Nifanitis, Christian, a German theologian, was born at Sechlingen, in Dithmar, March 11, 1629. He was successively superintendent of the Lutheran church- es of Corbach, Eisenberg, and Ravensberg. He died June 5, 1089. We have of his works, De pneumatices existentia (Rostock, 1655, 4to) : — De gentilium in Vetere
Tesiamento ad regnum, ccelorum vocatione (ibid. 1655, 4to): — Centuria thesium pansophicarum (Giessen, 1658, 4to) : — Commentarius in Joannem Anti-Grotianum (ibid. 1658, 1659, and 1684, 4to) : — Metaphysica contracta (ibid. 1662, 8vo) : — Ostensio quod Carolus Magnus in quam plurimis fidei articuHs formaliter non fuerit papista (Frankfort, 1670, 8vo) : — Carolus Magnus exhibitus con- fessor veritatis evungeliccB in A ugustana confessione (ibid. 1679, 8vo): — Justinus philosophiis exhibitus veritatis evangelicce testis et confessor (ibid. 1688, 8vo) ; and a large number of theological dissertations. See Molier, Cimbria literata, vol. ii ; Pipping, Memoriar. theologo- rum. — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Genirale, xxxviii, 72.
Niflheim, in the old Scandinavian cosmogony, was a place consisting of nine worlds, reserved for those who die of disease or old age. Hela, or death, there exer- cises her despotic power. In the middle of Niflheim, according to the Edda, lies the spring called Hoergel- mer, from wliich flow twelve rivers. See Anderson, Norse Mythology (Chicago, 1875, 12mo), p. 187 et ai.
Nifo (Lat. A^iphus), Augustinus, an Italian philos- opher and commentator, was born about 1473 at Jopoli, in Calabria (although he signed himself Sessanus, as if a native of Sessa). He had scarcely commenced his studies when he was forced to flee from his paternal home to escape ill treatment. At Naples he met a citizen of Sessa, who took him to his home to be the preceptor of his children. In teaching his pupils Nifo instructed himself, and later he accompanied them to Padua, where he followed a philosophical course. He next returned to Sessa, but shortly after went to Naples, where he became professor of philosophy. His celebrity commenced with a treatise, De intellectu et dmnonibus, in which he maintained, following the sentiment of Aver- roes, that there is but one universal soul, one single in- telligence, and that no other spiritual substances exist, with the exception of those who preside over the move- ment of the heavens. These doctrines, borrowed from a vague Neo-Platonism — the Alexandrine pantheism then prevalent — ^justly scandalized the theologians; but the bishop of Padua interposed, and Nifo was left to promise that he would correct his book. He afterwards proved his orthodoxy by writing against the philosoph- ical treatise Pompionace, In 1513 Leo X called him as professor to the academy at Rome. Nifo was afterwards created Count Palatine, and received permission to bear the name and the arms of the house of the Medici. Several of his works indeed are signed Augustinus Ni- jyhus Medices. Notwithstanding these favors, he did not remain at Rome. He went to teach at Pisa, then at Bologne, and finally, in 1525, at Salenio, where he passed the remainder of his life. His death occurred about the middle of the 16th centurj'. Niceron mentions forty- four of his works, which have scarcely any interest to- da^'; they consist largely of commentaries upon Aris- totle and Averroes. The origiiial treatises of Nifo have but little more importance than his commentaries; it will suffice to quote a few of them : De Intellectu libri sex et de Dcemonibus libri tres (Venice, 1503, 1527, fol.; the 1st ed. in 1492) : — De immortalitule aninue, adversus Petrum Pomponaiium (ibid. 1518, 1524, fol.) ; in this work, undertaken by the order of Leo X, Nifo has pro- posed to demonstrate that, following the principles of Aristotle, the soul is immortal: — Opuscula moralia et polilica (Paris, 1645, 4to). See Paul Jove, Elogia, No. 92 ; Toppi, Bibliotheca Nap>oletana ; Naude, Notice sur Nifo, Introduction to Opuscula moralia; Baj'le, Dic- tionnaire, s. v. ; Niceron, Memoires pour servir a Vhis- toire des hommes illustres, vol. xviii ; Tiraboschi, Storia della I^etteratura, Italiana, vol. vii, pt. i, p. 340; Gin- guene, Histoire litteraire d'ltalie. — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Genirale, xxxviii, 72 ; Ueberweg, Hist, of Philosophy, ii, 13, 467.
Nigel OF Ely, an English ecclesiastic of the 12th century, was a native of Normandy. His uncle Roger was bishop of Salisbury and chancellor of England, while
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bis brother Alexander was bishop of Lincoln. He is said to have studied under Ansehn of Laon. Appointed treasurer of liing Henry I, he gained the favor of that prince, who at the death of Hervey presented him with the bishopric of Ely. Nigel was subsequently elected by the clergy, but not caring to assume the charge of governing his diocese he remained at court. English ecclesiastical writers give an unfavorable account of his morals. In order to live in grand style he despoiled the churches and convents, and his conduct drew severe re- Ijukes from Thomas, archbishop of Canterbury. After the death of Henry, Stephen ascended the throne, and he showed himself less partial to Nigel, who then took part in various conspiracies of the lords against Stephen. His goods were sequestered, and he himself was banished from the kingdom. Being allowed to return he resumed his office, but was interdicted by Adrian IV for new ex- cesses, and died May 30, 1169. Nigel had a natural son named Kichard, who was afterwards bishop of London. It is known that one of the great cares of Gregory VII had been the reform of the manners of the English epis- copate. What is related to us of Nigel proves sufficient- ly that this reform had not then been effected. See IltJit. Ulter. de la France, xiii, 403 ; Anrjlia Sacra, i, 97 ; Angl. hist, script, i, 2GG; Piper, Monumental Theology, § 78 ; Inett, Hist, of the Eng. Ch. vol. ii, bk. ix, § 10, 16, and 19. (J.H.W.)