748 NET 
NET'PHE (Lower), a town of Germany, in the prin¬ 
cipality of Naflau Siegen: four miles eaft of Siegen.—• 
(Upper), a town of the fame principality : five miles eaft 
of Siegen. 
NETSBUCK'TOKE, or Sandwich Bay, a bay on the 
eaft coaftof Labrador. Lat. 53. 45. N. Ion. 57. 30. W. 
NET'SCHER (Gafpard), an eminent painter of the 
Dutch School, was the ion of a fculptcr, either atStutgard 
or Heidelberg, who died, leaving a widow and young 
family in indigent circumftances, and particularly dif- 
trefled on account of a war which raged in that country. 
Gafpard, who was born in 1639, was brought while a 
child by his mother to Arnheim, where he was educated 
at the expenfe of a phyfician named Tullekens. It was 
Iris patron’s intention to bring him up to his own pro- 
feffion; but a decided propeniity to the arts of defign 
prevented this deftination ; and he was placed firft with a 
painter on glafs; then with one Kofter, a painter of fowls 
and game; and finally with Terburg, an artift of repu¬ 
tation at Deventer. Gafpard was extremely affiduous in 
copying after nature, and he attained an excellence in 
imitating various objedls which has fcarcely ever been 
equalled. The glofs offatins, the pile ofTurkey carpets, 
the texture and figure of Huffs, and the like, were repre- 
fented by him fo as to become perfect deceptions. Not 
contented, however, with this fpecies of excellence, he 
refolved to go for improvement to Rome; but, having 
proceeded as far as Bourdeaux, befell in love, and mar¬ 
ried. This incident put an end to his Italian journey, 
and he returned and fettled at the Hague. He there 
commenced portrait-painter, in which branch he acquired 
fo much reputation, that all the ambaffadors and other 
diftinguifhed foreigners who frequented that court f it to 
him before leaving it. His fame procured him an invita¬ 
tion to England from Charles II. but he preferred a more 
unconftrained life at home. His ftate of health was ano¬ 
ther obftacle to a removal; for he was affiidled with the 
gout and gravel, which diforders put a period to his life 
in 1684, or, according to another account, in 1687. 
Gafpard Netfcher ranks among the belt painters of his 
fchool. In addition to the exadt imitation of nature before 
mentioned, he poffeffed a light and delicate touch, a 
corredtnefs of outline, a fine tone of colouring, with 
thorough knowledge of the chiaro-fcuro; and though he 
retained the national tafte in his figures, there is grace in 
the airs of his heads, Specially of the females, with a 
natural and pleafing expreflion. He painted in fmall fize, 
and almoft confined himfelf to portrait. Two of his pic¬ 
tures in the royal colledlion at Paris, a lutanift playing, 
and a mufician teaching a lady on the bafs-viol, are greatly 
admired. 
NET'SCHER (Theodore), was fon of the above, who 
taught him the art of painting from his earlieft years, fo 
that at the age of nine he was accounted a very extraor¬ 
dinary performer; and when hehad attained his eighteenth 
year, he was folicited by count d’Arvaux to go to Paris, 
where he was greatly admired and encouraged. His prin¬ 
cipal occupation there, where he continued for twenty 
years, was painting the portraits of the principal perfons 
about the court, which he did with great fuccefs, and for 
which he was very highly applauded and handfomely re¬ 
warded; but the tafte they were executed with is by no 
means of the higheft clafs. He made the moft of the lace 
cravats and ruffles, the rich velvet robes embroidered with 
devices, See. then in ufe. But the principal office of portrai¬ 
ture was loft in this mafs of tinfel and flutter: the minds of 
his fubjedls feem never to have engaged his thoughts, or 
are, by accident rather than defign, brought forth in a 
few inftances ; whilft the idle, aftedlation of ftate felf-im- 
portance reigns predominant in them : as if a nobleman 
could not have the air of a great man, without (to ufe a 
common expreflion) at the lame time “ looking big.” He 
died in 1732, at the age of 71 
NET'SCHER, (Conftantine), another fon of Gafpard, 
who was bom at the Hague, in 1670. He alio pra&ifed 
NET 
the art of painting under the tuition of his father, but 
was fo unfortunate as to lofe that advantage at the early 
age of fourteen. He neverthelefs endeavoured to com- 
penfate himfelf for that lofs, by the careful ftudy of his 
father’s works; and, though he never was able to equal 
them, yet he arrived at no mean degree of flcill in his 
pro.feflion. His principal practice was in portraiture, in 
which he was much encouraged; but, being of an infirm 
habit of conftitution, he was much interrupted in his 
labours, and died at the age of 52. 
