HOOK, THEODORE EDWARD (1788-1841).—Dramatist and novelist,s.of James H., music-hall composer, wasb.in London, anded.at Harrow. As a boy he wrote words for his father's comic dramas. In 1805 he produced a comic opera,The Soldier's Return, which was followed byCatch Him who Can. Both of them were highly successful, and were followed by many others. His marvellous powers as a conversationalist andimprovisatoremade him a favourite in the highest circles. In 1812 he received the appointment of Accountant-General of Mauritius, which he held for 5 years, when serious irregularities were discovered, and he was sent home in disgrace, prosecuted by Government for a claim of £12,000, and imprisoned. It subsequently appeared that the actual peculation had been the work of a subordinate, and that H. himself was only chargeable with gross neglect of duty, but though he was released the claims against him were not departed from. He then became ed. ofJohn Bull, a journal of high Tory and aristocratic proclivities, which he conducted with great ability; he also ed. theNew Monthly Magazine, and wrote many novels, among which wereSayings and Doings(3 series),Gilbert Gurney, andJack Brag. Though making a large income, he was always in difficulties, and,after a long struggle with broken health and spirits, hed.at Fulham in 1841.
HOOK, WALTER FARQUHAR (1798-1875).—Biographer,s.of James H., Dean of Worcester,b.at Worcester, anded.at Winchester and Oxf. Entering the Church, he held various benefices, and became Vicar of Leeds (where, largely owing to his exertions, 20 new churches and many schools were built), and afterwards Dean of Chichester. Besides his labours as a churchman he was a voluminous author, his works includingChurch Dictionary(1842),Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Biography(1845-52), andLives of the Archbishops of Canterbury(1860-75), on which he was still engaged at his death, and which he had brought down to Juxon, vol. xi. His sermonHear the Church(1838), in which he affirmed the Apostolical succession of the Anglican episcopate, attracted much attention.
HOOKER, RICHARD (1554?-1600).—Theologian,b.near Exeter, of a family the original name of which was Vowell. His ability and gentleness as a schoolboy recommended him to the notice of Bishop Jewel, who sent him to Corpus Christi Coll., Oxf., where he graduated and became a Fellow in 1577. His proficiency in Hebrew led to his appointment in 1579 as Deputy Prof. Two years later, 1581, he took orders, and soon thereafter advantage was taken of his simplicity to entrap him into an unsuitable marriage with a woman named Joan Churchman, whose mother had nursed him in an illness. As might have been expected, the connection turned out unhappily, his wife being a scold, and, according to Anthony Wood, "a silly, clownish woman." His fate may, however, have been mitigated by the fact that his own temper was so sweet that he is said never to have been seen angry. Some doubt, moreover, has been cast on some of the reported details of his domestic life. In 1584 he received the living of Drayton-Beauchamp, in Bucks, and in the following year was appointed Master of the Temple. Here he had for a colleague as evening lecturer Walter Travers, a man of mark among the Puritans. Though both men were of the finest moral character, their views on ecclesiastical questions were widely different, and as neither was disposed to conceal his opinions, it came to be said that in the Temple "the pulpit spake pure Canterbury in the morning and Geneva in the afternoon." Things developed into an animated controversy, in which H. was considered to have triumphed, and the Archbishop (Whitgift) suspended Travers. The position, however, had become intolerable for H. who respected his opponent in spite of their differences, and he petitioned Whitgift that he might retire to the country and find time and quiet to complete his great work, theEcclesiastical Polity, on which he was engaged. He was accordingly, in 1591, presented to the living of Boscombe near Amesbury, and made sub-Dean and a minor Prebendary of Salisbury. Here he finishedThe Four Books of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Polity,pub.in 1594. The following year he was presented by Queen Elizabeth to the living of Bishopsbourne, Kent. Here the fifth book waspub.(1597), and here hed.in 1600. The sixth and eighth books were notpub.until 1648, and the seventh only appeared in 1662. TheEcclesiastical Polityis one of the greatest achievements alike in English theology and English literature,a masterpiece of reasoning and eloquence, in a style stately and sonorous, though often laborious and involved. Hallam considered that no English writer had better displayed the capacities of the language. The argument is directed against the Romanists on the one hand and the Puritans on the other, and the fundamental idea is "the unity and all embracing character of law as the manifestation of the divine order of the universe." The distinguishing note of H.'s character was what Fuller calls his "dove-like simplicity." Izaak Walton, his biographer, describes him as "an obscure, harmless man, in poor clothes, of a mean stature and stooping ... his body worn out, not with age, but study, and holy mortification, his face full of heat-pimples ... and tho' not purblind, yet short, or weak, sighted." In his calling as a parish priest he was faithful and diligent. In preaching "his voice was low ... gesture none at all, standing stone-still in the pulpit." The sixth book of theEcclesiastical Polityhas been considered of doubtful authority, and to have no claim to its place, and the seventh and eighth are believed to have been put together from rough notes. Some of his MSS. were destroyed after his death by his wife's relatives. The epithet "judicious" attached to his name first appears in the inscription on his monument at Bishopsbourne.
