a native of Russia, was born in 1613, in a village of the government of Nishnei Novgorod, of such obscure parents, that their names and station are not transmitted to posterity. He received at the baptismal font the name of Nikita, which afterwards, when he became monk, he changed to Nicon, the appellation by which he is more generally known. He was educated in the convent of St Macarius, under the care of a monk. From the course of his studies, which were almost solely directed to the Holy Scriptures, and the exhortations of his preceptor, he imbued at a very early period the strongest attachment to a monastic life; and was only prevented from following the bent of his mind by the persuasions and authority of his father. In conformity, however, to the wishes of his family, though contrary to his own inclination, he entered into matrimony; and, as that state precluded him from being admitted into a convent, he was ordained a secular priest. With his wife he continued 10 years, partly in the country and partly at Moscow, officiating as a parish-priest. The loss of three children, however, gave him a total disgust to the world; in consequence of which, his wife was persuaded to take the veil, and he became a monk; his retreat was in an island of the White Sea, and a kind of ecclesiastical establishment was formed, as remarkable for the austerities of its rules as the situation was for its solitude. There were about 12 monks, but they all lived in different cells. Such a system, combined with the most gloomy ideas, occasioned too much cloistered pride as tarnished his character, when he was afterwards called up to fulfil the duties of a public and exalted station. Our limits do not permit us to be minute in our account of his life; we must therefore be contented with barely reciting general facts. Within less than the space of five years, Nicon was successively created archimandrite, or abbot of the Novofpatiskoi convent, archbishop of Novgorod, and patriarch of Russia. That he was worthy of these rapid promotions, few will doubt who are acquainted with his character; for he was possessed of very extraordinary qualities, such as even his enemies allow and admire. His courage was undaunted, his morals irreproachable, his charity extensive and exalted, his learning deep and comprehensive, and his eloquence commanding.—When archbishop, he obtained the respect of the inhabitants by his unwearied affability in the discharge of his trust; and conciliated their affections by acts of unbounded charity: Nor was he less conspicuous in the discharge of the office of patriarch, to which dignity he was appointed in 1652, in the 39th year of his age.

Nor was he only distinguished in his own profession, for he shone even as a statesman. At length, however, he fell a victim to popular discontent; which misfortune, though he was far from deserving it, was certainly the effect of imprudence. He abdicated the office of patriarch, which would otherwise have been taken from him, in July 1658, and bore his reverse of fortune with heroic magnanimity: he returned to a cell, and commenced his former austerities. His innocence, however, could not protect him from further malice: his enemies obtained him to be formally deposed in 1660. This degradation was followed by imprisonment, which was for some time very rigorous, because he, conscious of his own innocence, refused to accept pardon for crimes of which he was not guilty. In 1676, however, he was removed to the convent of St Cyril, and enjoyed perfect liberty.

Nicon survived his deposition 15 years. In 1681, he requested and obtained permission to return to the convent of Jerusalem, that he might end his days in that favourite spot; but he expired upon the road near Yaraffa, in the 66th year of his age. His remains were transported to that convent, and buried with all the ceremonies used at the interment of patriarchs.