(Nicholas), knight of the order of St James and canon of Seville, did great honour to the Spanish nation by his Bibliotheca of their writers. He was born at Seville in 1617, being the son of a gentleman whom king Philip IV. made president of the admiralty established in that city in 1626. After having gone through a course of philosophy and divinity in his own country, he went to study law at Salamanca; where he closely attended the lectures of Francisco Ramos del Manzano, afterwards counsellor to the king and preceptor to Charles II. Upon his return to Seville, after he had finished his law studies at Salamanca, he shut himself up in the royal monastery of Benedictines, where he employed himself several years in writing his Bibliotheca Hispanica, having the use of the books of Bennet de la Sana abbot of that monastery and dean of the faculty of divinity at Salamanca. In the year 1659, he was sent to Rome by king Philip IV. in the character of agent-general from this prince: he had also particular commissions from the inquisition of Spain, the viceroys of Naples and Sicily, and the governor of Milan, to negotiate their affairs at Rome. The cardinal of Arragon procured him, from Pope Alexander VII., a canonry in the church of Seville, the income whereof he employed in charity and purchasing of books: he had above 50,000 volumes in his library. By this help, joined to continual labour, and indefatigable application, he was at last enabled to finish his Bibliotheca Hispanica, in four volumes in folio, two of which he published at Rome in the year 1672. The work consists of two parts; the one containing the Spanish writers who flourished before the 15th century, and the other those since the end of that century. After the publication of these two volumes, he was recalled to Madrid by king Charles II. to take upon him the office of counsellor to the crusade; which he discharged with great integrity till his death, which happened in 1684. He left nothing at his death but his vast library, which he had brought from Rome to Madrid; and his two brothers and nephews being unable to publish the remaining volumes of his Bibliotheca, sent them to Cardinal d'Aguiné, who paid the charge of the impression, and committed the care thereof to Monsieur Marti, his librarian, who added notes to them in the name of the Cardinal.

(St.), one of the Cape de Verd islands, lying in E. Long. o. 26. N. Lat. 18. 10. It is separated from St Vincent's by a clear navigable channel two leagues in breadth. On the north side, it has a good road for shipping, with a collection of fresh water rising from springs, which, however, scarcely merits the name of a pond. The island stretches from northeast to southwest, and is filled with mountains; one of which is of extraordinary a height, as to be compared with the Peak of Teneriffe: Its top is constantly covered with snow, and notwithstanding the clearness of the sky, is generally hid in clouds. Here are produced a variety of fruits; oranges, lemons, palms, melons, &c., and some sugar-canes. The potatoes and melons are particularly excellent, and are much sought after by mariners. But, notwithstanding all this plenty, the inhabitants live in the most wretched poverty. They are in number about 500, chiefly negroes, under the protection of the Portuguese, whose language they speak, and imitate their manners. To the north-west stands a village, containing about 20 huts, and at least 50 families, under the direction of a governor, or, as they call him, a captain, a priest, and a schoolmaster.

(St.), a Dutch fort in Axim, on the gold coast of Africa. It stands on a high rock, which projects into the sea in form of a peninsula; and is environed by rocks and dangerous shoals, as to be inaccessible to an enemy but by land, where it is fortified by a parapet, draw-bridge, and two batteries of heavy cannon. Besides this it has a battery towards the sea. The three batteries consist of 24 cannon. Its form is triangular; the building is neat, strong, and commodious for the extent, that being but small, on account of the narrowness of the rock on which it is built. The garrison is usually composed of 25 white men, and an equal number of negroes, under the command of a sergeant. It is maintained at the expense of the West-India Company; and, when well stored with provisions, is capable of making a long defense against any number of negroes. It is, however, as well as all other forts on this coast, liable to inconveniences from the heavy and continual rains, which damage the walls, and render frequent reparations necessary. This obliges the Dutch always to keep ready a quantity of lime or cement made of calcined oyster-shells, of which the coast produces great numbers.—This settlement was first founded by the Portuguese during the reign of Emanuel. They fixed at first upon a small point; where, finding themselves insecure, they built the fort where it now stands. They were driven out by the Dutch in 1642; and, upon the conclusion of a peace with the States-general, the fort remained by treaty in the hands of the Dutch West-India Company, who have kept possession of it ever since.