Works, ed. by Keble (1836); new ed. revised by Church, etc. (1888). It includes theLifeby I. Walton.
HOOLE, JOHN (1727-1803).—Translator,s.of a watch-maker and inventor, wasb.in London, and was in the India House, of which he rose to be principal auditor (1744-83). He translated Tasso'sJerusalem Delivered(1763), and Ariosto'sOrlando Furioso(1773-83), as well as other works from the Italian. He was also the author of three dramas, which failed. He is described by Scott as "a noble transmuter of gold into lead."
HOPE, THOMAS (1770-1831).—Novelist and writer on art, was a wealthy merchant of Amsterdam, of Scotch descent, his family having emigrated to Holland in the 17th century. In early life he spent much time in travel, studying architecture, and collecting objects of art. Returning, he settled in London, and occupied himself in arranging his vast collections. In 1807 hepub.a work onHousehold Furniture and Decoration, which had a great effect in improving the public taste in such matters. This was followed by two magnificent works,On the Costume of the Ancients(1809), andDesigns of Modern Costumes(1812). Up to this time his reputation had been somewhat that of a transcendent upholsterer, but in 1819 he astonished the literary world by his novel,Anastasius; or, Memoirs of a Modern Greek, a work full of imagination, descriptive power, and knowledge of the world. This book, which waspub.anonymously, was attributed to Byron, and only credited to the author on his avowing it inBlackwood's Magazine. H. also wrote a treatise on theOrigin and Prospects of Man, andEssays on Architecture. He was a munificent and discerning patron of rising artists.
HORNE, RICHARD HENRY or HENGIST (1803-1884).—Eccentric poet, wasb.in London, anded.at Sandhurst for the East India Company Service, but failed to get a nomination. After ayouth of adventure, partly in the Mexican Navy, he returned to England, and began in 1828 a highly combative literary career with a poem,Hecatompylos, in theAthenæum. His next appearance,The False Medium(1833), an exposition of the obstacles thrown in the way of "men of genius" by literary middlemen, raised a nest of hornets; andOrion, an "epic poem,"pub.1843 at the price of one farthing, followed. His plays, which includeCosmo de Medici(1837),The Death of Marlowe(1837), andJudas Iscariot, did not add greatly to his reputation. InThe New Spirit of the Age(1844), he had the assistance of Mrs. Browning. Though a writer of talent, he was not a poet.
HORNE, THOMAS HARTWELL (1780-1862).—Theologian,ed.at Christ's Hospital, was for a time in the law, but became a great biblical scholar, and in 1818pub.Introduction to the Critical Study and Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures(1818), in consideration of which he was admitted to orders without the usual preliminaries, and in 1833 obtained a benefice in London and a prebend in St. Paul's, and was senior assistant in the printed books department of the British Museum (1824-60). He wrote anIntroduction to the Study of Bibliography(1814), and various other works, but he is chiefly remembered in connection with that first mentioned, which was frequently reprinted, and was very widely used as a text-book both at home and in America.
HOUGHTON, RICHARD MONCKTON MILNES, 1ST LORD (1809-1885).—Poet,s.of Robert (known as "single-speech") M.,b.in London, anded.privately and at Camb. He sat in the House of Commons for Pontefract from 1837-63, when he was raised to the Peerage. His interests were, however, mainly literary and philanthropic, and it was said of him that he "knew everybody worth knowing at home and abroad;" and his sympathies being of the widest, he was able to bring together the most opposite extremes of life and opinion. He championed the cause of oppressed nationalities, and of the slave. Hepub.many vols. of poetry, among which werePoetry for the People(1840), andPalm Leaves(1848). He also wrote a Life of Keats, and various books of travels. Though he had not the depth of mind or intensity of feeling to make a great poet, his verse is the work of a man of high culture, graceful and refined, and a few of his shorter poems—such asThe Beating of my own Heart, andStrangers Yet, strike a true note which gained for them wide acceptance.
