NO0B


N. . J


Ae adds, That Agricola, tec. is 'miflaken in aferting that
there were antiently Mines in Lydia, Magnefia, Caria, &c. out
ofwhichi'tre was dug like Stones out of a Quarry: And that'
the Nitre ufed by the Antients was brought out of feveral
Countries mentioned by Pliny, L. xxxi. c. io. A Lake in
Macedonia, whofe Waters were Nitrous, and in the middle
whereof, however, was a Spring of frefh Water, furniflh'd
the greateft Quantity, and the befl: It was call'd Cal-
luftricum from a neighbouring Cape in the Gulf of Thqß^a-
lonica, and was form'd like a Cruft on the Surfase of the
Water during the Dog-days. The Waters of the Lake
fcanius in Bithynia, and thofe of certain Springs near
Cbalcis, were fweet and potable towards the Surface, yet
sntrousat bottom.
There was alfo Nitre gather'd on the Ground near Phi-
lippi, in Tbrace i but it was little, and of no great value.
'rhe Valleys of Media alfo furnilh'd fome. And there
were Nitre-Pits in Egypt, as there are Salt-Pits among us.
See NATRON and NITRIAN Waters.
The chief Virtue the Antients afcribe to their Nitre, is,
that of drying, deterging, and attenuating; and, as fuch,
it was ufed in Ulcers, Diforders of the Eyes, the Itch, the
Bite of Serpents, Gout, &c. They alfo took it inwardly
to refolve and attenuate vifcid Humours : But its cooling
Quality, whereof the modern Phyficians make fo much
tife, 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; and a world of Phzno-
mena they account for from the Operation of the Particles
thereof. See AIR.
That the Atmofphere abounds with Saline Particles, is
moR certain; for being filled continually with Effluvia
from the Earth and Sea, it mutt needs have from both a
gtear Quantity of Saline Corpufcles ; and thefe will be of
different Kinds, according to the Variety of thofe Salts from
whence they are derived. See SALT.
But why thefe flould be mofly 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 ; noris it of a much, more
volatile Nature than they, nor capable of being raifed more
cafily, or by a letfer heat. But fince Soot, 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 Putreftation of Animal and Ve-
getable Bodies, 'tis probable the Air may abound with
Salts of this kind, among many other decompounded ones
of differentNatures and Names. See ATMOSPIZERE,&C.
Spiritof NITRE, feeSPIRIT.
NOBILIARY, a Colleaion, or Hiflorical Account of
the Noble Families of a Province, orNation.
Chorier has published a Nobiliary of Dauphine; 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 Nobilifmus was firfi
given under the Emperor uftin; yet we find the Title,
Nobilis Cajiir, or Nob. C. that is, NobiliFfnmus Cefar, on Medals
long before that Time, even as early as Trajan. So that
even M. llemonr is mifiraken where he fays, The Quality
of Nobiliffmus is not to be found in Hiflory before the
Time of Conilantine the Great, who firil gave it to his two
Brothers; after which it was attributed to fuch of the Em-
peror's Children as were not Cefars.
Trijfan adds, That the Cefars bore the Title of Nobiliffmi
in all Ages5 but that the Nobili/f/mate firfil became a diflina
independent Dignity in the Time of Confiantine the Great.
:> NOBILITY, a Quality that dignifies, or renders a Thing
Noble; particularly, that raifes a Perfon poffefs'd thereof
above a 1eeafant, or Commoner. See NOBLE.
In England, indeed, but no where elfe, the Term No-
bility is reflrain'd to Degrees of Dignity above Knighthood.
See KN I GHT.
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 diflinguilh them from the common People.
Nobility, 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. gr. there are feveral Offices which
convey perfe&l Nobility, and fuch as defcends to Pofterity.
Such are all Offices of the Crown, thofe of Counfellor of
Eflate, &c.
Others they have which only communicate an Accefrory,
or Perfonal Nobility, which dies with the Perfon. Thus, a


