NICOLO, the most distinguished violinist of his time, was born at Genoa on the 18th of February 1784. His father was a small shopkeeper, and fond of music. Nicolo's musical talent manifesting itself in his infancy, his father resolved that it should receive proper cultivation; and therefore placed him under Costa, chief violinist at Genoa, with whom he studied the violin for six months with great assiduity. When twelve years old he performed in public, at Genoa, variations upon the air La Carmagnola, and was received with rapturous applause. His father then placed him under Alessandro Rolla, at Parma, and afterwards under Ghiretti, for instructions in instrumental composition. He laboured incessantly to perfect his violin-playing; and having accidentally met with Locatelli's ninth work, L'Arte di Nuova Modulazione, devoted himself to the study of that music, full of excessive difficulties and novel effects. It seems probable that he was also acquainted with that very extraordinary book, Hortulus Chelieus, &c., published in 1688 by the German violinist Walther, who held an office at the electoral court. PAGANISM is a general term applied to all forms of religious worship that differ from Christianity, Judaism, or Mohammedanism. It is thus equivalent to the term heathenism. The name pagans (pagani, villagers) was employed by the early Christian writers to designate those who, after Christianity became the prevailing religion of the towns, still adhered to the old Roman faith. (Isidorus, viii. 10; Cod. Theod. 16, 10.) These pagani, or occupants of the pagi, into which the country people of the Roman nation were divided as early as Servius Tullius (Dionys. iv. 15), or, according to some, of Numa (Dionys. ii. 76), and which continued down to the latest times of the Roman empire, were, by a necessity of their position, excluded from the superior influences of civilization known to the towns, and practised rites and celebrated festivals quite peculiar to themselves. The most famous was their annual festival of the Paganalia. Gradually the term pagani came to signify those who adhered to heathenish observances, or to the worship of false gods.