NET'SCHETIN, a town of Bohemia, in the circle of 
Pi!fen : nine miles fouth-eaft of Teufing. 
NETSCH'KAU, a town of Saxony, in the Vogtland, 
fituatedon theGolfch: three miles fouth-lbuth-eaftGreitz, 
twelve fouth-weft Zwickau. 
NET'T ANGER, a town of Sweden, in Helfinglands 
fix miles fouth Hudwickfwal. 
NET'TE, a river of France, which runs into the Rhine 
two miles above Andernach. 
NET'TE, a town of Weftphalia, in the bifhopric of 
Ofnabruck : four miles north-eaft of Ofnabruck. 
NET'TE, a river of Weftphalia, which rifes in the 
Harz Foreft, and runs into the Innerzee twelve miles 
fouth-eaft of Hilderfheim. 
NET'TE, a river which rifes in the bifhopric of Pader- 
born,and runs into the Wefer three miles fouth Corvey. 
NET'TER (Thomas), a learned Englifh Carmelite 
monk in the fourteenth and former part of the fifteenth 
century, was furnamed Waldenjis, moft probably from 
the place of his birth, which it is not unlikely was Saffron- 
Walden in Effex. He embraced the religious life in a 
monaftery at London, and was afterwards fent to the 
univerfity of Oxford. Here he purfued his ftudies with 
great fuccefs, and became public profeffor, at firft of phi- 
lolbphy, and then of divinity. In the faculty laft men¬ 
tioned he was admitted to the degree of dodtor. He zea- 
loufly contefted the opinions of Wicklift’, both in the 
fchools and in the pulpit; was eledted provincial of his 
order; and by the command of king Henry IV. attended 
the council of Pifa in 1409. By Henry V. he was appointed 
privy counfellor, and confeflfor; and fent to the council of 
Conftance, where he diftinguifhed himfelf by his fpeeches 
againft the Wickliflites and Huflites. He likewife pof- 
fefled the favour of Henry VI. and went to France with 
the intention of being prefent at his coronation at Paris ; 
but he died on his journey at Rouen, in the year 1430. 
He was the author of, 1. Commentaries on Genefis, Exo¬ 
dus, Leviticus, the Adis of the Apoftles, the Epiftle of 
St. Paul to the Romans, and the Firft Epiftle of St. Peter. 
2. Dodlrinale Antiquitatem Fidei Ecclefiae Catholics, 
which was publifhed after his death in 1571, in three 
volumes, folio, and is ftill held in great efteem by Catho¬ 
lics. 3. In Ariftotelis Libros de Ccelo et Mundo. 4. A 
multitude of Differtations, Deputations, Dialogues, Ser¬ 
mons, Letters, &c. which are enumerated in Freheri 
Theatrum Vir. Erud. Clar. 
NET'TING, f. A reticulated piece-of work. The adt 
of making a net. 
Nettings, in a fhip, a fort of grates made of fmall 
ropes leized together with rope-yarn or twine, and fixed 
on the quarters and in the tops; the) are fometimes 
ftretched upon the ledges from the wafte-trees to the roof- 
trees, from the top of the forecaflle to the poop, and 
fometimes are laid in the wafte of a fhip to ferve inftead of 
gratings. Chambers. 
NET'TLE, J'. [netel, Sax. 7 iaella, Icel, to prick, to 
fling. Serenius.] A flinging herb well known. See Ur- 
tica. — The ftrawberry grows underneath the nettle. 
SliakeJ'peare. 
Some fo like to thorns and nettles live, 
That none for them can, when they perifh, grieve. Waller. 
NET'TLE, Bee. See Galeopsis. 
NET'TLE, Dead; fee Lamium. Yellow Dead; fee 
Neckera. Stinking Dead ; fee Galeopsis. 
1 NET'TLEj 
