NICHOLAS LEWIS, COUNT, was the noted founder of the German religious sect called Moravians, or Herrnhuters, or, as they pretend, the restorer of that society. From his own narrative, it appears, that when he came of age in 1721, his thoughts were wholly bent on gathering together a little society of believers, among whom he might live, and who should entirely employ themselves in exercises of devotion under him. He accordingly purchased an estate at Bertholdsdorf in Upper Lusatia, where, being joined by some followers, he gave the curacy of the village to a person of his own complexion; and Bertholdsdorf soon became talked of for a new mode of piety. One Christian David, a carpenter, brought a few professing from Moravia: they began a new town about half a league from the village, where Count Zinzendorff fixed his residence among them, and whither great numbers of Moravians flocked and established themselves under his protection: so that in 1732 their number amounted to 600. An adjacent hill, called the Hubberg, gave occasion to these colonists to call their new settlement Ruth des Herrn, and afterwards Herrnhut; which may be interpreted "The guard or protection of the Lord;" and from this the whole sect have taken their name. The count spared neither pains nor art to propagate his opinions; he went himself all over Europe, and at least twice to America; and sent missionaries throughout the world. Count Zinzendorff died in 1760. Those who wish to know more of the Moravian tenets may consult Rimius's account of them, translated in 1753: See UNITED BRETHREN.

ZISCA, JOHN, a famous general of the forces of the Hufites, in the 15th century, was a gentleman educated at the court of Bohemia, in the reign of Wenceslaus. He entered very young into the army, and after distinguishing himself on several occasions, lost an eye in a battle, whence he was called Zifca or One-eyed. At length the Reformation, begun by John Hufs, spreading through almost all Bohemia, Zifca placed himself at the head of the Hufites, and had soon under his command a body of 49,000 men. With this army he gained several victories over those of the Romish religion, who carried on a kind of crusade against them, and built a town in an advantageous situation, to which he gave the name of Tabor; whence the Hufites were afterwards called Taborites. Zifca lost his other eye by an arrow at the siege of the city of Rubi; but this did not prevent his continuing the war, his fighting battles, and gaining several great victories, among which was that of Auffig on the Elbe, in which 9000 of the enemy were left dead on the field. The emperor Sigismund, alarmed at his progress, caused very advantageous proposals to be offered to him; which he readily accepted, and set out to meet Sigismund, but died on the road. He ordered that his body should be left a prey to the birds and wild beasts; and that a drum should be made of his skin, being persuaded that the enemy would fly as soon as they heard the sound. It is added, that the Hufites executed his will; and that the news of this order made such an impression on the disturbed imaginations of the German Papists, that in many battles they actually fled at the beat of the drum with the utmost precipitation, leaving their baggage and artillery behind them.