft printed at Barcelona in 1503, and afterwards at 
Rome in 1578, with the correftions and commentaries of 
Francis de Penna, in folio ; fince which time it has gone 
through more than one edition. It was made confider- 
able ufe of by Limborch, in drawing up his Hiftory of the 
Inquifition; and it abundantly juftifies that author in 
the darkeft (hades which he has given to his pifture of 
that horrid tribunal. Cave's Hiji. Lit. vol. ii. 
NIC'HOLAS (Henry), a German myftic in the fix- 
teenth century, and founder of the fanatical left known 
by the name of the Houfe or Family Love, was a native of 
Munfter ; but we have no account of the time either of 
liis birth or of his death. He refided a long time at Am- 
fterdam, and fome time at Embden. He firft drew the 
notice of the public about the year 1540; and pretended 
that he had a conimiffion from heaven, to teach men that 
the effience of religion confided in the feelings of divine 
love ; that all other theological tenets, whether they re¬ 
lated to objefts of faith, or modes of worftiip, were of no 
fort of moment; and, confequently, that it was a matter 
of the mod perfeft indifference what opinions Chriftians 
entertained concerning the divine nature, provided their 
hearts burned with the pure and facred flame of piety and 
love. He was, as he pretended, greater than Mofes and 
Chrift, becaufe Mofes had taught mankind to hope, Chrift 
to believe, but he to love ; which laft being of more worth 
than both the former, he was confequently greater than 
both thefe prophets. For this reafon, he faid, thatMofes 
abode in the court of th eJanfluary, Chrift had the minif- 
tration of faith in the holy place, and he himfelf that of 
love in the mojl holy place ; fo that he was not like John 
the Baptift, a forerunner of Chrift, but Chrift was rather 
a type of him. He talked in incoherent terms of his hu¬ 
manity, and of the exiftence of his deity; as likewife of 
the kingdom of Ifrael which was to be raifed and efta- 
bliftied in the time of his miniftry; applying to his own 
perfon thofe prophecies of fcripture which related to 
Chrift. He had many difciples in Holland, chiefly from 
the fanatical branches of the feft of anabaptifts ; and his 
notions fpread to England, where his followers had pri¬ 
vate aflemblies for devotion, and felt the feverity of go¬ 
vernment under the reign of queen Elizabeth. Nicholas 
was the author of, 1. The Looking-glafs of Righteouf- 
nefs. 2. The Gofpel of the Kingdom. 3. The Earth of 
Peace, &c. The molt learned of all the authors who 
wrote againft the Family of Love, was Dr. Henry More, 
in his “ Grand Explanation of the Myftery of Godlinefs,” 
book vi. chap. 12-18 ; to which we refer thofe readers 
who wifli for further particulars concerning the tenets of 
thefe enthufiafts. Gen. Biog. 
NICHOLAS, in geography, a county of Kentucky, 
containing 2863 inhabitants. 
NICHOLAS I'SLAND, a fmall ifland on the north 
coaft of the ifland of Cuba. Lat. 23.15. N. Ion. 79.40. W. 
NICHOLAS PO'INT, a cape on the north coaft of the 
ifland of Java. Lat. 5. 51. S. Ion. 105. 54. E. 
NICHOLAS VIL'LE, the county-town of Nicholas- 
N I C 59 
county, in Kentucky : twelve miles fouth-eaft of Lexing¬ 
ton. It has a court-houfe, and a few dwelling-houfes. 
NICHOLL'E de la CROIX (Louis-Anthony) a 
French ecclefiaftic and geographical writer of fome merit, 
was born at Paris in the year 1704, and died there in 1760, 
at the age of fifty-fix. He publillied, 1. A French verfion 
from the Italian of Ballerini’s Method of Study, deduced 
from the Works of St. Auguftine, 1760, izmo. 2. Mo¬ 
dern Geography, 1756, reprinted with conliderable aug¬ 
mentations in 1763, in 2 vols. iamo. by Barbeau des 
Bruyeres. 3. An Abridgment of Geography, for the Ufe 
of Young Perfons, umo. which is a compendium of the 
preceding work. Gen. Biog. 
NIC'HOLLS (Dr. Frank,) an ingenious anatomift and 
phyfiologift, was born in London in 1699. He received 
his fchool-education at Weftminfter, and afterwards en¬ 
tered at the univerfity of Oxford, where he followed the 
phyfic-line, and was elefted reader of anatomy. After 
vifiting Paris for improvement, he fettled in London, and 
gave anatomical leftures with fuccefs and reputation. 
He was admitted into the Royal Society in 1728, and 
took the degree of M. D. at Oxford in 1729. He married 
a daughter of the celebrated Dr. Mead 1743 ; and, on the 
death of fir Hans Sloane, he fucceeded him as one of the 
king’s phyficians. He fpent the latter part of his life in 
literary retirement, and died Jan. 14, 1778, at the age of 
eighty. Dr. Nicholls was eminent for his (kill in making 
anatomical inje.ftions, and to him is attributed the inven¬ 
tion of eroded preparations of the vifcera. He publiffied 
the following works : 1. Compendium Anatomico-cecono- 
micum,ea omnia comprehendens quae ad corporis humani 
ceconomiampertinent, 1736,4to. 2'. DeAnimaMedicaPre- 
leftio, 1750, 4to. republilhed in 1673. In this piece, which 
is written in very elegant Latin, he endeavours to fupport 
the hypothefis maintained by Helmont, Stahl, and others, 
of a vital foul or principle afting fpontaneoufly and ra¬ 
tionally in the prefervation of health and the cure of 
difeafes. To the fecond edition is added, “ An Enquiry 
concerning the Motion of the Heart and the Circulation 
of the Blood,” illuftrated by engravings, in which the 
ingenious author endeavours to eltablifli a fuccelfion and 
fynchronifm of motions in the heart different from that 
laid down by Harvey. Dr. Nicholls alfo inferted feveral 
papers in the Philofophical Tranfaftions, of which the 
mod remarkable is an account of the appearances in the 
body of the late king, whofe death was occafioned by the 
uncommon circumftance of a rupture of the right ven¬ 
tricle of the heart. Life of Dr. Nicholls by Dr. Laurence. 
Gent. Mag. 
NIC'HOLS (William), a clergyman of the church of 
England and various writer, was born at Dorington in 
Buckinghamffiire, in the year 1664. At the age of fif¬ 
teen he was fent from the grammar-fchool to the Uni¬ 
verfity of Oxford, where he was entered a batler, or com¬ 
moner, of Magdalen-hall. Afterwards he removed to 
Wadham-college, and took the degree of B. A. in 1683. 
In the following year he was admitted probationer-fellow 
of Merton-college; and he proceeded M. A. in 1688. 
About this time he received .holy orders, and was ap¬ 
pointed chaplain to Ralph earl of Montague. In 1691, 
he was prefented to the reftory of Silfey, near Chichefter, 
in Suflex. During the following year he was admitted 
to the degree of B.D. and to that of D. D. in 1695. He 
fpent the greateft part of his life in writing pious 
and praftical works, defences of Chriftianity, and, in 
particular, defences of the doftrines and difcipline of 
the Church of England, together with illuftrations of 
Liturgy and Articles. Notwithftanding his zeal for the 
church, however, his fervices were fo far overlooked, 
even by thofe who profeffed to be the great patrons of 
orthodoxy, that he complained, in a letter to the earl of 
Oxford, of his being obliged to fubmit to the drudgery 
of editing Mr. Selden’s works, in order to obtain a little 
money with which to purchafe the books neceffary for 
carrying on his liturgical labours. He died in the year 
17123 
