Chapter Nina-Thoma to No One of N by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Nisroch [Niz-rok], “of principalities the prince.” A god of the Assyrians. In the book of Kings the “Seventy” call him “Meserach,” and in Isaiah “Nasarach.” Josephus calls him “Araskês.” One of the rebel angels in Milton’s Paradise Lost.

Sense of pleasure we may well
Spare out of life, perhaps, and not repine,
But live content, which is the calmest life;
But pain is perfect misery, the worst
Of evils, and, excessive, overturns
All patience.
   —Milton: Paradise Lost, vi. 459, etc. (1665).

Nirvana, elemental ens, abstract existence, that is existence stripped of will, passion, pleasure, pain, etc. Life is not nirvana, because life is a compound; and death is not nirvana, but death is the cessation of existence.

Nisus and Euryalus, an episode in Virgil’s Æneid. Th ey were two young Trojans who accompanied Æneas from Troy, and won great distinction in the war wi th Turnus. They entered the enemy’s camp at dead of night, but, being detected by the Rutulians, Euryalus was slain, and Nisus (trying to save his friend) perished also (bk. ix.).

(This is given as an example of friendship, q.v.)

Nit, one of the attendants of queen Mab.

Hop, and Mop, and Drap so clear,
Pip, and Trip, and Skip, that were
To Mab their sovereign dear—
Her special maids of honour.
Fib, and Tib, and Pinck, and Pin,
Tick, and Quick, and Jill, and Jin,
Tit, and Nit, and Wap, and Win—
The train that wait upon her.
   —Drayton: Nymphidia (1563–1631).

Nixon (Christal), agent to Mr. Edward Redgauntlet the Jacobite.—Sir W. Scott: Redgauntlet (time, George III.).

Nixon (Martha), the old nurse of the earl of Oxford.—Sir W. Scott: Anne of Geierstein (time, Edward IV.).

No Cross no Crown, a discourse by W. Penn, written in prison (1669). (See Prison Literature.)

No One (Cæsar or). Julius Cæsar said, “Aunt Cæsar aut nullus.” And again, “I would sooner be first in a village than second at Rome.”

Milton makes Satan say, “Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven.”

Jonathan Wild used to say, “I’d rather stand on the top of a dunghill than at the bottom of a hill in paradise.”

Tennyson says, “All in all or not at all.”—Idylls (“Vivien”).

“Six thrice or three dice” (aces were called dice, and did not count).