N O V 
275 
N O V 
its power, and fo impregnable its foliation, as to give rife 
to a proverb, “ Who can refill the gods, and Great Nov¬ 
gorod ?” In the year 1471, Ivan Vafiiiievitch I. afferted 
his right to the Sovereignty of this principality ; and, hav¬ 
ing vanquished the troops of the republic, forced the citi¬ 
zens to acknowledge his claims; he appointed a gover¬ 
nor, who was permitted to refide in the town,.and exer- 
cifed the authority formerly veiled in their own dukes. 
But at this time they retained their own laws, chofe 
their own magistrates, and the governor never interfered 
in public affairs, except by appeal. Ivan, not Satisfied 
with this limited government, proceeded to extend his 
authority, and in 14.77 laid Siege to the town. The 
Subjugation of the citizens was fo complete, that it 
was evinced by the removal of an enormous bell from 
Novgorod to Mofcow, denominated by the inhabitants 
“ eternal,” and revered as the palladium of their liberty, 
and the fymbol of their privileges. Neverthelefs, fubjeCt 
as it afterwards was to the defpotifm of Ivan and his 
fucceffors, it Still continued to be the largeft and mod 
commercial city in all Ruffia. It is deferibed accordingly 
by Richard Chanceler, who paffed through it in 1554, on 
his way to Mofcow. See North Pole, p. 161. In its 
mod flouridiing condition, it contained at lead 400,000 
Souls. In 1570, a confpiracy having been discovered 
againd the government of Ivan Vaffilievitch II. he re¬ 
paired thither in perfon, and appointed a court of in¬ 
quiry, judly denominated the “ tribunal of blood.” On 
each day, during the interval of five weeks, more than 
500 inhabitants fell victims to the vengeance of incenfed 
defpotifm. According to Some authors, 30,000 perfons 
peridied in this dreadful carnage. By this cataftrophe, 
and fubfequent oppreffion, Novgorod was considerably 
impaired, both with regard to Strength and Splendour; 
but it was not totally obfeured, until Petersburg was 
founded, and Peter the Great transferred thither all the 
commerce of the Baltic, which had before centred in 
this city. 
The prefent town is Surrounded by a rampart of earth, 
with a range of old towers at regular distances, forming a 
circumference of about one mile and a half; within which 
inclofure are many uninhabited houfes, and much open 
Space. It Stretches on both Sides of the Volkof, which is a 
beautiful river of considerable depth and rapidity, Some¬ 
what broader than the Thames at Windfor, and Separating 
the town into two divisions, viz. the Trading Part, and 
the Quarter of St. Sophia, which are united by a bridge, 
partly w'ood, and partly brick. The former divifion 
comprehends, if we except the governor’s lioufe, a rude 
clufter of wooden habitations, prefenting ruined remains 
of ancient grandeur. The latter divifion derives its ap¬ 
pellation from the cathedral of St. Sophia, completed in 
1051, and includes the fortrefs ; the cathedral, with Some 
other buildings, befides a watte Space, overfpread with 
weeds, and covered with ruins. The entrance into the 
cathedral has a pair of brazen gates, ornamented with va¬ 
rious figures in alto-relievo, representing the pafiion of 
our Saviour, and other Scriptural hiltories; within are 
twelve maffy piers, which, as well as the walls, are thickly 
covered with representations of our Saviour, the Virgin 
Mary, and of various faints. Some of thefe paintings are 
very ancient, and probably anterior to the revival of the 
'art in Italy. Several princes of the ducal family of Ruffia 
are interred in this cathedral. According to Heym, Nov¬ 
gorod, in 1783, contained fixty-two churches, fix con¬ 
vents, and, exclufively of twelve public buildings, 1512 
houfes, of which only thirty-nine were of brick. The 
population amounted to 3342 males, and 3784 females ; 
total, 7026 ; a great falling-off from the number men¬ 
tioned in a former part of this article. Novgorod is 
ninety-two miles fouth-fouth-eaff of Peterlburg, and 260 
north-weft of Mofcow. Lat. 58. 35. N. Ion. 30. 44. E. 
