mence and speed of wing.

Camoens, _Lusiad_, ii. (1569).

=Nerissa=, the clever confidential waiting-woman of _Portia_, the Venetian
heiress. Nerissa is the counterfeit of her mistress, with a fair share
of the lady's elegance and wit. She marries _Gratiano_, a friend of the
merchant _Antonio_.--Shakespeare, _The Merchant of Venice_ (1698).[TN-30]

=Nero of the North=, Christian II. of Denmark (1480, reigned 1534-1558,
died 1559).

=Nesle= (_Blondel de_), the favorite minstrel of Richard Coeur de Lion
[Nesle = _Neel_].--Sir W. Scott, _The Talisman_ (time, Richard I.).

=Nessus's Shirt.= Nessos (in Latin _Nessus_), the centaur, carried the
wife of Hercul[^e]s over a river, and, attempting to run away with her,
was shot by Hercul[^e]s. As the centaur was dying, he told De[:i]ani'ra
(5 _syl._), that if she steeped in his blood her husband's shirt, she
would secure his love forever. This she did, but when Hercul[^e]s put
the shirt on, his body suffered such agony, that he rushed to Mount
Oeta, collected together a pile of wood, set it on fire, and rushing
into the midst of the flames, was burnt to death.

When Cre[=u]sa (3 _syl._), the daughter of King Creon, was about to be
married to Jason, Med[=e]a sent her a splendid wedding robe; but when
Creusa put it on, she was burnt to death by it in excruciating pain.

Morgan le Fay, hoping to kill King Arthur, sent him a superb royal robe.
Arthur told the messenger to try it on, that he might see its effect;
but no sooner had the messenger done so, than he dropped down dead,
"burnt to mere coal."--Sir T. Malory, _History of Prince Arthur_, i. 75
(1470).

=Nestor= (_A_), a wise old man. Nestor of Pylos,[TN-31] was the oldest
and most experienced of all the Greek chieftains who went to the siege
of Troy.--Homer, _Iliad_.

=Nestor of the Chemical Revolution.= Dr. Black is so called by Lavoisier
(1728-1799).

=Nestor of Europe=, Leopold, king of Belgium (1790, 1831-1865).

=Neu'ha=, a native of Toobouai, one of the Society Islands. It was at
Toobouai that the mutineers of the _Bounty_ landed, and Torquil married
Neuha. When a vessel was sent to capture the mutineers, Neuha conducted
Torquil to a secret cave, where they lay _perdu_ till all danger was
over, when they returned to their island home.--Byron, _The Island_.
(The character of Neuha is given in canto ii. 7.)

=Nevers= (_Comte de_), to whom Valenti'na (daughter of the governor of the
Louvre