Nuncio is the term designating an ambassador from the poi:ie to some prince or state ; or a person who at- tends on the pope's behalf at a congress, or at an assem- bly of several ambassadors. A nuncio, in fact, is the pope's ambassador, as the internuncio is his envoy ex- traordinary. A nuncio has a jurisdiction, and may dele- gate judges in all the states where he resides, except in France, where he has no authority beyond that of a simple ambassador. Sometimes a nuncio is invested ■with the functions of a kr/utus ualus. See Legates. During the temporal power of the pope, nuncios or papal ambassadors were sustained at all the courts of the Con- tinent in the interest of the Roman hierarchj' for in- tercourse with other temporal powers ; since the de- thronement of the pope as temporal sovereign these have been obstinately continued, and are gradually be- ing turned into focal points of Jesuitical propagandism. In Germany, in the present conflict with the papacy, the nuncio maintained at the court of Bavaria is be- lieved to be the head of the Ultramontane movement in all Germany. See Papacy; Ultuamontanism. The ambassador to a republic or to the court of a minor sovereign is called Inteununcio or Inteknuntius.
Nundines or Nundinal Letters. The Ro- mans used letters called llterw laindinales, eight in num- ber, to denote the dies 2>roffsfi, niindinw, in their calen- dars. The nundinoe, or market-days, happened every ninth day. In imitation of them, the European nations
have adopted seven dominical or Sunday letters, one of which denotes the Sunday throughout all the months of the year. See Dominical Letter.
Nundy, Gopinatii, a Presbj'terian native mis- sionary to the Hindi!is, was born of respectable parents belonging to the Kayath caste, in Calcutta, India, in 1807. At an early age he was instructed in the Ben- galee, his own vernacular language, and when perfected in this he was sent to the School Society's institution to study English. The influences which surrounded him during his English studies were of the most per- nicious character. A native minister of Calcutta thus refers to him while under these trj-ing circumstances : " While he was quietly carrying on his studies, the be- ginnings of what threatened to be a mighty moral revo- lution were perceptible in native society. The study of European literature and science disclosed to not a few young men the absurdity of the prevailing religion of the country. The godless system of education pursued in the Hindii college produced its inevitable fruit. Free- thinking was the order of the daj'." In order to check this licentiousness of opinion, and to give a right direc- tion to the newly aroused native mind, a course of lect- ures on the evidences and doctrines of Christianitj' was delivered. The result was that Gopinath, with many other young men, was convinced of the falsehood of Hinduism, and determined to become a Christian. He soon after made a profession of religion, and in 1833 ac- companied archdeacon Corrie, afterwards bishop of IMa- dras, to the North-west, and took charge of an English school at Futtehpore. During 1837-38 a fearful fam-- ine prevailed in India, and a large number of orphans were to be cared for. His services at this time were in- valuable, and from 1838 to the time of his death he was in the employment of this mission. In 1844 he was or- dained, and was stationed at the cantonment of Futteh- gurk. and subsequently, in 1863, at Futtehpore, where he remained until his death, March 14, 1861. Mr. Nundy was a man of great energy and decision of character; as a missionarv, very laborious and efficient. See Wilson, Fresh. IlisL Almanac, 1862, p. 112. (J. L. S.)
Nunes, BaiTeto {Belchior'), a Portuguese Roman Catholic missionary, was born in Oporto in 1520. Hav- ing entered the Order of the Jesuits in 1543, he depart- ed, although still young, for India. St. Francis Xavier received him at Goa. His merit was recognised, and soon he became superior of the residence of Bacaim. A little later he was nominated provincial of his order to India ; this was for him the assured pledge of new labors and new sufferings. He went successively to Malacca and Japan, then returned to the coast of Coromandel. Assisted by forty Portuguese, he went to the sovereign of Bungo, and resolutely undertook to convert a cele- brated Nestorian bishop known by the name of ]\Iar Joseph, who rilled the mountains of Malabar with his doctrine. It is affirmed that his efforts were crowned with success. There are few missionaries who have thrown so much light over the East as Nunes. He died August 10, 1571. The most of his letters remain in manuscript, with the exception of the Carta escrita em 1554, on his arrival in India, a letter in which he re- ports the circumstances which accompanied the death of St. Francis Xavier, as weU as his funeral ceremonies. The letters of Nunes Barreto, translated into all the languages of Europe, still circulate in manuscript, and singularly enough contribute to shed much light on mat- ters in the extreme East. See references in the follow- ing article.
Nunes, P. Leonardo, another missionarj' settled in India, who must not be confounded with the former, was born in San-Vicente-da-Beira. He was one of the five monks who accompanied Thomas de Souza to Brazil in 1549 ; the savages whom he catechised, wish- ing to characterize his prodigious activity, surnamed him Abare Bebe (the father who flies). He was ship- wrecked and drowned June 30, 1554. See Barbosa