Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama Part 36

=Ned= (_Lying_), "the chimney-sweeper of Savoy," that is, the duke of Savoy, who joined the allied army against France in the war of the Spanish Succession.--Dr. Arbuthnot, _History of John Bull_ (1712).

=Negro'ni=, a princess, the friend of Lucrezia di Borgia. She invited the notables who had insulted the Borgia to a banquet, and killed them with poisoned wine.--Donizetti, _Lucrezia di Borgia_ (an opera, 1834).

=Ne'gus=, sovereign of Abyssinia. Erco'co, or Erquico, on the Red Sea, marks the north-east boundary of this empire.

The empire of Negus to his utmost port, Ercoco.

Milton, _Paradise Lost_, xi. 397 (1665).

=Nehemiah Holdenough=, a Presbyterian preacher.--Sir W. Scott, _Woodstock_ (time, commonwealth).

=Neilson= (_Mr. Christopher_), a surgeon at Glasgow.--Sir W. Scott, _Rob Roy_ (time, George I.).

=Neim'heid= (2 _syl._) employed four architects to build him a palace in Ireland; and, that they might not build another like it or superior to it for some other monarch, had them all secretly murdered.--O'Halloran, _History of Ireland_.

? A similar story is told of Noma.n.a.l-Aouar, king of Hirah, who employed Senna'mar to build him a palace. When finished, he cast the architect headlong from the highest tower, to prevent his building another to rival it.--D'Herbelot, _Bibliotheque Oriental_[TN-29] (1697).

=Nekayah=, sister of Ra.s.selas, prince of Abyssinia. She escapes with her brother from the "happy valley," and wanders about with him to find what condition or rank of life is the most happy. After roaming for a time, and finding no condition of life free from its drawbacks, the brother and sister resolved to return to the "happy valley."--Dr. Johnson, _Ra.s.selas_ (1759).

=Nell=, the meek and obedient wife of Jobson; taught by the strap to know who was lord and master. Lady Loverule was the imperious, headstrong bride of Sir John Loverule. The two women by a magical hocus-pocus, were changed for a time, without any of the four knowing it. Lady Loverule was placed with Jobson, who soon brought down her turbulent temper with the strap, and when she was reduced to submission, the two women were restored again to their respective husbands.--C. Coffey, _The Devil to Pay_ (1731).

_Nell_ (_Little_), or NELLY TRENT, a sweet, innocent, loving child of 14 summers, brought up by her old miserly grandfather, who gambled away all his money. Her days were monotonous and without youthful companionship, her evenings gloomy and solitary; there were no child-sympathies in her dreary home, but dejection, despondence akin to madness, watchfulness, suspicion, and imbecility. The grandfather being wholly ruined by gaming, the two went forth as beggars, and ultimately settled down in a cottage adjoining a country churchyard. Here Nell died, and the old grandfather soon afterwards was found dead upon her grave.--C. d.i.c.kens, _The Old Curiosity Shop_ (1840).

=Nelly=, the servant-girl of Mrs. Dinmont.--Sir W. Scott, _Guy Mannering_ (time, George II.).

=Nelson's Ship=, the _Victory_.

Now from the fleet of the foemen past Ahead of the _Victory_, A four-decked ship, with a flagless mast, An Anak of the sea.

His gaze on the ship Lord Nelson cast: "Oh, oh! my old friend!" quoth he.

"Since again we have met, we must all be glad To pay our respects to the _Trinidad_."

So, full on the bow of the giant foe, Our gallant _Victory_ runs; Thro' the dark'ning smoke the thunder broke O'er her deck from a hundred guns.

Lord Lytton, _Ode_, iii. 9 (1839).

=Nem'ean Lion=, a lion of Argolis, slain by Hercules.

In this word Shakespeare has preserved the correct accent: "As hardy as the Nem'ean lion's nerve" (_Hamlet_, act i. sc. 5); but Spenser incorrectly throws the accent on the second syllable, which is _e_ short: "Into the great Neme'an's lion's grove" (_Faery Queen_, v. 1).

Ere Nemea's beast resigned his s.h.a.ggy spoils.

Statius, _The Thebaid_, i.

=Nem'esis=, the Greek personification of retribution, or that punishment for sin which sooner or later overtakes the offender.

... and some great Nemesis Break from a darkened future.

Tennyson, _The Princess_, (1847).

=Ne'mo=, the name by which Captain Hawdon was known at Krook's. He had once won the love of the future Lady Dedlock, by whom he had a child called Esther Summerson; but he was compelled to copy law-writings for daily bread, and died a miserable death from an overdose of opium.--C.

d.i.c.kens, _Bleak House_ (1852).

=Nepen'the= (3 _syl._) or NEPENTHES, a care-dispelling drug, which Polyd.a.m.na, wife of Tho'nis, king of Egypt, gave to Helen (daughter of Jove and Leda). A drink containing this drug "changed grief to mirth, melancholy to joyfulness, and hatred to love." The water of Ardenne had the opposite effects. Homer mentions the drug nepenthe in his _Odyssey_, iv. 228.

That nepenthes which the wife of Thone, In Egypt gave to Jove-born Helena.

Milton, _Comus_, (1634).

Nepenthe is a drink of sovereign grace.

Devised by the G.o.ds for to a.s.suage Heart's grief, and bitter gall away to chase Which stirs up anger and contentious rage; Instead thereof sweet peace and quietage It doth establish in the troubled mind ...

And such as drink, eternal happiness do find.

Spencer, _Faery Queen_, iv. 2 (1596).

=Nep'omuk= or =Nep'omuck= (_St. John_), canon of Prague. He was thrown from a bridge in 1381, and drowned by order of King Wenceslaus, because he refused to betray the secrets confided to him by the queen in the holy rite of confession. The spot whence he was cast into the Moldau is still marked by a cross with five stars on the parapet, indicative of the miraculous flames seen flickering over the dead body for three days.

Nepomuk was canonized in 1729, and became the patron saint of bridges.

His statue in stone usually occupies such a position on bridges as it does in Prague.

Like St. John Nep'omuck in stone, Looking down into the stream.

Longfellow, _The Golden Legend_ (1851).

? The word is often accented on the second syllable.

=Neptune= (_Old Father_), the ocean or sea-G.o.d.

=Nerestan=, son of Gui Lusignan D'Outremer, king of Jerusalem, and brother of Zara. Nerestan was sent on his parole to France, to obtain ransom for certain Christians, who had fallen into the hands of the Saracens. When Osman, the sultan, was informed of his relationship to Zara, he ordered all Christian captives to be at once liberated "without money and without price."--A. Hill, _Zara_ (adapted from Voltaire's tragedy).

=Nereus= (2 _syl._), father of the water-nymphs. A very old prophetic G.o.d of great kindliness. The scalp, chin and breast of Nereus were covered with seaweed instead of hair.

By h.o.a.ry Nereus' wrinkled look.

Milton, _Comus_, (1634).