HOWARD, EDWARD (d.1841).—Novelist, a sea-comrade of Captain Marryat, and as sub ed. assisted him in conducting theMetropolitan Magazine. He wrote several sea novels, of whichRattlin the Reefer, sometimes attributed to Marryat, is the best known. Others wereOutward BoundandJack Ashore.
HOWARD, SIR ROBERT (1626-1698).—Dramatist,s.of the Earl of Berkshire, and brother-in-law of Dryden. On the outbreak of the Civil War he was of the King's party, and was imprisoned during the Commonwealth. After the Restoration, however, he was in favour with the Court, and held many importantposts. He wrote some plays, of which the best wasThe Committee, and collaborated with Dryden inThe Indian Queen. He was at odds with him, however, on the question of rhyme, the use of which he wrote against in very indifferent blank verse.
HOWE, JOHN (1630-1705).—Puritan divine,b.at Loughborough, of which hisf.was curate, studied at Camb., and became, in 1652, minister of Great Torrington, Devonshire, where he was famous for the unusual length of his sermons and prayers. In 1657 Oliver Cromwell made him his resident chaplain at Whitehall, a position which he retained under Richard C., so long as the latter held the office of Protector. On the Restoration H. returned to Great Torrington, from which, however, he was ejected in 1662. Thereafter he wandered from place to place, preaching in secret until 1671, when he went to Ireland as chaplain to Lord Massareene, and in 1675 he became minister of a dissenting congregation in London. In 1685 he travelled with Lord Wharton on the Continent, but returned in 1687 to London, where hed.in 1705. H. was the author of many excellent works of practical divinity, among which areThe Living Temple,Inquiry into the Doctrine of the Trinity, andThe Divine Presence. The substance of his writings is better than their style, which is involved and extremely diffuse, and evinces much vigour of mind. H. is described as of a fine presence and dignified manners.
HOWELL, JAMES (1594?-1666).—Miscellaneous writer,s.of a clergyman at Abernant, Caermarthenshire, was at Oxf. and spent the greater part of his earlier life travelling in various Continental countries, including the Low Countries, France, Spain, and Italy, on various matters of business, during which he became versed in many languages, and amassed stores of information and observations on men and manners. He was a keen Royalist, and was on this account imprisoned in the Fleet, 1643-51. He wrote a large number of books, includingDodona's Grove, a political allegory,Instructions for Foreign Travel(1642),England's Tears for the Present Wars,A Trance, or News from Hell, and above all,Epistolæ Ho-Elianæ, Familiar Letters, chiefly written in the Fleet to imaginary correspondents, but no doubt based upon notes of his own travels. It is one of the most interesting and entertaining books in the language.
HOWIE, JOHN (1735-1793).—Biographer, a Renfrewshire farmer, who claimed descent from an Albigensian refugee, wrote Lives of the martyrs of Scotland from Patrick Hamilton, the first, to James Renwick, the last, under the title ofScots Worthies. The work of an unlettered man, it has considerable merit as regards both matter and style, and was long a classic among the Scottish peasantry as well as higher orders of the people.
HOWITT, WILLIAM (1792-1879), HOWITT, MARY (BOTHAM) (1799-1888).—Miscellaneous writers. William H. wasb.at Heanor, Derbyshire, and was apprenticed to a builder; Mary wasb.at Coleford, Gloucestershire; theym.in 1821, and settled at Hanley, where they carried on business as chemists. Two years later they removedto Nottingham, where they remained for 12 years, and where much of their literary work was accomplished. Thereafter they lived successively at Esher, London, Heidelberg, and Rome, at the last of which they bothd.Their literary work, which was very voluminous, was done partly in conjunction, partly independently, and covered a considerable variety of subjects—poetry, fiction, history, translations, and social and economical subjects. Useful and pleasing in its day, little of it is likely to survive. William's works includeA History of Priestcraft(1833),Rural Life in England(1837),Visits to Remarkable Places,Homes and Haunts of the Poets,Land, Labour, and Gold(1855),Rural Life in Germany,History of the Supernatural, andHistory of Discovery in Australia. Mary translated the Swedish novels of Frederica Bremer, H.C. Andersen'sImprovisatore, and wrote novels, includingWood LeightonandThe Cost of Caergwyn, many successful tales and poems for children, and aHistory of the United States. Their joint productions includeThe Forest Minstrel,Book of the Seasons, andRuined Abbeys and Castles of Great Britain. Both brought up as Quakers, they left that communion in 1847, and became believers in spiritualism; and in 1882 Mary joined the Church of Rome.
