NEC 
3. Nature, in a ftill more reftrained fenfe, is ufed 
for the e fence of a thing, or that attribute that makes 
a thing what it is ; a?, it is the Nature of the foul to 
think. 
4. Nature is particularly ufed for the eftablifned or- 
der and courfe of material things, the feries of the 
fecond caufes, or the laws that God has impofed on 
the motions impreffed by him. In this fenfe we fay, 
the day and night, by Nature, fucceed one another •, 
phyfic is the ftudy of Nature j r dpi ration is by Na- 
ture neceflary to life. 
5. Nature is alio ufed to fignify an aggregate of powers, 
which belong to any body, efpeciaily a living one. 
Thus we fay, Nature is fcrong, Nature is weak, Na- 
ture is fpent, &c. p 
6. Nature is alio more ftriclly ufed for the action of 
providence, the principle of all things, or that fpi- 
ritual being which is diffufed throughout the creation, 
and moves and acts in ail bodies, and gives them cer- 
tain properties, and procures certain effects. In this 
fenfe. Nature fignifies the qualities or virtues that 
God has given to his creatures, animai, vegetable, &c. 
In ipeaking of the addon of Nature, no more is to be 
underftood, but that bodies aft on one another in a 
manner agreeable to the general laws of motion 
which the Creator has eftablifhed. 
NEBULOSE, or NEBULOUS, fignifies cloudy, 
inifty, foggy, hazy. 
NEC T A R I N E [properly fo called of nedtar, the 
poetical drink of the Gods] Nedlarine. 
This fruit fhould have been placed under the article 
of Peaches, to which it properly belongs, differing 
from them in nothing more than in having a fmooth 
rind, and the flefh, being firmer. Thefe the French 
diftinguifh by the name of Brugnon, as they do thofe 
Peaches which adhere to the ftone, by the name of 
Pavies, retaining the name of Pefche to only fuch as 
part from the ftone •, but fince the writers in garden- 
ing have diftinguifhed this fruit by the name of Nec- 
tarine from the Peaches, fo I fhall follow their exam- 
ple, left; by endeavouring to redlify their miftakes, I 
fhould render myfelf lefs intelligible to the reader. I 
fhall therefore mention the feveral varieties of this 
fruit, which have come to my knowledge : 
1. Fairchild’s early Nedlarine. This is one of the 
earlieft ripe Nedtarines we have ; it is a fmall round 
fruit, about the fize of the Nutmeg Peach, of a beau- 
tiful red colour, and well flavoured •, it ripens the end 
of July. 
2. Elruge Nedlarine : the tree has fawed leaves ; the 
flowers are fmall j it is a middle-fized fruit, of a dark 
red or purple colour next the fun, but of a pale yel- 
low or greenifh colour towards the wall ■, it parts from 
the ftone, and has a foft melting juice ; this ripens in 
the beginning of Auguft. 
3. Newington Nedlarine : the tree has fawed leaves •, 
the flowers are large and open ; it is a fair large fruit, 
(when planted on a good foil) of a beautiful red co- 
lour next the fun, but of a bright yellow towards the 
wall •, it has an excellent rich juice ; the pulp adheres 
cloudy to the ftone, where it is of a deep red colour : 
this ripens the latter end of Auguft, and is the bell 
flavoured of all the forts, or perhaps of any known 
fruit in the world. 
4. Scarlet Nedlarine is fomewhat lefs than the laft, of 
a fine red or fcarlet colour next the fun, but lofes itfelf 
in paler red towards the wall : this ripens in the end 
of Auguft. 
5. Brugnon or Italian Nedlarine, has fmooth leaves ; 
the flowers are final! ; it is a fair large fruit, of a deep 
red colour next the fun, but of a foft yellow towards 
the wall the pulp is firm, of a rich flavour, and 
clofely adheres to the ftone, where it is very red ; this 
ripens in the'end of Auguft. 
6. Roman Red Nedlarine has fmooth leaves, and 
large flowers •, it is a large fair fruit, of a deep red or 
purple colour towards the fun, but has a yeliowifh 
call next the wall ; the flefh is firm, of an excellent 
flavour, clofely adhering to the ftone, where it is very 
red : this ripens in September, 
N E P 
7. Murry Nedlarine is a middle fized fruit, of a dirty 
red colour on the fide , next the fun, but of a yeliowifh 
green towards the wall, the pulp is tolerably well 
flavoured : this ripens the beginning of September. 
