which the subject of it estranges
himself more and more from those who live wholly in the outside world, so
that he cannot communicate with them and they cannot understand him.

N

NABOB. See NAWAB.

NABOTH, a Jew, who was stoned by order of Ahab, king of Israel,
because he refused to sell him his vineyard, an outrage for which Ahab
was visited by Divine judgment; is symbol, in the regard of the Jews, of
the punishment sure to overtake all rich oppressors of the poor.

NACHTIGAL, GUSTAV, German traveller and explorer; visited
(1869-1874), the first European to do so, at the instance of Prussia, by
way of Tripoli, the heart of Africa, and returned by way of Cairo, and
wrote an account of his journey, "Sahara and Sudan"; in 1884 annexed to
Germany territory in West Africa; died on his return journey, and was
buried at Cape Palmas (1834-1885).

NADIR, name given to the part of the heavens directly under our
feet, as zenith to that directly over our head.

NADIR SHAH, king of Persia, born in Khorassan of low origin; began
his career as a brigand; set himself at the head of 3000 brigands to
deliver Persia from the yoke of the Afghans, and expelled them, rising by
degrees to the sovereignty of Persia himself; made war on the Afghans,
invaded Hindustan, and took and plundered Delhi, restoring its former
dominion to the Persian monarchy; became subject to suspicion of plots
against him, had recourse to violence, and was assassinated (1688-1747).

NAEVIUS, CNEIUS, one of the earliest Roman poets, born in Campania;
wrote dramas, and an epic poem on the first Punic War, in which he had
served; satirised the aristocracy, and was obliged to leave Rome, where
he had spent thirty years of his life; died at Utica (265-204 B.C.).

NAGARI, the name given to the characters In Sanskrit and Hindi
alphabets.

NAGAS, in the Hindu mythology "deified serpents," sons of Kadru, a
personification of darkness, are represented as more or less invested
with a human form, and endowed with knowledge, strength, and beauty; live
in the depths of the ocean, and their capital city exposes to the vision
a display of the most dazzling riches. They are not always represented as
harmful; though armed with poison they possess the elixir of strength and
immortality, and form the supports of the universe. They are a reflection
of the belief that the deadly powers as well as the regenerative centre
in one and the same deity, in his