HUCHOWN, or SIR HUGH of EGLINTON (fl.14th cent.).—Unless identified with Sir Hugh, Huchown is shrouded in mystery. He was a writer of alliterative verse, referred to by Andrew of Wyntoun. If he be identified with Sir Hugh, he was an Ayrshire nobleman related to Robert II.,b.c.1300-20, Chamberlain of Cunningham, Justiciar of Lothian, and Commissioner for the Borders. He also held office under David II. In that case also he is believed by some scholars to have translated the poems bearing the titlesThe Destruction of TroyandThe Wars of Alexander.
HUGHES, JOHN (1677-1720).—Essayist and dramatist, was a clerk in the Ordnance Office, then sec. for the Commission of the Peace. He contributed to theSpectator,Tatler, andGuardian, ed. Spenser, and wrote several dramas, of which the best isThe Siege of Damascus. It was his last, he havingd.on the first night of its performance. Addison thought so well of his dramatic talent that he requested him to write the conclusion ofCato. He, however, finished it himself. H. was a highly respectable person, and is affectionately commemorated by Sir Richard Steele.
HUGHES, THOMAS (1823?-1896).—Novelist and biographer,s.of a Berkshire squire, wased.at Rugby and Oxf., and called to the Bar in 1848. Much the most successful of his books wasTom Brown's School-days(1856), which had an immense popularity, and perhaps remains the best picture of English public-school life in the language. Its sequel,Tom Brown at Oxford(1861), was a comparative failure, but hisScouring of the White Horsedeals in a charming way with his own countryside. He also wrote Lives of Alfred the Great, Bishop Fraser, and D. Macmillan, the publisher. H. devoted much attention to philanthropic work in conjunction with Kingsley and Maurice. In 1882 he was appointed a County Court Judge.
HUME, ALEXANDER (1560-1609).—Poet,s.of Patrick, 5th Lord Polwarth,ed.at St. Andrews, and on the Continent, was originally destined for the law, but devoted himself to the service of the Church, and was minister of Logie in Stirlingshire. Hepub.in 1599Hymns and Sacred Songs, including the beautiful "Day Estival," descriptive of a summer day.
HUME, DAVID, (1711-1776).—Philosopher and historian, seconds.of Joseph H., of Ninewells, Berwickshire, wasb.anded.in Edin., and was intended for the law. For this, however, he had no aptitude, and commercial pursuits into which he was initiated in a counting-house in Bristol proving equally uncongenial, he was permitted to follow out his literary bent, and in 1734 went to France, where he passed three years at Rheims and La Flèche in study, living on a small allowance made him by hisf.In 1739 hepub.anonymously hisTreatise on Human Nature, which attracted little attention. Having returned to Scotland, he wrote at Ninewells hisEssays, Moral and Philosophical(1741-42). He now became desirous of finding some employment which would put him in a position of independence, and having been unsuccessful in his candidature for the Chair of Moral Philosophy in Edin., he became in 1745 governor to the Marquis of Annandale, a nobleman whose state was little removed from insanity. Two years later he accepted the more congenial appointment of Judge-Advocate-General to General St. Clair on his expedition to Port L'Orient, and in 1748 accompanied him on a diplomatic mission to France, whence he passed on to Vienna and Turin. About the same time he produced hisPhilosophical Essays(1748), including the famousEssay in Miracleswhich gave rise to so much controversy. These were followed in 1751 by hisEnquiry into the Principles of Morals, which he considered his best work; and in 1752 by hisPolitical Discourses, which alone of his works had an immediate success. In the same year he applied unsuccessfully for the Chair of Logic in Glasgow, but was appointed Keeper of the Advocates' Library in Edin. The access to books and original authorities which this position gave him appears to have suggested to his mind the idea of writing a history, and the first vol. of hisHistory of England, containing the reigns of James I. and Charles I., waspub.in 1754. Its reception was not favourable, and the disappointment of the author was so great that, had it not been for the state of war between the two countries, he would have left his native land, changed his name, and settled permanently in France. The second vol., which appeared in 1757, dealing with the Commonwealth, and the reigns of Charles II. and James II., had a better reception, and had the effect of "buoying up its unfortunate brother." Thereafter the tide completely turned, and the remaining four vols., 1759 and 1762, in which he turned back and finished the history from the invasion of Julius Cæsar to the accession of Henry VII., attained a vast popularity, which extended to the whole work. During the progress of the history H.pub.in 1757Four Dissertations: the Natural History of Religion; of the Passions; of Tragedy; of the Standard of Taste. Two others onSuicideand onThe Immortality of the Soulwere cancelled, butpub.posthumously. In 1763 H. accompaniedLord Hertford to Paris, and for a few months acted asChargé d'Affaires. While there he was introduced to the brilliant literary society for which the French capital was then famous. Among other acquaintances which he made was that of Rousseau, whom he persuaded to accompany him on his return home, and for whom he procured a pension. The suspicious and fickle character of R., however, soon brought the friendship to an end. Soon after his return H. received a pension, and from 1767-68 he was under-sec. to General Conway, then Sec. of State. In 1769 he retired, and returned to Edin. with an income of £1000 a year which, time and place considered, was an ample competence, and there he spent the remainder of his days, the recognised head of the intellectual and literary society of the city.
