126 NON 
Greeks. The nomical mode was that ftyle which was 
facred to Apollo, god of verfe and fong, in which every 
effort was tried to render the air brilliant, and worthy of 
the divinity to whom it was confecrated. 
NOM'ISNY BAY, a bay in the river Potomack, on 
the coaft of Virginia. Lat. 38. 11.N. Ion. 76. 50. W. 
NO'MIUS, a furname given to Apollo, becaufe he fed 
(vsjjiu) the flocks of king Admetus in Theflaly. 
NOMOCAN'ON, f. [from the Gr. popo*;, law, and y.ctvuv, 
canon, or rule.] A collection of canons, and of imperial 
laws relative or conformable thereto. The firft Nomo- 
canon was made by Johannes Scholafticus, in 554.. Pho- 
tius, patriarch of Conftantinople in 883, compiled another 
Nomocanon, orcollation of the civil laws with the canons : 
this is the molt celebrated. Balfamon wrote a commentary 
on it in 1180. 
Nomocanon alfo denotes a collection of the ancient 
canons of the apoftles, councils, and fathers *, without any 
regard to imperial conftitutions. Such is the Nomocanon 
publifhed by M. Cotelier. 
NOMOG'R APHER, ,f [from nomography.'] One who 
writes on thefubjeCt of laws. 
NOMOG'RAPHY,/ [from the Gr. pop 0;, a law, and 
to write.] A treatile ordefcription of laws. 
NOMOPHYLA'CES, f. [Greek.] Among the Athe¬ 
nians, magiftrates who were to fee the laws executed, 
being not unlike to our Iherift’s. They had the execution 
of criminals committed to their care, as alfo the charge 
of fuch as were confined prifoners. They had alfo power 
to feize thieves, kidnappers, and highwaymen, upon fuf- 
picion; and, if they confeffed the faft, to put them to 
death ; if not, they were obliged to profecute them in a 
judicial way. 
Nomophyl aces were likewife officers belonging to the 
Olympic games, whofe bufinefs it was to inftruft thofe 
who were to contend in all the laws of the games. 
NOMOTH'ESY,/ [from the Gr. popo ;, a law, and 
?pQnpp, to put.] The inltitution of laws; the publication 
of laws. Cole. 
NOMOTHE'TA, f. A lawgiver. The nomothetae, 
among the Athenians, were a thoufand in number, and 
chofen by lot out of fuch as had been judges in the court 
Helisea. Their office was not (as their name feems to 
imply) to enaft new laws by their own authority, for 
that could not be done without the approbation of the 
lenate, and the people’s ratification ; but to infpeft the old, 
and, if they found any of them ufelefs or prejudicial as 
the ftate of affairs then flood, or contradictory to others, 
they caufed them to be abrogated by an aCt of the people. 
Befides this, they were to take care that no man fliould 
plough or dig deep ditches within the Pelafgian wall j to 
apprehend the offenders, and fend them to thearchon. 
NOMOTHET'ICAL, adj. Legiflative.—Suppofe a mo¬ 
narch, who hath a fupreme nomothetical power to make a 
law, and, when it is made and written, fhould lay it up in 
“ archivis imperii,” fo that it be not known nor publifhed 
to his fubjeCls; it is manifeft that fuch a law neither is 
nor can be obliging till he takes care for the publifhing of 
it. Bp. Barlow's Remains. 
NON, or Nun, or Vled de Nun, a province of Africa, 
to the fouth of Sus, from which it is feparated by fandy 
deferts. The emperor of Morocco arrogates to himfeif the 
fo-vereignty of this country, but his real authority is here 
extremely feeble. This vaft but defert province affords not 
a Angle harbour or anchoring-place along a coaft of 180 
miles, that is, quite to Cape Bojador. It is inhabited by 
different tribes of Arabs, whofe camps are fcattered over 
fuch parts of the interior country as are capable of culti¬ 
vation. The fide next the fea is a fandy fliore, lined with 
rocks under water, over which the waves break violently. 
