NICOLAI. 
65 
volume of his Antiq. Grace. This work was feparately 
rinted at Helmftadt in 1679 ; but it is believed to have 
een the production of a John Nicolai, who was for a 
confiderable time profeffor at Tubingen, and publilhed 
many other differtations in antiquities, and among the 
reft one entitled “ Joannis Nicolai Libelhis de Lu< 5 tu 
Chriftianorum, feu de Artibus ad Sepulturam pertinen- 
tibus,” &c. 1739. 8vo. Moreri. Gen.Biog. 
NICOLA'I (Melchior), a learned German Lutheran 
divine and profeffor, was born at Schorndorf in the duchy 
of Wirtemberg, in the year 1578. His father, who was 
a counfellor of that city, fent him to purfue his ftudies at 
Stutgard, and afterwards at the convent of Blaubevern. 
He then fent him to the univerilty of Tubingen, where 
hedillinguilhed himfelf by the diligence of his application, 
and in 1598 was admitted to the degree of M. A. In the 
year 1601, he was made deacon of Weiblingen, and after 
live years was appointed to the office of paftor in the fame 
church; the duties of which he difeharged with great 
fidelity and acceptance for ten years. At the end of that 
period he was made dean of Marbach ; and two years af¬ 
terwards was nominated by the duke of Wirtemberg pro¬ 
feffor extraordinary of divinity in the univerilty of Tu¬ 
bingen, and conftituted infpedlor of the ducal ftipendia- 
ries. In 1619, he received the degree of D.D. and about 
three j'ears afterwards was prefented to the abbey of 
Ahuffen. In 1624, he was made abbot of Lorch, and 
appointed at the fame time a counfellor of the duchy. 
Three years afterwards he was prelented to the abbey of 
Adelberg, and nominated luperintendant-general of all 
the churches in that diltrift. In 1729, he was obliged to 
refign his preferment at Adelberg, in confequence of an 
imperial ediCl, which decreed that all the abbeys in the 
country of Wirtemberg (hould be delivered up to eccle- 
iiaftics of the Roman-catholic religion. Upon this he was 
recalled to Tubingen, where he was made profeffor in or¬ 
dinary of divinity ; and in 1638, after the death of Luke 
Ofiander, he fucceeded him in the offices of vice-chancel¬ 
lor and fuperintendant, which he retained till the year 
1650. He was then removed to Stutgard, where he was 
appointed provoft of the whole duchy of Wirtemberg, 
pnvy-counfellor to the duke, and vifitor of the univerfity, 
fchools, and convents. He died in 1659, in the eighty- 
firft yfear of his age. He was the author of, 1. Confide- 
ratio Theologica quatuor Queftionum de profundiffima 
itsiacTH Jefu Chrilli, 1622, 4to. 2. Jubar Coeleftis Veri- 
fatis, 1652, 4to. 3. Aphorifmi Theologiei. 4. Compen¬ 
dium dida&icum et elenchticum, 1653, 8vo. 5. Sola 
Tides juftificans, ex prasleCtionibus in Epjftolam ad Ga- 
latas demonftrata, 1650, 4to. and a variety of controver¬ 
sial works in Latin and German, many of which are enu¬ 
merated in Frehevt T/ieatrum Vir. Erud. Clar. 
NICOLA'I (Philip), a celebrated German Lutheran 
divine, was born at Mengerlhufen in the county of Wal- 
cieck, in the year 1556. His father, who was minifter of 
that place, finding that he poffeffed a ftrong inclination 
for learning, gave him able mailers, under whom he made 
a rapid proficiency*in elementary knowledge; and, when 
he was of a proper age, fupported him at a confiderable 
expenfe, while purfuing his academical ftudies in the 
principal German univerfities. In 1576, he was called to 
the exercife of the miniftry at his native place; and, in 
*583, he was prefented to the abbey of Hardeck. Three 
years afterwards his enemies found means to eje£t him 
from this preferment, for reafons of which we have no 
account; and his next fituation appears to have been that 
of a domeltic chaplain to fome family at Cologne. In 
•1587, the count of Waldeck gave him the appointments 
of his chaplain and confelfor. Being defirous of taking 
the degree of D.D. in the year 1590 he went to the uni- 
vesffity of Marpurg, where he paffeu through the requifite 
exercifes for that purpofe with great credit, but was pre¬ 
vented from graduating by an exprefs order of the land¬ 
grave of Heffe, unlefs he would nrll retraft what he had 
advanced in a treatife which he had publilhed againft the 
Vol. XVII. No. 1161. 
fundamental doClrines of Calvinifm. Difdaining to in¬ 
jure his confcience by fubmitting to fuch a requilltion, he 
was for the prefent deprived of the honour to which he 
afpired. However, in 1594, he was admitted to that de¬ 
gree by the univerfity of Wittemberg, with great applaufe. 