The mind of H. was one of the most original and operative of his age. His philosophy was largely a questioning of the views of previous metaphysicians, and he occupied towards mind, considered as a self-subsisting entity, a position analogous to that assumed by Berkeley towards matter similarly considered. He profoundly influenced European thought, and by indirectly calling into being the philosophy of Kant on the one hand, and that of the Scottish School on the other, created a new era of thought. As a historian he showed the same originality. He introduced a new and higher method of writing history than had previously been practised. Until his time chronicles and contemporary memoirs had, generally speaking, been all that had been produced; and though his great work cannot, from its frequent inaccuracies and the fact that it is not based upon original documents, claim the character of an authority, its clear, graceful, and spirited narrative style, and its reflection of the individuality of the writer, constitute it a classic, and it must always retain a place among the masterpieces of historical literature. In character H. was kindly, candid, and good-humoured, and he was beloved as a man even by many who held his views in what was little short of abhorrence.
SUMMARY.—B.1711,ed.at Edin., tries law and commerce, but decides for literature, goes to France 1734-37,pub.Human Nature1739,Essays Moral and Philosophical1741-2, governor to M. of Annandale 1745, accompanies expedition to L'Orient, engaged diplomatically 1748,pub.Philosophical Essays, includingMiracles1748,Enquiry into Principles of Morals1751,Political Discourses1752, Keeper of Advocates' Library 1752,pub.History of England1754-62,Four Dissertations1757,Chargé d'Affairesat Paris 1763, became acquainted with Rousseau, under-sec. of State 1767-8, retires and settles in Edin. 1769.
Lifeby Hill Burton (2 vols., 1846), shorter ones by Huxley, Knight, and Calderwood.Worksed. by Green and Grose (4 vols., 1874).Historyoften reprinted with Smollett's continuations.
HUNNIS, WILLIAM (d.1597).—Poet, was a gentleman of the Chapel Royal to Edward VI., imprisoned during the reign of Mary, but after the accession of Elizabeth was released, and in 1566 made "master of the children" of the Chapel Royal. He wrote metrical versions of the Psalms, and some vols. of verse,A Hiveful of Honey, andA Handful of Honeysuckles.
HUNT, JAMES HENRY LEIGH (1784-1859).—Essayist and poet, wasb.at Southgate, anded.at Christ's Hospital. A selection of his earliest poems waspub.by hisf.in 1801 under the title ofJuvenilia. In 1805 he joined his brother John in conducting a paper, theNews, which the latter had started. Thereafter the brothers embarked upon theExaminer, a paper of pronounced Radical views. The appearance in this journal of an article on the Prince Regent in which he was described in words which have been condensed into "a fat Adonis of fifty," led to H. being fined £500 and imprisoned for two years. With his customary genial philosophy, however, the prisoner made the best of things, turned his cell into a study, with bookcases and a piano, and his yard into a garden. He had the sympathy of many, and received his friends, including Byron, Moore, and Lamb. On his release hepub.his poem,The Story of Rimini. Two other vols. of poetry followed,The Feast of the PoetsandFoliage, in 1814 and 1818 respectively. In the latter year he started theIndicator, a paper something in the style of theSpectatororTatler, and after this had run its course theCompanion, conceived on similar lines, took its place in 1828. In 1822 H. went to Italy with Byron, and there established theLiberal, a paper which did not prove a success. Disillusioned with Byron, H. returned home, andpub.in 1828Lord Byron and his Contemporaries, a work which gave great offence to Byron's friends, who accused the author of ingratitude. In 1834 H. started theLondon Journal, which he ed. for two years. Among his later works areCaptain Sword and Captain Pen(1835),The Palfrey, a poem,A Legend of Florence(drama),Imagination and Fancy(1844),Wit and Humour(1846),A Jar of Honey from Mount Hybla(1848),The Old Court Suburb(1855),The Town,Sir Ralph Esher, a novel, and his Autobiography (1850). Although his poems have considerable descriptive power and brightness, he had not the depth and intensity to make a poet, and his reputation rests rather upon his essays, which are full of a genial philosophy, and display a love of books, and everything pleasant and beautiful. He did much to popularise the love of poetry and literature in general among his fellow-countrymen.
