Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 40.djvu/125

 a thunderstorm that was then raging. He was buried in St. Mary's Church, where the Scottish artists in London erected a stone over his grave. Patrick Nasmyth is one of the characters ‘brought upon the scene as sketches from the life’ in John Burnet's ‘Progress of the Painter’ (London, 1854). Since his death the reputation of his works has greatly increased. One of the finest, ‘Haselmere,’ sold for 1,300 guineas at Christie's in 1892, and his ‘Turner's Hill, East Grinstead,’ realised 987l. at Christie's in 1886. He is represented in the National Gallery by five works, in the South Kensington Museum by three, and in the National Gallery of Scotland by one. His portrait, a chalk drawing by William Bewick, is in the National Portrait Gallery, London.

[James Nasmyth's Autobiography, London, 1883; Redgrave's Dict. of Artists, London, 1878; Anderson's Scottish Nation; Catalogues of Exhibitions, &c., mentioned above; Academy, 29 May 1886; Scotsman, 20 June 1892. His name is duly entered as ‘Patrick’ in the City of Edinburgh Baptism Register, 6 Feb. 1787, though he appears as ‘Peter Nasmyth’ in some of the catalogues of the Society of Associated Artists and of the Royal Institution of Edinburgh.] 

NASSAU, GEORGE RICHARD SAVAGE (1756–1823), bibliophile, born on 5 Sept. 1756, was second son of the Hon. Richard Savage Nassau, who was second son of Frederic, third earl of Rochford. His mother, Anne, was only daughter and heiress of Edward Spencer of Rendlesham, Suffolk, and widow of James, third duke of Hamilton. Under the will of Sir John Fitch Barker of Grimston Hall, Trimley St. Martin, Suffolk, who died on 3 Jan. 1766, he inherited considerable possessions. In 1805 he served as high sheriff for Suffolk. He died in Charles Street, Berkeley Square, London, on 18 Aug. 1823, from the effects of a paralytic seizure, and was buried in Easton Church, Suffolk, where a monument was erected to his memory.

Nassau was a man of considerable attainments and culture. His literary tastes found gratification in the formation of a fine library, rich in emblem books, early English poetry, the drama, topography, and history. In the two latter departments his collection comprised many large-paper copies, which were extra-illustrated by the insertion of numerous drawings, prints, and portraits, and were accompanied by rare historical tracts. For the history of Suffolk he made extensive collections, both printed and manuscript, which he enriched by a profusion of portraits and engravings. He likewise employed the pencils of Rooker, Hearne, and Byrne, and many Suffolk artists, particularly Gainsborough, Frost, and Johnson, to depict the most striking scenes and objects in his favourite county. Of this remarkable library only the volumes of Suffolk manuscripts, thirty in number, were reserved for the library of the family mansion at Easton. The bulk was sold by Evans in 1824 in two parts, the first on 16 Feb. and eleven following days, and the second on 8 March and seven following days. The catalogue contained 4,264 lots, and the whole collection realised the sum of 8,500l. A few of the most remarkable articles of Nassau's library are noticed in Adam Clarke's ‘Repertorium Bibliographicum.’

[Nichols's Illustr. of Lit. vi. 327.] 

NASSAU, HENRY, and  (1641–1708), general, born in 1641, was third son of Louis, count of Nassau (illegitimate son of Maurice, prince of Orange, grand-uncle of William III, king of England), by his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Count de Horn. Henry accompanied William, prince of Orange, on his visit to Oxford in 1670, and received from the university the degree of D.C.L. (20 Dec.). He attended William with great devotion during his illness in the spring of 1675, and saved his life at the risk of his own at the battle of Mons, 13 Aug. (N.S.) 1678. In recognition of this service he was presented by the States-General with a gold-hilted sword, a gold inlaid pair of pistols, and a pair of gold horse-buckles. He came to England in 1685 as William's special envoy to congratulate James II on his accession, attended William to England in 1688 as captain of his bodyguard, was appointed in February 1688–9 his master of the horse, and the same year was naturalised by act of parliament. He fought at the battle of the Boyne, 1 July 1690, and afterwards occupied Dublin with nine troops of horse, and served at Limerick. Advanced to the rank of major-general 16 March 1690–1, he served in the subsequent campaign in Flanders, and distinguished himself by the gallant manner in which he rescued the remains of Mackay's division at the battle of Steinkirk, July 1692.

In February 1692–3 he was appointed deputy stadtholder, and in the summer of 1697 was promoted to the rank of general in the English army. William on his deathbed thanked him for his long and faithful services. In command of the Dutch forces, with the rank of field-marshal, he co-operated with Marlborough, whose entire confidence he enjoyed, in the earlier campaigns of the