NOVGOROD' (Niznei), a town of Ruffia, and capital 
of a government, Situated at the conflux of the Oka and 
Volga. It was built in the year 1222 by the great duke 
Jurii, or George Wfewoloditlh; and, as it was the ap¬ 
panage and place of refidence of the petty Ruffian princes, 
many of them lie buried here. In this city are two ca¬ 
thedrals, twenty-eight pari'h-churches, (moft of then- 
built with ftone,) and five convents. It is an archbiftiop’s 
fee, and has a caftle, furrounded with ftone walls. The 
trade of this place is fo confiderable, that the (hops make 
a very liandfome appearance, being, richly furnifhed with 
all kinds of foreign and home goods. In the great fire 
that broke out here in 17.15, fome thoufands of the inha¬ 
bitants loft their lives. It is 492 miles eaft-fouth-eaft of 
Peterlburg, and 220 call of Mofcow. Lat. 56.18. N. Ion. 
48. 54. E. 
NOVGOROD' (Sieverlkoe), a government of Ruffia, 
hounded on the north by the governments of Smolenfk 
and Mogilev, on the north-weft by Mogilev, on the fouth- 
weft and South by Tchernigovlkoi, and on the eaft by the 
governments of Orlov, Kurlk, and Charkov. About 160 
miles in length, and from 60 to 72 in breadth. Lat. 50. 
50. to 53. 25. N. Ion. 31. 24. to 34. 34. E. 
NOVGOROD' (Sieverfkoi), a town of Ruffia, and ca¬ 
pital of the above government: 496 miles fouth-fouth- 
eall of Peterlburg, and 264 fouth-fouth-weft of Mofcow. 
Lat. 52. N. Ion. 33. 14. E. 
NOVGOROD'SKOI, a government of Ruffia, fo called 
from Novgorod, the capital ; bounded 011 the north bv 
the government of Oionetz, on the north-well by the go¬ 
vernment of Peterlburg, on the South-weft by the govern¬ 
ment of Plkov, on the South-eaft by that of Tver, and 0:1 
the eaft by the government of Vologda; its length about- 
320 miles, its mean breadth about 160. Lat. 57. 10. to 61. 
10. N. Ion. 29. 39. E. 
NO'VI, a town of Italy. A bloody battle was fought 
here between the French and the allied forces of Ruffia 
and Aultria, on the 15th of Augull, 1799, in which the 
latter were victorious. See the article France, vol. vii. 
p. 839. Novi is twenty-four miles north of Genoa, and 
ten fouth-eaft of Alexandria. Lat. 44. 47. N. Ion. 8. 48. E. 
NO'VI, a fortified town of Croatia, on the left bank of 
the Unna : forty-five miles fouth-eaft of Carllladt, and 
Seventy north-weft of Serajo. 
NO'VI (Alt), a town of Croatia, on the right fide of 
the Unna, oppofite Novi. 
NO'VI BASA'R. See Jeni-Ba-sar, vol. x. 
NO'VI BUN'DER, a town of Hindooftan, in Guzerat: 
forty-five miles north-weft of Puttan Sumnauf. 
NOV'ICE, J'. [Fr. from novitins, Lat. The word is very 
old in the French language. Huloet gives our word in 
the form of noplace, with the Lat. neophitus, a neophyte.]' 
One not acquainted with any thing ; a frefh man ; one 
in the rudiments of any knowledge.—In the ancient Ro¬ 
man militia, novicii or novitii, were the young raw Sol¬ 
diers, difringuilhed Ity this appellation from the veterans. 
And in the ancient orders of knighthood there were no¬ 
vices, or clerks in arms, who went through a kind of ap- 
prenticelhip before they were admitted knights. Chambers. 
See Knighthood, vol. xi. 
I am quite young, a novice in the trade; 
The fool of love, tin practis’d to perfuade. Dry ilcn. 
Novice is more particularly ufed in monafteries, fora 
religious, yet in his or her year of probation, and who 
has not made the vows.—In fome convents the Superior 
has the direftion of the novices. In nunneries the novices 
wear a white veil, the reft a black one. A novice is not 
efteemed dead in law, but is capable of inheriting till the 
time of aCtual profefiion ; nor can his benefices lie taken 
away during the year of probation, without his confent. 
Chambers. 
Hail, virgin, if you be; as thofe cheek-rofes 
Proclaim you are no lefs ! can you fo Head me. 
As bring me to the fight of Ifabella, 
A novice of this place ? ShakeJpcare's Meaf. for Meaf. 
NOV'ICE* 
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