Ships are often driven on this coaft by rapid currents, 
formed between the continent and the Canary Iflands j 
and Spanifh, Englifh, and French, veffels are frequently 
ftiipwrecked. When fuch a misfortune happens, the fate 
efthe unhappy mariners is moft deplorable j they are im- 
3 
NON 
mediately feized and ftript by the Arabs, who, notwith- 
ftanding the laws obferved among themfelves in their rob¬ 
beries, take from each other their flaves and booty by 
open force. The wretched prifoners are expofed to hun¬ 
ger, thirft, the caprice of their mafters, and every humilia¬ 
tion of mifery. To the fhame of humanity, they are 
bought ftnd fold, and frequently exchanged for camels, 
or other beafts, in the markets of the deferts. The em¬ 
peror of Morocco ufes all his influence to procure thefe 
unfortunate fufferers to be delivered up to him ; but the 
flownefs of the negotiations, and the obftacles met with 
at every ftep, render their ilfue very uncertain ; and fliould 
they even be furrendered to this prince, his juftice and 
generofity mull again be long and patiently folicited, be¬ 
fore they are finally fet at liberty. 
The province of Vied de Nun has a confiderable trade. 
After having palled the deferts that feparate it from Mo¬ 
rocco, we find many trails of land capable of cultivation, 
and which produce gums and excellent wax. As thefe 
people are fo far removed from the reach of tyranny as to 
live in a kind of independence, luxuries are more indulged 
in among them; and they make ufe of many European 
commodities, efpecially linen. Several of thefe Arab tribes 
are more affable and honell than the other Moors. They 
trade to Mogador; and it is probable they have a more 
immediate communication with the faftories of Senegal. 
NON, or Nun, a city of Africa, in the above province, 
two days’ journey from the fea-coaft, and oppofite to the 
cape of the fame name. 
NON, or Nun, a cape of the fame province, difcovered 
by the Portuguese in the beginning of the fifteenth cen¬ 
tury, and fo named by them, becaufe thofe who doubled 
it firft never returned. Lat. 28. 38. N. Ion. 11. 5. W. 
NON, adv. [Latin.] Not. It is never ufed feparately, 
but fometimes prefixed to words with a negative power. 
NON-ABIL'ITY,/ Inability 5 alegal exceptionagainft 
a perfon. 
NON-ACCEP'TANCE, f. The refufal of acceptance. 
NON-ACT',^ A forbearance from aftion; the con¬ 
trary to aft.—It is not a non-adl which introduces a cuf- 
tom, a cuftom being a common ufage. Ay life's Parergon. 
NON-ADMIS'SION, f. A refufal of admittance.—In 
the imperial chamber this anfwer is not admitted, viz. I 
do not believe it as the matter is alleged. And the rea- 
fon of this non-admiffion is, its great uncertainty. AylifFe. 
NON-APPE'ARANCE, j. The omifiion of timely knd 
proper appearance ; a failure of appearance.—The non- 
appearance of perfons to fupport the united fenfe of both 
houfes of parliament, can never be conftrued as a general 
diffidence of being able to fupport the charge againft the 
patent and patentee. Swift. 
NON-ASSUM'PSIT, in law, a plea in perfonal actions, 
whereby a man denies any promife made, &c. or that he 
made any fuch promife within fix years, which is an effec¬ 
tual bar to the complaint. 
NON-ATTEN'DANCE, f. The not giving perfonal 
attendance.— Non-attendance in former parliaments ought 
to be a bar againft the choice of men who have been 
guilty of it. Ld. Halifax. 
NON-ATTEN'TION,/! [from non and attention.'] The 
want of proper and timely attention.—This may be ac¬ 
counted for by the turbulence of paflions upon the various 
and furprifing turns of good and evil fortune in a long 
evening at play; the mind being wholly taken up, and 
the confequence of non-attention lb fatal. Swift. _ 
NON-CLATM,/.' [in law.]— Nopi-claitn is the omiflion 
or negleft of him that ought to challenge his right within 
a time limited. Tennes de la Ley. 
NON-COMPLI'ANCE. Refufal to comply with any 
requeft.—The firft aft of non-compliance fendeth you to 
gaol again. Ld. Halifax. 
NON-COM'PQS MEN'TIS. A phrafe denoting a per¬ 
fon not to be of found memory or underftanding. As 
to the treatment of fuch perfons, fee the articles Idiocy, 
Insanity, and Lunacy. 
NON- 
