Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 2.djvu/283

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He adds, That Jgricolat&c. is miftakcn in afferting that there were antiently Mines in Lydia ) Magnefia,Caria, &c. out ofwhich.N'frewasdug like Stones out of a Quarry : And that ■ the Nitre cfed by the Antients was brought out of feveral Countries mentioned by Pliny, L.xxxi. c. 10. A Lake in Macedonia, whofe Waters were Nitrous, and in the middle whereof, however, was a Spring of frefti Water, furnifh'd the greater! Quantity, and the beft : It was call'd Cal- lujiricum from a neighbouring Cape in the Gulf of Theffh- lon'tca, and was form'd likeaCruft on the Surfaee of the Water during the Dog-days. The Waters of the Lake Jfcan'ms in Bithynia, and rhofe of certain Springs near Chalcis, were fweet and potable towards the Surface, yet nitrous at bottom.

There was alfo Nitre gather'd on the Ground near Phi- lippe in Thrace, but it was little, and of no great value.

The Valleys of Media, alfo furni/h'd fome. And there were Nitre-Yits in Egypt, as there are Salt-Pics among us. See Matron and Nitrian Waters.

The chief Virtue the Antients afcribe to their N*fre, is, that of drying, deterging, and attenuating j and, as fuch, it was ufed in Ulcers, Diforders of the Eyes, the Itch, the Bite of Serpents, Gout, l$c They alfo took it inwardly to refolve and attenuate vifcid Humours : But its cooling Quality, whereof the modern Phyficians make fo much ufe, they were unacquainted withall.

'Tis excellent in Difeafes of the Heart, accompanied with a propenfity to vomit.

Abundance of our Phyficians are full of the Notion of a •volatile Nitre abounding in the Air 3 and a world of Pheno- mena they account for from the Operation of the Particles thereof. See Air.

That the Atmofphere abounds with Saline Particles, is moft certain ■■> for being filled continually with EfBuvia from the Earth and Sea., it mult needs have from both a

f teat Quantity of Saline Corpufcles ; and thefe will be of ifferent Kinds, according to the Variety of thofe Salts from whence they are derived. See Salt.

But why theft fhould be moftly fuppofed of a Nitrous nature, is not fo eafy to prove ; for Saltpetre is by no means found in greater Quantity than the other Salts, efpecially common Salt 5 norisit of a much more volatile JNaiure than they, nor capable of being raifed more eafily, or by aleffer heat. But finceSoot, and that which produces it, Smoak, is found to abound very much with a truly volatile Salt 5 and fince fuch a kind of Salt is pro- duced frequently by the Putrefaction of Animal and Ve- getable Bodies, 'tis probable the Air may abound with Salts of this kind, among many other decompounded ones of different Natures and Names. See Atmosphere,^.

Spiritof Nitre, feeSpiRiT.

NOBILIARY, a Colleaion, or Hlftorical Account of the Noble Families of a Province, or Nation.

Chorier has publi/hed a Nobiliary of Dauphine 5 and Caumartin, another of Provence. The Germans are particu- larly careful of their Nobiliaries, to keep up the Purity of their Families.

NOBILISSIMUS, in Antiquity, a Title, or Quality given to the Princes of the Imperial Family. See Title.

F. Doucine advances, That the Title Nobilffinus was firft. given under the Emperor Jufiin 5 yet we find the Title, Nobilis C*jar, or Nob. C. that is, Nobililfmus C*efar, on Medals long before that Time, even as early as Trajan. So that even Ni.Tillemont is miftaken where he fays, The Quality of Nobiliflimus is not to be found in Hiftory before the Time of Conjlantine the Great, who firfl gave it to his two Brothers ; after which it was attributed to fuch of the Era- peror'sChildren aswere aotC^fars.

Trijian adds, That the Cafars bore the Title of NobHifmi in all Ages; but that the Nobili/Jimate firft became a diftincl: independent Dignity in the Time of Conftantine the Great. (s NOBILITY, a Quality that dignifies, or renders a Thing Noble 5 particularly, that raifes a Perfon poflefs'd thereof above aPeafant, or Commoner. See Noble.

In England, indeed, but no where elfe, the Term No- bility is reftrain'd to Degrees of Dignity above Knighthood. See Knight.

Some refer the Origin of Nobility in Europe to the Goths ; who, after they had feiz'd a Part of Europe, rewarded their Captains with Titles of Honour, and call'd them Nobles, Nobiles, to diftinguifh them from the common People.

Nobiliy, in England, is only confer'd by the King, and that by Patent ; in virtue whereof, it becomes Heredi- tary. In other Countries there are other ways of acquiring it.

Thus, in France, v.?r. there are feveral Offices which convey perfect Nobility, and fuch as defcends to Pofterity. Such are all Offices of the Crown, thofe of Cotmfellor of Eftate, &c.