HURD, RICHARD (1720-1808).—Divine, and miscellaneous writer,b.at Congreve, Staffordshire, wased.at Camb., and entering the Church, became Bishop successively of Lichfield and Worcester. He produced an ed. of theArs Poeticaof Horace,Dissertations on Poetry,Dialogues on Sincerity,Letters on Chivalry and Romance, andAn Introduction to the Prophecies. He was in 1783 offered, but declined, the Primacy.
HUTCHESON, FRANCIS (1694-1746).—Philosopher,b.in Ireland, anded.for the Presbyterian ministry at Glasgow Univ. After keeping an academy at Dublin for some years hepub.hisEnquiry into Beauty and Virtue, which won for him a great reputation. In 1729 he became Prof. of Moral Philosophy at Glasgow, where he exercised a great influence over his students, and also upon the Scottish system of philosophy. In his philosophical views he was to some extent a disciple of Shaftesbury. He introduced the term,"moral sense," which he defined as a power of perceiving moral attributes in action. HisSystem of Moral Philosophyappeared posthumously in two vols.
HUTCHINSON, MRS. LUCY (b.1620).—Biographer,dau.of Sir Allan Apsley, Lieutenant of the Tower of London,m.in 1638 John, afterwards Colonel, Hutchinson, one of those who signed the death-warrant of Charles I., but who afterwards protested against the assumption of supreme power by Cromwell. She has a place in literature for her Life of her husband, one of the most interesting biographies in the language, not only on account of its immediate subject, but of the light which it throws upon the characteristics and conditions of the life of Puritans of good family. Originally intended for her family only, it was printed by a descendant in 1806, and did much to clear away the false impressions as to the narrowness and austerity of the educated Puritans which had prevailed. Colonel H. and his wife were noble representatives of their class.
HUTTON, RICHARD HOLT (1826-1897).—Essayist and miscellaneous writer, was brought up as a Unitarian, and for some time was a preacher of that body, but coming under the influence of F.D. Maurice and others of his school, joined the Church of England. He was a frequent contributor to various magazines and reviews, and assisted Walter Bagehot in ed. theNational Review. In 1861 he became joint-proprietor and ed. of theSpectator. Among his other writings may be mentionedEssays, Theological and Literary(1871),Modern Guides of English Thought(1887), andContemporary Thought and Thinkers(1894), which were more or less reprints or expansions of his work in periodicals, and a memoir of Bagehot prefixed to an ed. of his works.
HUXLEY, THOMAS HENRY (1825-1895).—Scientific writer,s.of an assistant master in a public school, wasb.at Ealing. From childhood he was an insatiable reader. In his 13th year he became a medical apprentice, and in 1842 entered Charing Cross Hospital. Thereafter he was for a few months surgeon on board theVictoryat Haslar, and was then appointed surgeon on H.M.S.Rattlesnake, which was sent to make surveys at Torres Strait. While in this position he made numerous observations, which he communicated to the Linnæan Society. In 1851 he became a Fellow of the Royal Society, and in 1854 Prof. of Natural History at the School of Mines. Henceforth his life was a very full one, divided between scientific investigation and public work. He was recognised as the foremost English biologist, and was elected Pres. of the Royal Society 1883. He served on the London School Board and on various Royal Commissions. His writings are in the main distinguished by a clearness, force, and charm which entitle them to a place in literature; and besides the addition which they made to the stock of human knowledge, they did much to diffuse a love and study of science. H. was a keen controversialist, contending for the strictly scientific view of all subjects as distinguished from the metaphysical or theological, and accordingly encountered much opposition, and a good deal of abuse. Nevertheless, he was not a materialist, and was in sympathy with the moral and tender aspects of Christianity. Hewas a strong supporter of the theory of evolution. Among the more eminent of his opponents were Bishop Wilberforce and Mr. Gladstone. Hispub.works, including scientific communications, are very numerous. Among the more important are those on theMedusæ,Zoological Evidences of Man's Place in Nature(1863),Elementary Lessons on Physiology(1866),Evolution and Ethics(1893),Collected Essays(9 vols. 1893-4). He was also an admirable letter-writer, as appears from theLife and Letters, ed. by his son, and to him we owe the word, and almost the idea, "Agnostic."