NO0B


-,                    -   -
Coutnfefor in Parliament enjoys all the Rights and Er.
emptions of Nobility 5 yet his Son is never reputed Noble;
unlefs there have been a Succeffion of them, and both
Father and Grandfather have been Noble; which they call
Patre Le' Avo Confulibus.
They have a third Kind of Nobility, call'd Nobility of
the Bell, de la Cloche; which is what the Mayors and Sheriffs
of certain Cities, as Lions, Bourges, Rochel, Poitiers, &c.
acquire in virtue of their Magiliracy.
The Nobility of l'ngland is call'd the Peerage of England.
See PEERAGE.
Its Degrees are only five, vi;. That of a Duke, MarquiJfs,
Earl or Count, Vtfcount, and Baron. See each Degree under
its proper Article, DUKE, MARQuIss, EeC.
The Privileges of the Engli/L Nobility are very confide-
rable: They are all efleem'd as the King's Hereditary
Counfellors; and are privileged from all Arreffs, 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, fued againdf
them for Action of Debt, or Trefpafs ; no Ejjoigne lies
againri them: In Criminal Cafes, they are onlv to be
tried by a Jury of Peers, who are not put to their Oath;
but their Verdici fupon their Honour fuffices. In their Ab-
fence they are allow'd a Proxy to Vote for them; and in
all Places of Trufi are allow'd to conflitute Deputies, by
reafon of the Neceffity the Law fuppofes them under of
attending the King's Perfon.
Guillim obferves, That if an Appeal of Murther or Fe-
lony be fued by a Commoner, againil a Peer, he fhall 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.
Anton. Mattbaeus obferves, That Nobility among the Roe-
mans was a quite different thing from what ir is among us.
The Nobies of the Romans were either thofe rais'd to the
Magifirature, or defcended from Magifirates: There was
no fuch thing as Nobdlisy by Patent.
Bartoli fays, That Doaors, after they have held a
Chair in an Univerfity for twenty Years, became Noblee;
and are entitled to all the Rights of Counts.    See
COUNT.
But this Claim is not admitted at Court, E5c. tho Bar-
tholls's Sentiments be back'd with thofe of feveral other
Authors, particularly Cbaffraseus in his Confuetudia. Bargun-
dixe i boyer Jur la Coutume de Berry; Faber de Dig. def. &c.
which lahi, however, reitrains bartholis's Rule to Dolors
in Law, and Princes Phyficians. See DOCTOR.
By an Edid of the French King, in i669, 'tis declared,
That ' rade fhall not derogate from Nobilitry, provided the
Perion don't fell by retail. See COMMERC E.
In Bretagne, by antient Cultom, a Noble lofes nothing by
Trading even in retail: But he reaffumes all his Rights as
foon as he ceafes Traffic; his Nobility baving flept all the time.
In German., a Woman not Noble by Birth doth not be-
come v. 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, and to quit them
when they think good.
NOBLE, a Perfon who has a Privilege wTigch raifes
him boye a Commoner, or      nt        either by Birt
Office, or by Parent fiomhis Prince. See NOBILITY.
In England, the word Nole is of a narrower import,
than in other Countries, being confined to Perfons above
the Degree of Knights i whereas, abroad, it comprehends
not ori, Knights,, but alfo what we limply call Gentlemen.
See KNIGHT, GENTLEMAN, Sj-C.
The Nobles of England are alfo call'd Pares Regni, as being
Noblitate Pares, tho Gradu Impares. See PEER.
The Word comes from the Latin, Nobilis, form'd from
the antient Nojcibilis, diflinguifhable, remarkable.
The Venetian Nobleffe is famous: 'Tis in this that the
Sovereignty of the State refides. It is divided into three
ClalIes: The firi only comprehends 24 Families.
The Second includes the Defcendants of all thofe who
were wrote in the golden Book, in 1289, and deflined to
govern the State, which then began to be Ariflocratic.
The third confiffs of fuch as have bought the Dignity of
Noble Venetian$
This laft Clafs is only admitted to the inferior Employs;
The two former, to all indiferently.
The Title of Noble Venetian s is fometimes alfo given to
foreign Kings, Princes, Uc.
NOBLE, or Roje Noble, a Money of Account containing
6s. 8 d. See MON EY.


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