Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 41.djvu/65

 coming from the heretic London.’ In this work Nieto explains the discrepancies between the Latin and the Greek churches and the Jewish synagogue as regards the time of Passover or Easter. He was probably induced to discuss the question by the fact that in 1693 Easter fell on 22 March, and the Jewish Passover on 21 April.

On 20 Nov. 1703 Nieto preached in London a sermon (in Spanish), in which he was understood to identify God and nature. Charges of heresy were raised, and he justified his teaching in a Spanish treatise, ‘Tratado della divina Providencia,’ London, 1704, by arguments and quotations from the Bible, the Talmud, and the Midrash. The question was referred to ’Hakham Zebi Ashkenazi of Amsterdam, who decided in Nieto's favour. This decision, in Hebrew and Spanish, is annexed to Nieto's justificatory treatise. In 1715 Nieto wrote in Hebrew ‘Esh-dath’ (Fire of the Law), but published it in a Spanish translation, ‘Fuego Legal,’ London, 1715. It was an attack on Nehemiah ’Hiyun, who was suspected of being an emissary of the followers of the Pseudo-Messiah Sabbathai Zebi, and had lately issued a Kabbalistic book, ‘Oz la-elohim.’ His London congregation seems to have prospered under his guidance, and several charitable institutions were founded, including the orphan asylum, sha‘ar orah va-abi yethomim (i.e. ‘Gate of light and father of the orphans’), in 1703, and the society for visiting the sick, bikkur ‘holim, in 1709.

Nieto died in 1728, on his seventy-fourth birthday. An epitaph describes him as ‘an eminent theologian, profound scholar, distinguished doctor, and eloquent preacher.’

In addition to the works already noticed Nieto wrote: 1. ‘Hebrew Poems,’ ‘hiddoth (riddles), annexed to ‘Sermon Oracion y Problemática,’ London, 1703. 2. ‘Los triunfos de la pobreza,’ London, 1709. 3. ‘Matteh Dan’ (the rod of Dan = David Nieto), or Second Part of Khuzri; five Dialogues on the Oral Law, London, 1714, being a supplement to Rabbi Jehudah ha-levi's Khuzri. Dr. L. Loewe translated the first two dialogues into English (London, 1842). 4. ‘Binah la-‘ittim,’ a Jewish calendar for 1718–1700. 5. ‘Noticias reconditas de la Inquisicion,’ by Carlos Vero ( = D. Nieto). Villa forma ( = London), 1722. The book consists of two parts; the first, written in Portuguese, contains documents supposed to have been written by an official of the Inquisition; the second, in Spanish, criticises the cruelties of the Inquisition. 6. ‘Respuesta al Sermon predicado por el arçobispo de Cargranor,’ i.e. Reply to a Sermon preached by the Archbishop of Cargranor in Lisbon before an auto de fé, 6 Sept. 1705. In English, by M. Mocatta, ‘The Inquisition and Judaism,’ London, 1845. 7. ‘Sha‘ar Dān.’ A Talmudical concordance; incomplete, Bodl. MS. 2265 and Gaster's ‘Cod. Hebr.’ p. 60. A portrait, engraved by J. McArdell, is in the possession of Mr. L. van Oven.

[Wolf's Bibl. Hebr. iii. 201 seq.; Kayserling's Gesch. d. Juden in Portugal, p. 325; Graetz, Gesch. d. Juden, x. 322 seq.] 

NIGEL, called the (d. 921?), reputed king of Deira, has a contested claim to rank among the Danes who ruled in Northumbria. The existence of a Danish king of Northumbria of this name, who was slain by his brother Sitric about 921, is vouched for by two manuscripts of the ‘Anglo-Saxon Chronicle’ (i. 195, Rolls Ser.), by Henry of Huntingdon (, Monumenta, 745 A, and 751 A), by Simeon of Durham (ib. 686 B), by Gaimar (ib. 807 [2]), and by Hoveden (i. 52, Rolls Ser.) If these writers are to be trusted, Nigel must have been of the famous race of the Hy Ivar, and grandson of the Ivar who invaded Northumbria in 866.

The Irish annalists, on the other hand, who record the history of the Danes in Dublin and Deira, are unaware of the existence of a Danish king of Deira of Ivar's race named Nigel or Niel, and modern writers have reasonably inferred, from entries in the Irish annals, that the English chroniclers are in error, and that Nigel of Deira never existed (, Early Kings of Scotland, i. 57;, War of the Gaedhil with the Gaill, p. 277, Rolls Ser.; , Northumberland, pt. i. pp. 138–9) (Hinde).

The ‘Annals of Ulster,’ like other Irish chronicles, record that in 888 Sitric, son of the above-mentioned Ivar, slew his brother (, Rer. Hibern. Script. iv. 238; cf. Chron. Scotorum, p. 171, Rolls Ser.;, Antiq. Hibern. p. 130). In 919 the same authorities state that another Sitric, sometimes called Sitric Gale, grandson of Ivar, defeated and slew Niall (870?–919) [q. v.], called Glundubh, king of Ireland, in the battle of Kilmashogue near Dublin (Ann. Ult. iv. 252, where the name of the victor is not given; War of the Gaedhil with the Gaill, loc. cit. p. 35; Ann. Inisfalenses, ap., ii. 39, ex cod. Dubl.; Chron. Scot. p. 191; The Four Masters, an. 917 = 919, ii. 593, ed. O'Donovan). This Sitric afterwards attacked Northumbria and became king there about 921. The writers who doubt the existence of Nigel of Deira argue that the English chroniclers have been misled by these two entries, and that their mention of Nigel