Brewer's: Gwynn

(Nell). An actress, and one of the courtesans of Charles II. of England (died 1687). Sir Walter Scott speaks of her twice in Peveril of the Peak; in chap. xi. he speaks of “the smart humour of Mrs. Nelly;” and in chap. xl. Lord Chaffinch says of “Mrs. Nelly, wit she has; let her keep herself warm with it in worse company, for the cant of strollers is not language for a prince's chamber.”

Related Content Allusions Foreign Words and Phrases Latin and Greek Word Elements Names: Their Origins and Meanings Old Testament Names Mythology Ancient Greek Literature & Mythology The Bible (King James version) The Koran (translation by J. M. Rodwell) Shakespeare's Plays Tales from Shakespeare (Charles and Mary Lamb) Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language