8. Golden Nedlarine is a fair handfome fruit, of a 
foft red colour next the fun, but of a bright yellow 
next the wall • the pulp is very yellow, of a rich fla- 
vour, and clofely adheres to the ftone, where it is of 
a faint red colour : this ripens the middle of Sep- 
tember. 
9. Temple’s Nedlarine is a middle-fized fruit, of a 
ioft red colour next the fun, of a yeflowifh green to- 
ward the wall : the pulp is melting, of a white co- 
lour towards the ftone, from which it parts, and lias 
a fine poignant flavour ; this ripens the end of Sep- 
tember. 
10. Peterborough, or late green Nedlarine, is a mid- 
dle fized fruit, of a pale green colour on the outfide 
next the fun, but of a whitifh green towards the wall j 
the flefh is firm, and, in a good feafon, tolerably well 
flavoured ; this ripens the middle of Odtober. 
There are fome perfons who pretend to have more 
varieties than I have here enumerated, but I much 
doubt whether they are different, there being fo 
near a refemblance between the fruits of this kind, 
that it requires a very clofe attention to diftinguifh 
them well, efpeciaily if the trees grow in different 
foils and afpecls, which many times alters the fame 
fruit fo much, as hardly to be diftinguifhed by per- 
fons who are very converfant with them ; therefore, 
in order to be thoroughly acquainted with their dif- 
ferences, it is neceflary to confider the fhape and fize 
of their leaves, the fize of their flowers, their man- 
ner of (hooting, &c. which is many times very help- 
ful in knowing of thefe fruits. 
The culture of this fruit differing in nothing from 
that of the Peach, I fhall forbear mentioning any 
thing on that head in this place, to avoid repetition, 
but only wifh thofe perfons who propagate this fruit, 
will take their buds from bearing trees, and not from 
young nurfery trees, as is too often pradtifed *, how- 
ever, I fhall refer the reader to the article Persica, 
where there is an ample account of their planting, 
pruning, &c. 
N E M O R A L fignifies belonging to a wood or 
grove. 
NEPETA. Lin. Gen. Plant. 629. Cataria. Tourn. 
Inft. R. H. 202. tab. 95. Catmint, or Nep - 3 in French, 
Ilerbes aux Chats . 
The Characters are, 
’The empalement of the flower is tubulous and cylindrical , 
indented into five acute parts at the top. The flower is 
of the lip kind , with one petal, having an incurved cy- 
lindrical tube , gaping at the top. The upper lip is erebf , 
roundiflj , and indented at the point. The under lip is 
large , concave , entire , and fawed on the edge. It hath 
four awl-Jhaped flamina fltuated under the upper lip, 
two of which are fhorter than the other , terminated by 
incumbent fummits. In the bottom of the tube is fltuated 
the quadrifid germen , ftpporting a fender flyle , crowned 
by a bifid acute fligma. The germen afterward turns to 
fchr oval feeds , fitting in the empalement. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft fedtion of 
Linnaeus’s fourteenth clafs, which includes thofe 
plants whofe flowers have two long and two fhorter 
flamina, and are fucceeded by naked feed's fitting in 
the empalement. 
The Species are, 
1. Nepeta ( Cataria ) floribus fpicatis, verticillis fub- 
pedicellatis, foliis petiolatis cordatis dentato-ferratis. 
Lin. Sp. Plant. 796. Catmint with fpiked flowers , 
whofe whorls have very fhort foot-ftalks , and heart-fioaped 
leaves growing on foot-ftalks , which are indented like 
the teeth of a f aw. Cataria major vulgaris. Tourn. 
Inft. R. H. 202. Common greater Catmint. 
2. Nepeta [Minor) floribus fpicatis, fpicis interruptis, 
verticillis pedicellatis, foliis fubcordatis ferratis peti- 
olatis. Catmint with fpikes of flowers , with interrupted 
whorls ftanding on foot-ftalks , and fawed leaves , with 
foot-ftalks almoft heart-fhaped. Cataria minor vul- 
garis. 
