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646 the rank of departments under the immediate control of the central authority. Nunez was re-elected president for a term of six years, to begin in Sep- tember, 1886. During 1887 his stringent measures against the press, and his banishment of many of the opposition leaders, caused much discontent. On 12 Dec. he left Bogota for Cartagena, and the vice-president, Eliseo Payan, assumed the executive. Nuñez was a brilliant writer and kept abreast of the most advanced philosophical movements of the century. His favorite authors were John Stuart Mill and Herbert Spencer. As a poet he has enriched Spanish literature with many compositions, of which the most famous are "Que sais-je," " Dulee Igiioraneia," "Todavia," and "Moises." His works include " Ensayos de Critica Social" (Rouen, 1876); and "La Reforma Politica en Colombia " (Bogota, 1885). A collection of his political articles that appeared in 1881-'4 has been issued in book-form, and a collection of his poems was published by Rafael M. Merchan, under the title of "Versos de Rafael Nunez" (Bogota, 1885).

NUNEZ DE MIRANDA, Antonio, Mexican clergyman, b. in Fresnillo, Mexico, 4 Nov., 1618: d in "the city of Mexico, 17 Feb., 1695. He entered the Jesuit novitiate in 1637, taught successively humanities, philosophy, and theology in Valladolid, Puebla, Guatemala, and Mexico, and was provincial of his order in New Spain. He became blind toward the end of his life, but continued to preach and visit the hospitals and prisons. He wrote twenty-nine religious works (Mexico, 1664-1708), a list of which is given in Backer's "Bibliotheque des ecrivains de la compagnie de Jesus" (Liege, 1858). A large number of manuscripts by the same author are in the Universitv of Mexico.

NUNEZ-PEDROSO, Francisco, Spanish ad- venturer, b. in Spain about 1500 ; d. probably in New Grenada. He followed Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada to South America in 1536, soon afterward reached the grade of captain in that leader's band, and took part in all the engagements with the Indians of New Grenada. In 1550 he obtained leave to found a city on the left bank of the Mag- dalena on land that was then inhabited by Guali Indians. He was granted a favorable site by the cacique Marqueta, and built in the same year a town which he dedicated to St. Sebastian on 28 Aug. In 1556 the city was removed to the neigh- borhood of Guali river, and called Mariquita, a corruption, according to some, of the name of the cacique, but, according to others, the name of a fem,il(>_ln(lian slave of Quesada.

NUÑEZ-VELA, Blasco, first viceroy of Peru,b. in Castile in the latter part of the 15th century; d. in Añaquito, Peru, 18 Jan., 1546. He had been governor of Malaga and Cuenca, and as one of his brothers was gentleman of the bed-chamber of the Emperor Charles V., and another was archbishop of Burgos, he enjoyed high favor at court, and was appointed in 1539 commissioner to Nombre de Dios, to transport treasure from Peru to Spain. Meanwhile the repeated representations of Bishop de las Casas (q. v.) in favor of the Indians had confirmed the emperor in his resolution to abolish the servitude of the natives, notwithstanding the opposition of the council of the Indies and numerous clergymen and jurists. To execute this decree in Peru, he resolved to establish there an audience and a viceroyalty as in Mexico, but unfortunately he chose for this purpose Nuñez-Vela, who, although just and rigorous in the fulfilment of his duty, was impetuous and arbitrary. He was appointed in April, 1543, viceroy and president of the audiencia, and arrived in Nombre de Dios, 10

Jan., 1544, and in Tumbez on 4 March. In consequence of the measures that he took during his voyage for the protection of the Indians and the establishment of the new form of government, he was received with great animosity by the people and clergy. He arrived in Lima on 15 May, where the news of his arbitrary measures had already arrived, and in consequence he met with passive but determined resistance from the authorities. Numerous petitions for the suspension of the new ordinance poured in from all sides, but Nuñez continued to abuse his power, and finally, after he had imprisoned Vaca de Castro, his predecessor, and assassinated Guillen Suarez de Carvajal with his own hand, 13 Sept., 1544, he was arrested by order of the judges of the audiencia. He was taken to the island of San Lorenzo on 20 Sept., and afterward to Huacho, to be transported to Spain, but was liberated by Judge Alvarez. Meanwhile Gonzalo Pizarro had revolted against the royal authority, usurping the government of Peru, and, owing to the feeling against the viceroy, gained many adherents. Pizarro marched upon Lima, and, seeing that the popular opinion was in his favor, the bishops of Peru, at a meeting on 21 Oct., 1544, signed an agreement, delivering the government to Pizarro, on condition that he should surrender it when he should be ordered by the king, and on 24 Oct. he made his entry into Lima. Nuñez-Vela, who had gathered a small force at Tumbez, marched to Quito, where he organized an army, and, on 4 March, 1545, began his march upon Piura. The campaign that was thus begun ended in the battle of Añaquito, 18 Jan., 1546. Nuñez-Vela was defeated, and when he had been stunned by a blow from a battle-ax was recognized by Benito Suarez de Carvajal, brother of the man that he had murdered. Carvajal ordered one of his slaves to decapitate Nuñez and dragged his head with a rope to the pillory in the square of Quito.

NURSE, Rebecca, reputed witch, b. in Yarmouth, England, in February, 1621; d. in Salem, Mass., 19 July, 1692. Her maiden name was Towne, and she became the wife of Francis Nurse, who settled in Salem village, and in 1678 purchased the valuable Bishop farm. Although Rebecca stood in the highest esteem for goodness of heart and piety and was one of the most respectable women in the town, yet the &ldquo;afflicted children,&rdquo; as they were called, after accusing two or three persons of lower station, pointed out this aged matron, who was now an invalid, as one of their tormentors. She was arrested on 24 March, 1692, for practising &ldquo;certain detestable arts called witchcraft.&rdquo; She was confronted before the examining magistrates with the children, who went into spasms on seeing her. Several grown women also accused her, not only of tormenting them, but of having killed people by witchcraft. She was tried on 29 June, and, notwithstanding the weighty testimony of many persons, the clamors of the townspeople, and the bias of the court against her, the jury delivered a verdict of &ldquo;Not guilty.&rdquo; The judges expressed dissatisfaction, and directed attention to the fact that the accused had at the trial spoken of a witness against her who had confessed to being a witch as &ldquo;one of our company.&rdquo; Her meaning, as she subsequently explained, was that they had been confined together in jail on the same charge. The jury went out again and brought in a verdict of guilty. She was excommunicated by the church after her conviction, and hanged with four other convicted witches on the appointed day, a committee of citizens having dissuaded the governor from granting a reprieve in her case, as he intended.