Two years afterwards, he fettled in the paftoral office at 
Unna in Wellphalia. In 1601, he accepted of an invita¬ 
tion from the ienate of Hamburg, to become pallor of the 
church of St. Catharine in that city; and, fpent the re¬ 
mainder of his life in that fituation, greatly elteemed as a 
man, and admired as a preacher. He died in the year 
1608, at the age of fifty-three. He publilhed, 1. An edi¬ 
tion of the Greek Tellament, in 8vo. 2. Commenta- 
riorum de Regno Chrilli, Vaticiniis, Propheticis et Apof- 
tolicis accommodatorum, lib. ii. 8vo. 3. TraClatus de 
Ccena Domini. 4. Theoria Vita; AJternse, 4to. 5. Com- 
mentariorum de Rebus Antiquis Germanicarnm Gen¬ 
tium, lib. vi. 6. A multitude of Thefes, Diflertations, 
Sermons, and do&rinal, practical, and controverfiai, Trea¬ 
ties, in the Latin and German languages. After his 
death, his works were collected together, and republished ; 
the Latin pieces forming two volumes folio, and the 
German four volumes of tire fame lize. Freheri Theatrum 
Vir. Erud. Clar. 
NICOLA'I (Chrillopher Frederic), an ingenious Ger¬ 
man writer, was born in March 1733, at Berlin, where his 
father was a bookleller. He poffeffed a llrong memory 
and ready comprehenlion ; and, after iludying fome time 
at Halle and Berlin, he was fent, about the year 1749, to 
Frankfort on the Oder, to learn the bufinefs of booklelling. 
I11 this fituation he devoted hisleifure time to literary im¬ 
provement; and by diligence and perfeverance acquired 
d competent knowledge of the Latin, Greek, and Engliffi, 
languages. He made himfelf acquainted alfo with the 
mathematics, fome parts of fpeculative philofophy, hif- 
tory, and particularly that of literature; and endea¬ 
voured to form his tafte by reading the moll approved 
poets, both ancient and modern. In 1752 he returned 
to Berlin to his father’s lhop ; but Hill retained the fame 
defire of indulging in literary purfuits, though the grati¬ 
fication of it was now attended with much greater diffi¬ 
culty. As the bufinefs of his father, which was very ex- 
tenfive, required his attendance during the greater part of 
the day, he employed the mornings and evenings in l'tudy. 
This conlilled chiefly in reading old authors, efpecially 
the Engliih poets, to which he had a peculiar attach¬ 
ment ; and the firll fruit of his refearcbes was a Dilferta- 
tion, printed at Halle in 1753, on the quellion whether 
Milton borrowed any part of his Paradife Loll from fofrie 
of the modern Italian poets, as has been afferted. About 
this time alfo he became acquainted with the bell German 
poets; and, as there were then two literary parties in 
Germany, one of which followed Gottfched, and the 
other Bodmer, both of whom he confidered to be in the 
wrong, he wrote “ Letters on the prefent State of Polite 
Literature,” publilhed in the beginning of the year 1755. 
This fmall work, which was written with great freedom, 
and in which he found fault both with Bodmer and 
Gottfched, but not without affigning his reafons, ex¬ 
cited great attention, and made the author known to 
Lelfing, who entertained opinions then very uncommon 
in Germany. This acquaintance was foor. converted into 
the moll intimate friendlhip; and through the means of 
Leffing he became known alfo to Mendelfon, who con¬ 
ceived the warmell attachment for him. Thefe three 
friends met feveral times a-week to convene on literary 
\fubjefls, and by thefe means contributed to each other’s 
improvement. 
In the beginning of 1757, Nicolai, as foon as he had 
fettled with his brothers in regard to their patrimony, 
carried into execution his defign of renouncing trade al¬ 
together, and living on a very limited income, which, if 
managed with economy, he conceived would belufficient 
for his fupport. Being now entirely at leiiure to gratify 
his delire lor ftfidy* he acquired a knowledge of the fine 
S arts 
