to the one composed by the abbe de Boismont : — Belr/ica- rum 1-erum Prodromus, sive de historia Belgica ejusque sa-iptoribus prcecipuis commentatio (Parma, 1795, 8vo). M. de Reiffenberg paid it the greatest eulogy in his edi- tion of the Chronique rimee de Philippe Mouskes: — UA veugle de la Montague, ou entreiiens philosophiqites (1789, 1793, 2 vols. 8vo; enlarged edition, Parma, 1795, 8vo; Rome, 1797, 4to). In the collections of the Acad- emy of Brussels, 1777, and following year, are found the following, by Nelis : Memoire sur Vancien Brahant ; sur la vigogne et V amelioration de nos laines ; sur la pierre Brunehaut dans le Tournaisis ; sur la constitution viuni- cipule et sur les privileges accordes aux villes des Pays- Bas ; sur les ecoles et sur les etudes d'humanites. We also have from Nelis numerous Mandements and Lettres pas- torales, either in Flemish or in French. Among the manuscripts that he has left, two especially are of in- terest, Questionum Camaldulensium lihri quatuor, and Eurojjce fata, mores, disciplinm, ah ineunte saculo X V usque ad Jinem sceculi X VI 11. These two works were on the point of being published when death removed their author, who bequeathed them to the convent of the Camaldules, where he had found an asylum. See Stfnopsis actoi'um ecclesia Antwerpiensis, etc., by De Ram ; Memoires de VA cademie des Sciences de Bruxelles, passim ; Documents particulieis. — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generule, s. v,
Neller, Georg Christopii, Count, a German can- onist, was born at Aub (bishopric of Wurzburg) in 1710. He entered holy orders in 1748, was nominated professor of the canon law at Treves, where he received a canon- icate; he next became counsellor of the elector of Treves, and was then elevated to the dignity of count palatine. He died at Treves in 1783. AVe have of his works, Principia juris publici ecclesiastici Catholicorurii ad statum Germanim accommodata (Frankfort, 1746 and 1768, 8vo) : — De Concordatis Germanioi (Treves, 1748) : — De Jurisprudentia Trevirorum sub Romanis (ibid. 1752) : — De Jurisprudentia Trevirorum Belgica (ibid. 1752): — Juri<;pi-udentia Trevirorum ante-Romana, sub Romanis, sub Francis et sub Germanis, in the Prodromus historice Trevirensis of Montheim : — Kurzer Unterricht von den alt-rdmischen,frdnkischen, trierischen vnd rliein- landische7i Pfennigen und Ilellern (ibid. 1763): — Dis- sertatio in Dagoberti diploma Ilorrense (ibid. 1770) : — many juridical dissertations, united in one collection, published at Treves in 1776 (4to). See Meusel, Lex- ikon, s. v.; Weidlich, Nachrichten, vol. ii and iv.— Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s. v.
Nelli, Nello, an Italian painter of Pisa who flour- ished in the loth century, is remembered as the author of a Madonna painted on panel in the old church of Tripalle at Pisa, signed Nerus Nellus de Pisa me pinxif, 1299. See Spooner, Biog. Hist, of the Fine A rts, ii, 616.
Nelli, Suora Platella, an Italian paintress of a noble family, who devoted herself to religious as well as to secular art, Avas born at Florence in 1523. She be- came a nun in the Dominican Convent of St. Catherine at Florence, and without other assistance than a collec- tion of designs by Fra. Bartolomeo di S. Marco, she at- tained considerable excellence in painting. Her pro- ductions are generally in the style of that artist, although she also imitated other masters. Among them are a picture of the Crucifixion, with a number of small fig- ures finished; a Descent from the Cross, said to be after a design by Andrea del Sarto in the church of her order at Florence ; and an A doration of the Magi, of her own composition, possessing great merit. She died in 1588. Sec Spooner, Biog. Hist, of the Fine Ai-ts, ii, 613.
Nello, Bernardo di Gio Falconi, an old painter of Pisa, whose works were mostly of a religious character, flourished about 13!!0. He was a distinguished artist in his time, and Lanzi says he still merits consideration. He painted many pictures in the Cathedral at Pisa. He is supposed to be the same as Kello di Vanni, who with other Pisan artists painted in the Campo Santo in the
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14th centurv. See Spooner, B'mg, Hist, of the Fine Arts, ii, G14.'
Nelson, David, :M.D.. an American Presbyterian nunistcr and educator, was Ijorn near Joncsborough, in East Tennessee, Sept. 24, 17'Jo. He was educated at AVashinffton Golle},'e, and after graduating in Pliiladel- phia returned to Kentucky at the age of nineteen, in- tending to practice medicine; but the war of 1812 hav- ing commenced, he joined a Kentucky regiment as sur- geon, and proceeded to Canada. He afterwards accom- panied tlie army of generals Jackson and Coffee to Ala- bama and Florida, and after the establishment of peace settled linally at Jonesborough, where he resumed Ids medical practice with great success. While away at war he had become estranged from his early religious convictions, and in part at least espoused infidel theories. He now became more seriously convinced of his depen- dence on God, and, reav/akened and converted, he de- termined to forsake a lucrative professional career for the purpose of entering the ministry, and was licensed to preach in April, 1825. He preached for some three years in Tennessee, where he was at the same time con- nected with the Cdlrinistic Miifjazine, published at Rogersville. In 1828 he became i)astor of the church of Danville, Ky., succeeding his brother .Samuel. In 1830 he removed to Missouri, and was chiefly instru- mental in estaljlishing Marion College, of which he be- came the first president. In 183() Dr. Nelson, who was a warm emancipationist, owing to a disturbance growing out of the slavery question, removed to Illinois, and at Oakland, near Quincy, established an institute for the education of young men, especially for such as were pre- paring to become missionaries. Here he exhausted his jiecuniary means, and died Oct. 17, 1844. His most re- markable work is his Cause and Cure of Injidelilij (183G and often). Tlie manuscript of Wealth and Honor, which he intended for publication, was lost after it passed from his hands. He also wrote many occasional articles on missions, bai)tisni, etc., which appeared in the Nev) York (Jhscrccr and other papers of the day. See Si)rague, .1 una/s of the A mcrican Pulpit, iv, 077 ; Hist. if I'n'sh;//eriaiusm in Kentucki/, p. 330. (.J. H. W.)