Others they have which only communicate an Acceflory, or Perfonal Nobility, which dies with the Perfon. Thus, a

Counsellor in Parliament enjoys all the Rights and Ex- emptions of Nobility 5 yet his Son is never reputed Noble ; unlefs there have been a Succemon of them, and both Father and Grandfather have been Noble ; which they call Patre & -dm Confulibus.

They have a third Kind of Nobility, call'd Nobility of the Bell,de la Cloche; which is what the Mayor* and Sheriffs of certain Cities, as Lions, Bourges, Rochel, Poitiers, &c. acquire in virtue of their Magillracy.

The Nobility of England 1$ call'd the Peerage of England. See Peerage.

Its Degrees are only five, mas. That of a Duke,Marquifs, Earl or Count, Vifcount, and Baron. See each Degree under its proper Article, Duke, Marquiss, &c.

The Privileges of the EngUjh Nobility are very confide- rable : They are all efteem'd as the King's Hereditary Counfellors j and are privileged from all Arrefts, unlefs for Treafon, Felony, breach of Peace, Condemnation in Par- liament, and Contempt of the King. No Supplicative can be granted againit them ; no Capias, or Exigent, fuedagainft them for Action of Debt, or Trefpafs ; no Ejjmgne lies againttthem: In Criminal Cafes, they are only to be tried by a Jury of Peers, who are not put to their Oath j but their Verdict upon their Honour fuffices. In their Ab- fence they are allow'd a Proxy to Vote for them ; and in all Places of Truft are allow'd to conftimte Deputies, by reafon of the Neceflity the Law fuppofes them under of attending the King's Perfon.

GuiMm obierves, That if an Appeal of Murther or Fe- lony be fued by a Commoner, againit a Peer, he mall be tried by Commoners, not Peers.

No Peer may go out of the Kingdom without the King's leave : If any have leave, he is to return upon the King's Writ, or to forfeit Goods and Chattels.

Anion. Mattha-tts obferves, That Nobility among the Ro» mans was a quite different thing from what ir is among us. The Nobks of the Romans were either thofe rais'd to the Magiilrature, or defcended from Magifiraces: There was no fuch thing as Nobility by Patent.

Bartali fays, That Doclors, after they have held a Chair in an Univerfity for twenty Years, became Noble ; and are entitled to all the Rights of Counts. See Count.

But this Claim is not admitted at Court, ££c. tho Bar- tholts't, Sentiments be back'd with thofe of feveral other Authors, particularly ChaJJaneus in his Conjuetudm. Burgun- due i hoyer fur la Coutume de Berry ■, Faber de Dig. dej. &c. which iati, however, retrains Bartholn's Rule to Doctors inLaw, and Princes Phyhcians. See Doctor.

By an Edicl ot the trench King, in 1669, 'tis declared, That 'i rade fhall not derogate from N«btlny, provided the Perion don't fell by retail. See Commerce.

In Bretapie, by antient Cuftom, a. Noble lofes nothing by Trading even in retail : But he reaffumes all his Rights as foon as he ceafes Traffic 5 his Nobility having Jlcpt all the time.

InGermany, a Woman not Noble by Birth doth not be- comes, gr. a Countefs, or Baronefs, by marrying a Count, or Baron. A Lady of the higher Degree, indeed, be- comes a Princefs by marrying a Prince ; but this doth not hold of a Lady of the lower Nobility. See Mar- riage.

On the Coaft of Malabar, Children are only capable of being Noble by the Mother's fide } it being allow'd them to take as many Husbands as they pleafe, audio quit them when they think good.

NOBLE, a Perfon u ho has a Privilege which raifes him above a .Commoner, or Peafant 5 either by BirtH"~"5y Office, or by PaFeht from his Prince. See Nobility.

In England, the word Noble is of a narrower" import, than in other Countries, being confined to Perfons above the Degree ot Knights ■> whereas, abroad, it comprehends noTonTy "Knights, but alfo what we limply call Gentlemen. See Knight, Gentleman, £ijc.

The Nobles af England arc alfo call d Fares Regni, as being Nob/htate Pares, tho Gradu Imp ares. See Peer.

The Word comes from the Latin, Nobilis, form'd from the antient Nofcibilis, diftinguifhable, remarkable.

The Venetian Nobleffe is famous : 'Tis in this that the Sovereignty of the State refides. It is divided into three Claffes : The firft only comprehends 24 Families.

The fecond includes the Defendants of all thofe who were wrote in the golden Book, in 1289, and deftined to govern the State, which then began to be Ariltocratic.

Thethird confiftsof fuch as have bought the Dignity of Noble Venetians.

This laft Clafs is only admitted to the inferior Employs 5 The two former, to all indifferently.

The Title of Noble Venetians is fometimes alfo given to foreign Kings, Princes, ££c.

NOBLE, or Roje Noble, a Money of Account containing 6 s. 8rf. See Money.

The