NICERON, JOHN FRANCIS, a French mathematician, was born at Paris in the year 1613. Having finished his academical studies, he entered into the order of the Minims, and took the habit in 1632; and, as is usual, he changed the name given him at his baptism for that of Francis, the name of his paternal uncle, who was also a Minim, or Franciscan. His inclination and taste for the mathematics ap-
Nicéron. appeared early during the course of his philosophical studies; and to that science he devoted what time he could spare from his other employments, after he had completed his studies in theology. All the branches of the mathematics, however, did not equally engage his attention; he confined himself particularly to optics, and only learned as much of the rest as was necessary for rendering him perfect in this branch. He has himself informed us, in the preface to his Thaumaturgus Opticus, that he travelled twice to Rome, and that, on his return home, he was appointed teacher of theology. He was afterwards chosen to accompany Father Francis de la Noue, vicar-general of the order, in his visitation of the convents throughout France. The eagerness of his passion for study, however, induced him to make the best use of all the moments he had to spare, and that wise economy of time furnished him with as much leisure as satisfied his love of knowledge. Being taken sick at Aix, in Provence, he died there on the 22d of September 1646, at the early age of thirty-three. He was an intimate acquaintance of Descartes, who had a high esteem for him. The principal works of Nicéron are, 1. L'Interpretation des Chiffres, ou Règles pour bien entendre et expliquer facilement toutes sortes des Chiffres simples, Paris, 1641, in 8vo; 2. La Perspective Curieuse, ou Magie Artificielle des effets merveilleux de l'Optique, Catoptrique, et Dioptrique; 3. Thaumaturgus Opticus, sive admiranda Optices, Catoptrices, et Dioptrices, pars prima, 1646, in folio, a work to which the preceding essay was intended to serve as an introduction.