INCHBALD, MRS. ELIZABETH (SIMPSON) (1753-1821).—Novelist and dramatist,dau.of a Suffolk farmer. In a romantic fit she left her home at the age of 16, and went to London, where she became acquainted with Inchbald the actor, whom.her in 1772. Seven years later her husbandd., and for the next ten years she was on the stage, chiefly in Scotland and Ireland. She produced many plays, includingMogul Tale(1784),I'll Tell you What(1785),Appearance is against Them(1785),Such Things Are,The Married Man,The Wedding Day, and two novels,A Simple Story(1791), andNature and Art(1796), which have been frequently reprinted. She also made a collection of plays,The Modern Theatre, in 10 vols. Her life was remarkable for its simplicity and frugality, and a large part of her earnings was applied in the maintenance of a delicate sister. Though of a somewhat sentimental and romantic nature, she preserved an unblemished reputation.
INGELOW, JEAN (1820-1897).—Poetess and novelist,dau.of a banker at Boston, Lincolnshire,pub.three vols. of poems, of which perhaps the best known individual piece is "The High Tide on the Coast of Lincolnshire," and several successful novels, includingOff the Skelligs(1872),Fated to be Free(1875), andSarah de Berenger(1879). She also wrote excellent stories for children,Mopsa the Fairy,Stories told to Children, etc. Her poems show a considerable lyric gift.
INNES, COSMO (1798-1874).—Historian and antiquary, was called to the Scottish Bar in 1822, and was appointed Prof. of Constitutional Law and History in the Univ. of Edin. in 1846. He was the author ofScotland in the Middle Ages(1860), andSketches of Early Scottish History(1861). He also ed. many historical MSS. for the Bannatyne and other antiquarian clubs. Much learning is displayed in his works.
INNES, THOMAS (1662-1744).—Historian, was descended from an old Roman Catholic family in Aberdeenshire. He studied in Paris at the Scots Coll., of which he became Principal. He was the author of two learned works,Critical Essay on the Ancient Inhabitants of the Northern Parts of Britain(1729), andCivil and Ecclesiastical History of Scotland, 80 to 818(pub.by the Spalding Club, 1853).
IRELAND, WILLIAM HENRY (1777-1835).—Forger of Shakespeare manuscripts,s.of an antiquarian bookseller in London. He claimed to have discovered the MSS. in the house of a gentleman of fortune. The forgeries included various deeds, a Protestant confession of faith by Shakespeare, letters to Ann Hathaway,Southampton, and others, a new version ofKing Lear, and a complete drama,Vortigern and Rowena. He completely deceived hisf.and various men of letters and experts, but was detected by Malone, and the representation ofVortigernon the stage completed the exposure. I. then tried novel-writing, in which he failed. Hepub.a confession in regard to the forgeries, in which he asserted that hisf.had no part in the imposture, but had been completely deceived by it.
IRVING, EDWARD (1792-1834).—Theologian and orator,b.at Annan, Dumfriesshire, anded.at Edin. Univ., for some years thereafter was engaged in teaching at Kirkcaldy. Ordained to the ministry of the Church of Scotland he became, in 1819, assistant to Dr. Chalmers in Glasgow, after which he went to the Scotch Church in Hatton Gardens, London, where he had an almost unprecedented popularity, his admirers including De Quincey, Coleridge, Canning, Scott, and others. The effect of his spoken oratory is not preserved in his writings, and was no doubt in a considerable degree due to his striking appearance and fine voice. He is described as "a tall, athletic man, with dark, sallow complexion and commanding features; long, glossy black hair, and an obvious squint." Soon after removing to a new church in Regent Square he began to develop his views relative to the near approach of the Second Advent; and hisHomilies on the Sacramentsinvolved him in a charge of heretical views on the person of Christ, which resulted in his ejection from his church, and ultimately in his deposition from the ministry. Thereafter his views as to the revival, as in the early Church, of the gifts of healing and of tongues, to which, however, he made no personal claim, underwent rapid development, and resulted in the founding of a new communion, the Catholic Apostolic Church, the adherents of which are commonly known as "Irvingites." Whether right or mistaken in his views there can be no doubt of the personal sincerity and nobility of the man. Hispub.writings includeFor the Oracles of God,For Judgment to Come, andThe Last Days, and contain many passages of majestic eloquence.
