Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/154

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146 NARES N ARES. I. James, an English composer, born at Stanwell, Middlesex, in 1715, died in 1783. He was educated as a chorister at King's chapel, London, under Bernard Gates and Dr. Pepusch. In 1734 he was appointed organist of York cathedral, in 1756 organist and composer to George II., and in 1757 master of the choris- ters in the chapel royal. The last named office he resigned in 1780. He composed several anthems and services for the royal chapel, and published " Twenty Anthems in Score," which is still in constant use in the cathedrals of England and Ireland. He also published " The Royal Pastoral, a Dramatic Ode," and " A Col- lection of Catches, Canons, and Glees." II. Robert, an English author, son of the pre- ceding, born in 1753, died in 1829. He was educated at Oxford, took orders in 1778, and became rector of Sharnford, Leicestershire, and preacher at Lincoln's Inn. Subsequently he was assistant librarian at the British museum, became archdeacon of Stafford, and held other preferments. He published " Elements of Or- thoepy" (1784); "A Connected and Chrono- logical View of the Prophecies relating to the Christian Church " (1805) ; " The Veracity of the Evangelists Demonstrated" (1815); and a " Glossary of Words, Phrases, &c., which have been thought to require illustration in the works of English authors " (4to, 1822 ; new ed., edited by J. O. Halliwell and T. Wright, 2 vols. 8vo, 1859). With Mr. Beloe he founded the " Brit- ish Critic," which he edited for four years. III. Edward, an English author, cousin of the preceding, born in London in 1762, died at Biddenden, Kent, Aug. 20, 1841. He was educated at Westminster school and at Christ- church college, Oxford, and became a fellow of Merton college in 1788. He took orders in 1792, married a daughter of the duke of Marl- borough in 1797, and in 1798 became rector of Biddenden. He was appointed Bampton lec- turer in 1805, and professor of modern history at Oxford in 1814. His works are : " On the Plurality of Worlds" (1802); "Evidences of Christianity" (Bampton lectures, 1805) ; " Re- marks on the Version of the New Testament lately published by the Unitarians" (1810); " Thinks I to Myself," a novel (1811) ; " Dis- courses on the Three Creeds" (1819); "Ele- ments of General History," a continuation of Tytler's work (1822); "Heraldic Anomalies" (2 vols., 1824) ; and " Memoirs of the Life and Administration of William Cecil, Lord Burgh- ley" (3 vols., 1828-'31). 1VARO, a town of Sicily, in the province and 12 m. E. of the city of Girgenti, on the river Naro ; pop. about 11,000. It is of Saracenic origin, and renowned for its picturesque sit- uation, and has a feudal castle bearing the arms of the Chiaromonte family. It contains several churches and other buildings of great antiquity, and has an active trade in sulphur, wine, and oil. NARRAGANSETT BAY, on the S. E. coast of Rhode Island, extends from Point Judith on NARSES the W. to Seconnet on the E., and N. to Bul- lock's Point, 6 in. below Providence ; it is 28 m. long by from 3 to 12 m. wide. It receives the Pawtuxet, Providence, Pawtucket, and Taunton rivers, and contains a number of isl- ands, the principal of which are Rhode island, Canonicut, and Prudence. It is easily acces- sible, and affords excellent harbors and road- steads. Newport, Bristol, Warren, and other towns are on its borders. It is well supplied with lighthouses, and strongly fortified. NARRAGANSETTS, an Algonquin tribe of American Indians, who occupied the territory now comprised in Rhode Island. They were less warlike and more industrious than the Pequots. They had 12 towns within a distance of 20 m., and were very numerous. In 1621 their chief Canonicus sent to Plymouth a bun- dle of arrows tied with a snake skin, indi- cating hostile intentions. Gov. Bradford re- turned the skin filled with powder and shot, which seemed to have a quieting effect. In 1636 Roger Williams won the Narragansetts to peace, and they made a treaty and cooperated with Mason against the Pequots. In 1644 Gor- ton induced them to cede their lands to the king. They engaged in hostilities in 1645, but submitted to a treaty Sept. 5, agreeing to pay indemnity to the colonies. In King Philip's war they were suspected of aiding their old enemies the Pokanokets, and a force of 1,000 men, with 150 Mohegans and Pequots, captured and burned their fortress. Canonchet, their chief, then cut off two English parties and destroyed many frontier villages, but was at last taken by Denison and shot. A large force was then sent to crush the tribe. Their chief fortress, on an island in a swamp in South Kingston, was taken after a stubborn fight, and it was estimated that 1,000 men, women, and children were killed ; the colonial loss was 230. This war almost exterminated the Nar- ragansetts. The remnant settled at Charles- town, R. I., and prospered. In 1822 there were 407 on their reserve of 3,000 acres, with a missionary, a church, and 50 pupils at school. In 1833 they had declined to 158, only 7 being of pure Narragansett blood. Their language is preserved in Roger Williams's " Key into the Language of America," &c. (London, 1643). NARSES, a Byzantine general, born about A. D. 473, died in Rome about 568. He was a eunuch and a slave of Justinian, but rendering important services to his master during the riots of "the blue" and "the green" in 532, he was appointed imperial treasurer, and was subsequently sent on several embassies. In 538 he commanded the reenf or cements sent to Belisarius, then waging war against the Goths in Italy; but his jealousy of that general, whom he is supposed to have had instructions from Justinian to thwart, paralyzed the Roman arms and led to the capture of Milan by the Goths. Narses was recalled shortly after, and for the next 12 years his name is hardly men- tioned in the Byzantine annals ; but in the im-