Chapter Hare's Bread to Harold of H by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Hare's Bread to Harold

Hare’s Bread, Pain de liévre, supposed to be a bread-food with hares. This plant is the arum or cuckoo- pint, from which arrowroot is often made.

Harebell. The harebell o f England is the wild hyacinth, but the Scottish harebell is a campanula, generally called the “bluebell of Scotland.” Hare, meaning “wild,” or “heath,” enters into several flower-names, as “hare’s blossom,” “hare’s food,” “hare’s tail” (a grass), “hare’s bread,” etc.” some of which are also called heath, as “heath bell,” the bluebell of Scotland, etc.

Haredale (Geoffrey), brother of Reuben the uncle of Emma Haredale. He was a papist, and incurred the malignant hatred of Gashford (lord George Gordon’s secretary) by exposing him in Westminster Hall. Geoffrey Haredale killed sir John Chester in a duel, but made good his escape, and ended his days in a monastery.

Reuben Haredale, brother of Geoffrey, and father of Emma Haredale. He was murdered.

Emma Haredale, daughter of Reuben, and niece of Geoffrey with whom she lived at “The Warren.” Edward Chester loved Emma Haredale.—Dickens: Barnaby Rudge (1841).

Harefoot (Harold). So Harold I. was called, because he was swift of foot as a hare (1035–1040).

Hargrave, a man of fashion. The hero and title of a novel by Mrs. Trollope (1843).

Harlequin. Menage derives the word from Achille de Harley, a comedian of Paris (1536–1616).

Sous le règne de Henri III., une troupe de comédiens Italiens vins donner des representations à Paris. L’un de ces comédiens, celui qui avait le talent de plaire le plus au public, fut très bien accueilli par la famille de Harlay, qui complait alors parmi ses membres le celèbre président de ce nom. Les camarades lui donnèrent, à cause de l’amité que lui avait témoignée cette famille, le surnom d’Harlequino (petit Harlay); d’Harlequin les Parisiens firent Arelequin, et c’est ainsi que le nom de l’un de nos plus grands magistrats est devenu en francisant, celui du bouffon le plus trivial des theâtres de foire.—Revue de Deux Mondes.

Harley, “the man of feeling.” A man of the finest sensibilities and unbounded benevolence, but bashful as a maiden.—Mackenzie: The Man of Feeling (1771).

The principal object of Mackenzie is … to reach and sustain a tone of moral pathos by representing the effect of incidents … upon the human mind … especially those which are just, honourable, and intelligent.—Sir W. Scott.

Harlot (The Infamous Northern), Elizabeth Petrowna empress of Russia (1709–1761).

Harlowe (Clarissa), a young lady, who, to avoid a marriage to which her heart cannot consent, but to which she is urged by her parents, casts herself on the protection of a lover, who most scandalously abuses the confidence reposed in him. He afterwards proposes marriage; but she rejects his proposal, and retires to a solitary dwelling where she pines to death with grief and shame. —Richardson: The History of Clarissa Harlowe (1749).

The dignity of Clarissa under her disgrace … reminds us of the saying of the ancient poet, that a good man struggling with the tide of adversity and surmounting it, is a sight upon which the immortal gods might look down with pleasure.—Sir W. Scott.

The moral elevation of this heroine, the saintly purity which she preserves amidst scenes of the deepest depravity and the most seductive gaiety, and the never-failing sweetness and benevolence of her temper, render Clarissa one of the brightest triumphs of the whole range of imaginative literature.—Chambers: English Literature, ii.161.