IRVING, WASHINGTON (1783-1859).—Essayist and historian,b.in New York,s.of William I. who had emigrated from Scotland. He was in his youth delicate, and his education was somewhat desultory, but hisf.had a fine library, of which he had the run, and he was an omnivorous reader. In 1799 he entered a law office, but a threatening of consumption led to his going, in 1804, on a European tour in search of health. On his return in 1806 he was admitted to the Bar. He did not, however, prosecute law, but joined his brothers in business as a sleeping partner, while he devoted himself to literature. In 1807 he conductedSalmagundi, an amusing miscellany, and in 1809 appearedA History of New York by Diedrich Knickerbocker, a burlesque upon the old Dutch settlers, which has become a classic in America. He made in 1815 a second visit to Europe, from which he did not return for 17 years. In England he was welcomed by Thomas Campbell, the poet, who introduced him to Scott, whom he visited at Abbotsford in 1817. The following year the firm with which he was connected failed, and he had to look to literature for a livelihood. He producedThe Sketch-Book(1819), which was, through the influence of Scott, accepted byMurray, and had a great success on both sides of the Atlantic. In 1822 he went to Paris, where he beganBracebridge Hall, followed in 1824 byTales of a Traveller. In 1826 Everett, the American minister at Madrid, invited him to come and assist him by making translations relative to Columbus, which opened up to him a new field hitherto little cultivated. The result was a series of fascinating historical and romantic works, beginning withHistory of the Life and Voyages of Columbus(1828), and includingThe Conquest of Granada(1829),Voyages of the Companions of Columbus(1831),The Alhambra(1832),Legends of the Conquest of Spain(1835), andMahomet and his Successors(1849). Meanwhile he had returned to England in 1829, and to America in 1832. In 1842 he was appointed Minister to Spain, and in 1846 he finally returned to America. In the same year hepub.aLife of Goldsmith, and his great work, theLife of Washington, came out 1855-59,Wolfert's Roost, a collection of tales and essays, appeared in 1855. I. was neverm.: in his youth he had been engaged to a girl whod., and whose memory he faithfully cherished. His last years were spent at Sunnyside, an old Dutch house near his "sleepy hollow," and there hed.suddenly on Nov. 28, 1859. Though not, perhaps, a writer of commanding power or originality, I., especially in his earlier works, imparted by his style and treatment a singular charm to every subject he touched, and holds a high place among American men of letters, among whom he is the first who has produced what has, on its own merits, living interest in literature. He was a man of high character and amiable disposition.
JAMES I., KING of SCOTLAND (1394-1437).—Poet, the thirds.of Robert III., wasb.at Dunfermline. In 1406 he was sent for safety and education to France, but on the voyage was taken prisoner by an English ship, and conveyed to England, where until 1824 he remained confined in various places, but chiefly in the Tower of London. He was then ransomed and, after his marriage to Lady Jane or Joan Beaufort,dau.of the Duke of Somerset, and the heroine ofThe King's Quhair(or Book), crowned at Scone. While in England he had been carefullyed., and on his return to his native country endeavoured to reduce its turbulent nobility to due subjection, and to introduce various reforms. His efforts, however, which do not appear to have been always marked by prudence, ended disastrously in his assassination in the monastery of the Black Friars, Perth, in February, 1437. J. was a man of great natural capacity both intellectual and practical—an ardent student and a poet of no mean order. In addition toThe King's Quhair, one of the finest love poems in existence, andA Ballad of Good Counsel, which are very generally attributed to him, he has been more doubtfully credited withPeeblis to the PlayandChristis Kirke on the Greene.
JAMES, GEORGE PAYNE RAINSFORD (1801-1860).—Novelist and historical writer,s.of a physician in London, was for many years British Consul at various places in the United States and on the Continent. At an early age he began to write romances, and continued his production with such industry that his works reach to 100 vols. This excessive rapidity was fatal to his permanentreputation; but his books had considerable immediate popularity. Among them areRichelieu(1829),Philip Augustus(1831),The Man at Arms(1840),The Huguenot(1838),The Robber,Henry of Guise(1839),Agincourt(1844),The King's Highway(1840). In addition to his novels he wroteMemoirs of Great Commanders, aLife of the Black Prince, and other historical and biographical works. He held the honorary office of Historiographer Royal.